Daddy Yankee is saying goodbye to the music industry. The 45-year-old artist, known as the King of Reggaeton, formally announced his retirement with an emotional video.
Before he takes his final bow, the “Gasolina” singer will be releasing his farewell album, “Legendaddy,” and going on one last tour.
“This race, which has been a marathon, finally sees the finish line. Now, I am going to enjoy what all of you have given me. People say that I made this genre worldwide, but it was you who gave me the key to open the doors to make it the biggest in the world,” the singer said in Spanish in a video shared on his social media on Sunday. “I must confess that it is the biggest gift that I could have gotten in my career.”
The Puerto Rican star went on to express that he worked hard with a lot of discipline to never fail and inspire all the young kids to be leaders, dream, to know there are no limits and more. He noted that in the barrios where he grew up, many kids wanted to get into drug trafficking. But now, the majority of them want to be singers. “That, for me, means so much.”
“Today, I’m announcing my retirement from music by giving you my best production and concert tour. I will say goodbye celebrating these 32 years of experience with this new collector’s item, my album ‘Legendaddy.’ I’m going to give you all the styles that have defined me in one single album,” he shared. “Legendaddy — it’s fight, it’s party, it’s war, it’s romance.”
He closed his message by all those who have supported him throughout the years, from the media to his fans.
Artists like J Balvin, Natti Natasha, Rauw Alejandro, Justin Quiles, Becky G and many more left supportive and caring messages on Yankee’s post, thanking him for all he’s given to the genre.
“Legendaddy” is Yankee’s first album in 10 years, since “Prestige.” “La Última Vuelta World Tour” will kick off in Portland, Oregon, on August 10, and wraps Dec. 2 in Mexico City.
Yankee released his first studio album, “No Mercy,” in 1995, becoming one of the leaders of reggaeton. He made history with his 2004 LP, “Barrio Fino,” when it became the top-selling Latin album of the decade. His song “Gasolina” from that album is credited with introducing reggaeton to audiences worldwide, per a press release.
While the genre laid low over the years, he once again fronted the genre in 2019 after he collaborated with Luis Fonsi on “Despacito.” The remix with Justin Bieber kicked off a second Latin music explosion (the first being in 1999 with Ricky Martin leading the path).
“Legendaddy” will be released on March 25.