Puerto Rican musician and global reggaeton sensation Daddy Yankee stunned fans earlier this year when he announced that his next tour would be his last. Amid the La Última Vuelta Tour, Daddy Yankee graced the digital cover of Rolling Stone to talk more in-depth about his decision to step away from his music.
First of all, he looks so cool on this cover — como una leyenda. It comes just in time for Our Heritage Month, too, so it is only fitting to do a full feature on the man who has helped make reggaeton so popular in mainstream music throughout his long career.
The 45-year-old seems really young to be retiring, but he feels that he has contributed greatly to Latine music — and he has. There is no doubt that the “Gasolina” hitmaker has been working nonstop to make us dance since the early 2000s. Now, he’s going out with a bang, and Rolling Stone is giving him his rightful spotlight.
Much like everyone else around the world, Daddy Yankee did some reflecting during the pandemic, which is partially how he came to the decision to retire. He told the publication: “I think the pandemic was like someone forcing the brakes on the world. When I got into that reflective state, I said, ‘I need to live, too. I need an opportunity to actually enjoy everything I’ve achieved, and I’m healthy, I’m good, I’m young.’”
Daddy Yankee praised other artists who are coming up after him like Bad Bunny and Karol G, showing once again that he’s a leader in the genre. He said it best when he talked about the enduring power of Latine music. “We’re growing every day. If tomorrow a new genre comes along and it’s Latino, it’s going to be successful, because our cultural expressions and our art are going to keep rising.” Now that’s inspiring!