Daddy Yankee has had a long lasting impact on, not only, the industry but so many fans. One of them being me. Here’s a letter from me to him for his birthday.
It was the first Saturday in our new home. My parents had just bought this house on the North West side of Chicago after years and years of hard work. Naturally, I assumed we would be able to sleep in since we spent the entire week unpacking. I was wrong.
I was quickly awakened by the dulcet sounds of ‘Gasolina’ playing on full volume with my mom yelling at me to wake up to start cleaning the house. This became a weekly routine. The only difference would be what song would be playing first but the playlist stayed the same. One week it was ‘Tu Principe’ and another week it was ‘Pose’, but it always started off with you.
My mom was the reason I listened to reggaeton, more specifically she’s the reason why I heard your music. She spoke to me about you and let me know how important you were in her life. As she did that, I began to admire you.
Reggaeton is what it is today because of you. You paved the way for so many artists that are killing it right now. You’re viewed as the ‘King Of Reggaeton’ however, you never let that get to your head. You have remained humble despite all the accolades, fame, and money you have accumulated throughout your career. You never forget where you came from and always proudly rep where your country of Puerto Rico. For those reasons, I admire you. I admire your strength, your perseverance, and how you never let anything set you back.
For my mom, you represented hope. She came to this country with a dream but she had no idea if she would be able to do it. Your music and your story fueled her, and now they fuel me. One of the biggest takeaways from your music and the reggaeton genre as a whole is that it made me so proud to be Latina. More so, it inspired me to pursue my career path in the entertainment industry.
Happy Birthday, Daddy Yankee!
