Raymond (Ramón) Ayala was just a twelve-year-old boy from the town of Río Piedras when he became interested in music and began to sing songs inspired by Reggae and Hip Hop music. In spite of this, his more or less professional beginnings in the world of the song of Puerto Rico came from the hand of the well-known producer DJ Playero. It was then that the figure of Daddy Yankee was born. His stage name is derived from Puerto Rican slang: a “Yankee” is someone tall, or a big shot in his field. His other nicknames include: King Daddy, El Jefe, The Big Boss and El Cangri. At the beginning of his career he flirted with such Latin rhythms as dancehall and hip-hop, but it can be said that his greatest international successes have come when he has composed and interpreted his already famous Latin hip-hop songs. Singer receives various nicknames within the music industry, in these circuits is known as 30-30 by the message contained in the lyrics of his songs, an accurate portrait of many aspects of daily life in Puerto Rico. He has also earned the title of King of Improvisation for his special creative ability, a virtue that has made Daddy Yankee the winner for five consecutive years of various Street Jam Reggae Awards .Daddy Yankee has managed to build his triumphant musical career combining in each of his works the reflection of the social reality of his country with the most sensual rhythms. With this mix, it has made it possible for many young Latinos to identify with their songs.
Ayala aspired to be a professional baseball player, and tried out for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball. 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 a year and a half 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. In 2004, Daddy Yankee released his internationally acclaimed single "Gasolina", which is credited with introducing reggaeton to audiences worldwide, and making the music genre a global phenomenon. Since then, he has sold over 18 million albums. Daddy Yankee's