Daddy Yankee

Who is Daddy Yankee?

Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, known by his stage name Daddy Yankee, is a Puerto Rican reggaeton singer songwriter and recording artist. Ayala was born in Río Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was raised in the Villa Kennedy Housing Projects.

Ayala aspired to be a professional baseball player and tried out for the Seattle Mariners Major League baseball team. 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 mix tape icon 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. Since then, he has sold over 10 million albums.