Puerto Rican superstar Daddy Yankee has announced he’s giving up music to devote his life to religion.
The star, known for UK chart hits like Despacito and Gasolina, revealed the news to fans at the final show of his La Última Vuelta (Last Lap) world tour.
It’s an abrupt change for one of the leading voices in reggaeton, the sexually-charged, street-smart style that emerged in Panama and Puerto Rico in the 1990s, blending reggae music with Latin American dance hall music and hip-hop.
Yankee, born Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, has been one of the genres’ biggest ambassadors, scoring international hits with sensual, propulsive hits like Barrio Fino, Con Calma and Rompe.
After releasing his first solo record in 1995, he became the best-selling Latin artist of the 2000s, and collaborated with everyone from Justin Bieber to Snoop Dogg, Janet Jackson and the Jonas Brothers.
He announced the decision to bow out in March, with the release of his first studio album in a decade – humbly titled Legendaddy – and the promise of his biggest-ever tour.
