”I had a really different vision,” he says. Even in the “Gasolina” days, he was focused on his image, branding and cultural clout. They love that dembow beat.”įor Yankee, however, success was never just about the music. “Yes, there’s been an evolution in urban Latin music and I’ll always experiment with other genres,” Yankee says. He just finished a 24-date trek through Europe and last month released the decidedly introspective single “Ora Por Mi.” Earlier this year, his single “Limbo” ended a 15-week run at No. In the 10 years since Yankee was thrust into the spotlight, he’s had six No. His bling includes two gigantic diamond stud earrings, twin diamond-encrusted dog tags and a Cartier watch. He looks far younger than his years, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt emblazoned with a cassette tape and the words “Playero 37,” a nod to the DJ Playero mixtape that first featured Daddy Yankee back in 1992. “The big guys never help the little ones come up the ranks.”Īt 38 years old, Yankee hasn’t lost his swagger. “In other genres, like pop, it’s still the same old names,” he adds. “And that’s because the acts on top - like Yankee - gave us the opportunity. “I’m seeing a generational change,” says Farruko, a rising reggaeton star from Puerto Rico. Most important, what was once an eminently Puerto Rican sound has migrated around the world and bred autonomous, urban movements in each country. Yankee led the way, along with compatriots Don Omar, Wisin & Yandel and Tito El Bambino, among others. When ‘Gasolina’ took off, it made us all look to them for talent.” “It was a cauldron of activity with many, many people developing their own musical culture. “Puerto Rico was living a tremendously creative moment,” Casonu recalls. Ten years ago, he signed Daddy Yankee’s publishing as MD for EMI Music Publishing Latin America. “Daddy Yankee and ‘Gasolina’ triggered the explosion of urban Latin music worldwide,” says Nestor Casonu, president/CEO of Casonu Strategic Management, whose clients include Kobalt and Rhapsody. Once thought to be a passing fad, reggaeton is here to stay. The fact that the music has evolved inviting collaboration and meshing with other genres only underscores its uniqueness, not to mention its dance appeal. (Latin Rhythm) and establish the urban base responsible for many Latin radio hits today, including Enrique Iglesias’ “Bailando” and Wisin’s “Adrenalina” (feat. The genre would revive sales of Latin music, usher in a new radio format in the U.S. 32 on the Hot 100 - and its dembow beat carried over to Latin America, Europe and the Far East.Īs a result, Daddy Yankee was suddenly the messiah of reggaeton. But it got heavy airplay on mainstream stations - peaking at No.
It eventually became the top-selling Latin album of 2005 and the entire decade.īecause so few Spanish-language stations played urban music at the time, “Gasolina” never rose past No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart July 31, 2004, the first reggaeton album to hit that spot. It was the first single off Barrio Fino, the hits-packed Yankee album that blended reggaeton with other tropical beats.
“Gasolina” exploded 10 years ago this August, irrevocably altering the business, sound and aesthetic of Latin music. “It’s one of the most innocent songs I’ve ever written.” “That track is completely literal,” he insists. And I think part of the success of the track was people looking for some hidden meaning: Was I talking about alcohol, about drugs?” “The word gasolina - everyone in the world knew what it meant. “The verse was so simple and easy to remember,” Yankee says. It was an eminently commercial take on what was then an underground, subversive genre shunned by major labels.
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