Daddy Yankee's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Daddy Yankee.

Daddy Yankee, born Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, is a highly influential Puerto Rican rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He gained international fame in 2004 with his hit song "Gasolina" and is widely regarded as the "King of Reggaeton." He has inspired many other Hispanic urban artists. Daddy Yankee retired from performing on December 3, 2023, after his final performance in Puerto Rico as part of his "La Meta" tour.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2004: Release of "Gasolina" and Global Recognition

In 2004, Daddy Yankee released his international hit single "Gasolina", credited with introducing reggaeton to a worldwide audience. He has since sold around 30 million records.

Loading Video...

2004: Worldwide Prominence with "Gasolina"

In 2004, Daddy Yankee rose to worldwide prominence with the song "Gasolina", which helped popularize reggaeton music globally.

Loading Video...

April 28, 2005: Latin Billboard Award for Barrio Fino

On April 28, 2005, Daddy Yankee's album Barrio Fino won the "Reggaeton Album of the Year" award at the Latin Billboard Awards, where he performed a mix of his songs in a duet with P. Diddy.

April 30, 2006: Named One of Time's 100 Most Influential People

On April 30, 2006, Daddy Yankee was named one of the 100 most influential people by Time, citing his album sales, contract with Interscope Records, and endorsement deal with Pepsi.

2006: Recognition as 'The King of Reggaeton'

In 2006, Daddy Yankee was deemed "The King of Reggaeton" in a New York Times article, which highlighted the growth of Latin music sales partly due to reggaeton and his success.

2006: Inclusion in Time 100

In 2006, Daddy Yankee was included in Time 100, Time Magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

April 26, 2008: Received Latino of the Year Award

On April 26, 2008, Daddy Yankee was presented with a "Latino of the Year Award" by Harvard College's Presencia Latina for his work with Puerto Rican youth and his Fundación Corazón Guerrero.

February 27, 2009: Performance at Viña del Mar International Song Festival

On February 27, 2009, Daddy Yankee performed at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile, receiving the "Silver Torch", "Gold Torch", and "Silver Seagull" recognitions.

April 17, 2009: Talento De Barrio Awarded Multi-Platinum

On April 17, 2009, Daddy Yankee's album Talento De Barrio was awarded Multi-Platinum by RIAA.

April 24, 2009: Spirit of Hope Award

On April 24, 2009, Daddy Yankee received the Spirit of Hope Award as part of the Latin Billboard Music Awards ceremony, recognizing his participation in community or social efforts.

2009: "Most Influential Hispanic Artist" by CNN

In 2009, Daddy Yankee was named the "Most Influential Hispanic Artist" by CNN.

2009: Barrio Fino Top-Selling Latin Album

In 2009, Daddy Yankee's album Barrio Fino was recognized as the top-selling Latin music album of the decade between 2000 and 2009.

February 25, 2013: Performance at Viña del Mar International Song Festival

On February 25, 2013, Daddy Yankee performed at the 2013 Viña del Mar International Song Festival, winning the Silver and Golden Torch and the Silver and Golden Seagull recognitions.

March 8, 2013: Prestige Album certified Gold by the RIAA

On March 8, 2013, the album Prestige was certified as Gold by the RIAA.

June 22, 2014: King Daddy Tour Performance

By June 22, 2014, Daddy Yankee had performed on his King Daddy Tour, touring several cities in Europe, South America and North America. In Spain, his concerts were on the 4º position in the box-office ranking, being the first Latin artist on the top 5 in this country.

April 28, 2016: Awarded "Industry Leader Award" at Latin Billboard Awards

On April 28, 2016, Daddy Yankee was awarded the "Industry Leader Award" during the 2016 Latin Billboard Awards.

April 20, 2017: "Despacito" Reaches One Billion Views

On April 20, 2017, the music video for "Despacito" on YouTube reached its billionth view, becoming the most-watched video on the platform.

Loading Video...

June 2017: Most listened artist worldwide on Spotify

In June 2017, Daddy Yankee became the most listened to artist worldwide on Spotify, being the first Latin artist to do so, following the success of "Despacito".