Daddy Yankee is the stage name of Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, rapper, actor and record producer Ramón Ayala, who is one of the pioneering reggaetón artists who helped establish a mainstream market for the music style. Influenced by traditional hip-hop, as well as Spanish-language dancehall reggae, he is one of the musicians who first fused different styles of music to create and popularize a new genre of music. From humble beginnings with independently released mixtapes that he himself produced, he went on to become the co-owner of the record company 'El Cartel Records'. The company also released his first commercially successful international album 'Barrio Fino', which made him an international star after a decade of struggle. He won the 'Latin Grammy Award' for the album, which also included his best known single 'Gasolina'. Following his international success, he was named among 100 most influential people by 'Time' magazine, bagged endorsements for brands like Reebok and Pepsi, and signed a $20 million contract with Interscope Records. He later branched into acting and producing, and is known for the movie 'Talento de Barrio'.
