Daddy Yankee is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, rapper, actor and record producer. Daddy Yankee is the artist who coined the word Reggaeton in 1994 to describe the new music genre that was emerging from Puerto Rico, he is known as the “King of Reggaetón” by music critics and fans alike. Ayala aspired to be a professional baseball player and tried out for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball. Before he could be officially signed, he was hit by a stray round from an AK-47 rifle while taking a break from a studio recording session with reggaeton artist DJ Playero. Ayala spent roughly one and a half years recovering from the wound the bullet was never removed from his hip and he credits the shooting incident with allowing him to focus entirely on a music career.
Birth Name
Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez
Nickname
El Cangri, El Jefe, The Big Boss, El Maximo Lider, Daddy Yankee, Winchester 30-30, King Daddy, The King
Profession
Singer, Songwriter, Actor, Musical Producer
Genre
Hip Hop, Latin Pop, Reggaeton
Instruments
Vocals, Drums, Piano
Labels
Dream Team Killer, Los Cangris Music Inc., Machete Music, Universal Music, Interscope Geffen A&M, El Cartel, Capitol Latin
Nationality
Puerto Rican
Personal Life
Birthday / Date of Birth
Daddy Yankee was born on February 03, 1977 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Age
Daddy Yankee is currently 42 years old.
Sun Sign
Aquarius
Ethnicity
Multiracial
Religion
Christianity
Education
Daddy’s educational background is not known.
Family Details
- Father – Unknown
- Mother – Rosa Rodríguez
- Siblings – Melvin Ayala (Brother), Nomar Ayala (Brother)
Marital Status
Married
Girlfriend / Spouse
Daddy Yankee has dated –
- Paula DeAnda – Yankee had a fling with the American singer Paula DeAnda in the past.
- Mirredys Gonzalez Ayala (1994 – Present) – Since 1994, Daddy is married to the Puerto Rican girl Mirredys Gonzalez Ayala. They have 3 children, Yamilet Ayala González (born when Daddy was 17), Jeremy Ayala González, Jesaeelys Ayala González.
Physical Statistics
Height
- In feet – 5 feet 7 inches
- In centimeters – 170 cm
- In meters – 1.70 m
Weight
- In Kilograms – 78 kg
- In Pounds – 172 lbs
Body Measurements
- Measurements–42–15.5–35
- Chest – 42 in or 107 cm
- Arms / Biceps – 15.5 in or 39 cm
- Waist – 35 in or 89 cm
Body Build
Average
Eye Color
Light Brown
Hair Color
Black
Shoe Size
Yankee’s shoe size is not known.
Sexuality
Straight
Professional Statistics
Famous For
Yankee was a local reggae singer until he decided to release one of his biggest musical hits Gasolina. Since he released the song, his popularity rose to another level.
Album Debut
Daddy’s first album No Mercy was released on April 2, 1995 via White Lion Records. It contains a total of 11 tracks. It didn’t do well and received 1.5 ratings (out of 5) by Allmusic.
Film Debut
Yankee had his movie debut in 2004 when he acted as an extra (played as Bimbo) in the movie Vampiros.
Television Debut
Daddy first appeared in the hidden camera-practical joke series Punk’d in 2005 as himself. He appeared just in one episode (Season 6, episode 2).
Brand Endorsements
In 2005, Daddy signed an endorsement contract with Reebok who launched a new clothing line named “DY.” The Puerto Rican has also been a part of Pepsi’s advertising campaign named Puertas in August 2007. He has also appeared in the “The First Fragrance by Daddy Yankee” commercial.
Awards & Nominations
Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee has won 124 awards from 359 nominations. He has been nominated for 65 Billboard Latin Music Awards, 25 Latin Grammy Awards, 16 Latin American Music Awards, 13 Billboard Music Awards, nine American Music Awards and four Grammy Awards. He has received 22 Billboard Latin Music Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards– the most by any Latin artist– six Latin Grammy Awards, four Latin American Music Awards and three American Music Awards.
Daddy Yankee Favorites
His favorite things are unknown.
Daddy Yankee Net worth
Daddy Yankee has an estimated net worth of $30 million dollars as of 2019.
Social Media Portfolio
- Facebook – Daddy Yankee
- Instagram – daddyyankee
- Twitter – Daddy Yankee
- YouTube Channel – DaddyYankeeVEVO
Some Lesser Known Facts About Daddy Yankee
- Daddy was raised in the neighborhood of Villa Kennedy Housing Projects.
- Yankee was about to sign a professional contract with Seattle Mariners in the Major Baseball League when he was hit by an AK-47 rifle while he was taking a break from the recording session. He still has a bullet in his hip. Daddy stated that without that incident, he isn’t sure if he would have focused completely on pursuing a music career.
- Yankee was part of the political campaign at the 2008 general elections in Puerto Rico.
- Most of his personal life is kept private by Daddy. He often refuses to talk about his family in interviews.
- When his first child was born, Daddy was only 17. For Yankee, raising a child at that time was such a hard life experience.
- Daddy founded Fundacion Corazon Guerrero, a charity which helps young incarcerated people.
- In 2008, Yankee announced that he bought a part of the basketball team, Criollos de Caguas’ ownership.
- In 2008, Ayala participated in a campaign to promote voting in the 2008 general elections in Puerto Rico. This initiative included a concert titled “Vota o quédate callado” (Vote or Remain Silent).
- Daddy has released a 3D video game by the name Trylogy. The game also has his tracks Gasolina and Limbo.
- Some of Yankee’s influences have been Big Daddy Kane, Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson, Nas, Sean Combs, Ruben Blades and Juan Luis Guerra.
- In March 2013, Daddy Yankee talked about a new movie production during an interview in Las Vegas.
- In February 2014, it was confirmed that the movie will be about the boxer Macho Camacho’s life.
- In 2017, Daddy Yankee donated $100,000 to the Food Bank of Puerto Rico after the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. The money provided food to roughly 9,000 families on the island.
- Visit Daddy’s official website @ daddyyankee.com.
