Reggaeton singer Daddy Yankee has announced that his decision to retire from music is so that he can focus on religion.
Yankee, 46, revealed this to fans during his final show of his ‘La Ultima Vuelta’ tour at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico on December 3rd. It was the last in four back-to-back shows on the island that he dubbed ‘La Meta.’
In a speech that he later posted a video of on Instagram, Yankee shared with fans that despite his decades-long career, he has felt a void in his life that he could not fill until he began to focus on his faith.
He told them,
“Living a life of success is not the same as living a life of purpose” and “This is why tonight I acknowledge that Jesus lives for me – and I will live for him.”
The musician is the latest in a list of Latin artists to open up about their faith, with other popular artists such as Farruko and Don Omar using their music to reflect their relationship with God.
Who is Daddy Yankee?
Yankee, whose real name is Ramon Ayala Rodriguez, first announced his retirement in 2022 in a statement to People magazine. In the statement, he made no mention of religion and promised fans he would give them his best work as a goodbye gift to them in the form of his new album ‘Legendaddy.’ He teased that the album would have “my best production and my best tour” and “all the styles that have defined me in one album.”
The singer first found success in 2004 with his international hit ‘Gasolina’, and has gone on to become one of the best-selling Latin artists of all time. He is also credited with introducing reggaeton to an international audience. His success in selling millions of records worldwide has led to him being dubbed ‘the King of Reggaeton.’
Yankee has been making music since he was 13, but it wasn’t until age 21 that he began to pursue it as a career. After a stray bullet from gang warfare in his home of Puerto Rico left him unable to walk for a year, he could no longer go after his dream of playing professional baseball, causing him to turn to music instead. In a piece for New York Times Magazine, he says, “I thank God every day for that bullet.”
The star also went viral in 2017 when he was featured on the hit song ‘Despacito’ with Luis Fonsi and Justin Bieber, where the music video received 1 billion views on YouTube and became the most-watched video in history. His contribution to the song has also earned him seven Guinness World Records.
What has happened since his announcement?
‘Legendaddy’ has been very successful since its release, receiving 175 million streams in its first three days of release in March and over 600 million streams to date. It is Yankee’s first album in over ten years, with his last work being 2012’s ‘Prestige.’
During his emotional speech to his fans, the performer called his retirement ‘a new beginning’ and referred to himself by his birth name. It appears that every aspect of the star’s life will now involve his devotion to Christianity, as he said during his speech, “all of the tools that I have within my power – like music, social media, my platform, the mic, everything that God gave me is now for him.”
The rapper also encouraged his fans in San Juan to embrace Christianity alongside him, saying, “everyone that follows me should follow Jesus Christ.” The show ended with a drone and fireworks display that formed the shape of a cross and the words “Christ loves you” in Spanish.
Reaction to the news on social media has been mixed, with some creating memes of the situation or being disappointed that Yankee will no longer be making music. Others who promote Christianity on social media have applauded the star for his touching speech and dedication to his faith.
