In order to dedicate his life to Jesus, Daddy Yankee has quit music.
The ‘Gasolina’ rapper – who is often referred to as the King of Reggaeton – confirmed last year that he was hanging up his mic after three decades and eight albums following the release of his ‘Legendaddy’ LP and his last tour, ‘La Meta (The Goal)’, which wrapped up in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Sunday night (03Dec23).
He told fans at the event, which was livestreamed: “Tonight I realize, and I am not ashamed to tell the whole world, that Jesus lives in me and I will live for him.
“For many years I’ve tried to fill a hole in my life that no one could fill. I tried to find a purpose, on many occasions it seemed that I was happy, but something was missing to make me feel complete.
He went on to say in Spanish: “I took note of something the Bible says.”
Before he recited: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?”
In a statement on YouTube last year, the 46-year-old Puerto Rican star – who will now go by his real name Ramon Luis Ayala Rodriguez – said: “This race, which has been a marathon, has finally reached the finish line. Now I am going to enjoy what you have all given me.
“People say I made this genre worldwide, but it was you who gave me the key to open the doors to make it the greatest in the world.
Yankee’s farewell album, which was released in March, combined all the styles that have “defined” his career.
Best known for his 2004 hit “Gasolina,” which became the first reggaeton song to be nominated for a Latin Grammy Award for Record of the Year, the music star has sold more than 30 million records.
After scoring an international hit with “Despacito” with Luis Fonsi in 2017, Yankee is leaving on a high note.
He later topped the charts in 10 countries with a remix of the popular track featuring pop megastar Justin Bieber.
