Reggaeton Profiles: Daddy Yankee
A.K.A. “El Cangri” born Raymond Ayala Rio Piedras P.R. Daddy
started the game at age 13 doing improv and freestyle he soon became notorious
in the Puertorrican hip-hop scene. Daddy was the most talented of DJ Playero’s
roster of MC’s winning over hard San Juan crowds with his unique
combination of flow and his Salsa/Merengue lyrical style with a critical
eye to life in the barrio. Very soon Daddy Yankee became synonymous with
the new emerging style of Reggaeton, combining mad dance beats with street-smart
social commentary. 2000 “El Cartel” was a heavy mixture of
hip hop with dancehall/ classic salsa elements, in other words the record
was “original” This didn’t go unnoticed as the buying
public voted with their wallets making El Cartel a first: a platinum selling
record from a solid barrio artist. “El Cangri 2” was released
in 2001 a continuation of it’s predecessor style “ El Cangri
2” was another triumph, this time the Reggaeton beats were more
consistent and it was clear that Daddy was not some lucky one hit wonder:
the man had talent and was going places.
With a lot faith and self belief, Daddy started his own label “Los
Congris Inc.” taking no prisoners the album” El Cangri. Com”
goes all out- with the now legendary collaboration with Lito “El
gran Robo” pulsating rhythms pound your body, mind and soul with
a mastery that most can only hope to copy. His third official release
“Los Homerunes” placed him at the top in most of Caribbean-Latin
countries. Always with his mind on the price the humble chico from Rio
Piedras starts to spread his flow in U.S.A.. Making the rounds with a
series of Reggaeton tours- “The Yankee” starts to penetrate
an unsuspecting American public desperate to hear something new, something
better than good. Latin kids tired of the same bland manufactured trash
that was being fed to them by out of touch record companies, saw in El
Cangri a true street poet that could you dance to and with a flow so strong
that only a fool could ignore.
With no “official” promotion Daddy Yankee became an underground
hero in the Miami/ NYC scene… making it clear that “Spanish
Hip hop/Reggaeton” was just as valid as any American Hip Hop.
No one was ready for what came next with the Release of Barrio Finn (2004)
“El Changer” unleashed his mastery of styles into a public
that was ready for more reggaeton with the cut of the year in any language
and any country the rhythm of 2004. To say that “ Gazolina”
was a big hit its like saying that South Beach Chicas are “ OK looking”
. Gazolina is made for all those nights of total sandungueo, more is never
enough. When the girls in the chorus go “ Dame mas gazolina…quiero
la gazolina” those in the know in Miami. PR and NYC went mad. This
was the cut to play reggaeton- haters and go “y que!”(Now
what!) Because you knew that there was nothing else like it out their
soo good you have to push the play button again. With a greatest hits
+ eight new tracks album coming out in 2005 and collaborations with Big
Pun and the true master, Nas the Yankee shows no signs of slowing up.
He still collaborates with our salsa greats appearing on stage with no
other than the first lady of puertorrian salsa Olga Tañon and Domingo
Quiñones connecting the more traditionallatin music with the underground
beats.
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