Daddy Yankee Announces Retirement with Final Album & Tour

Reggaeton star Daddy Yankee released a video Sunday night (March 20) announcing his retirement from music. As a finishing touch to his three-decade career, the artist will share a final album called Legendaddy and hit the road for one last tour.

In his video, Daddy Yankee addressed his fans directly in Spanish. “This career has been a marathon,” he said. “I finally see the end-goal. Now I’m going to enjoy with all of you in what you’ve given me. People say I made this genre global, but it is you who gave me the keys to open the doors and make this genre the biggest in the world."

Daddy Yankee (real name: Ramón Ayala) uploaded the retirement video to his official website. He also shared a link to pre-save his upcoming album and went through the itinerary for his La Ultima Vuelta tour. He'll travel through the United States from August 10 to September 20. After that, the artist will travel all across Latin America. Following a pre-sale starting on March 25, tickets will go on sale to the general public on March 30. You can find more info about the tour on his website.

Ayala described his upcoming endeavors as his "best production" and "best concert tour" to date. He said he’d celebrate ending his 32 years as an artist with “all the styles that have defined me, in one single album.” Legendaddy will be his first studio album in 10 years, and is the follow-up to his 2012 record Prestige. Including his latest project, Daddy Yankee produced 7 studio albums throughout his career.

Ayala began making music in the mid-90s. He rose in popularity after releasing his 2004 record Barrio Fino. It included the smash hit “Gasolina,” which has been voted as one of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Besides being a tune that's often played and referenced today (especially as gas prices rise in the United States), it was important for introducing the genre of reggaeton to listeners all across the world. Daddy Yankee, known as the "King of Reggaetón," opened the door for other popular reggaeton artists today, such as J Balvin and Bad Bunny.

Watch Daddy Yankee's retirement video below.

Check out our selection of free stations streaming Daddy Yankee music at Live365.com.

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_{Article Image: Daddy Yankee (center) singing with Don Omar (far left) at a concert in Florida in 2016. (headlinephotos via DepositPhotos.)}