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Daddy Yankee is retiring and will end his successful 30-year career by saying goodbye with a farewell tour.
The "King of Reggaeton" made the announcement Sunday (March 20) night in a video released on social media, per NME, thanking fans for their support throughout the years.
"This career has been a marathon. I finally see the end-goal," he said in Spanish, which was translated by Rolling Stone. "Now I'm going to enjoy with all of you in what you've given me. People say I made this genre global, but it is you who gave me the keys to open the doors and make this genre the biggest in the world."
Daddy Yankee, whose real name is Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, was born in Puerto Rico and is considered a pioneer in reggaeton music, which blends American hip-hop, Latin Caribbean Music and Jamaican reggae rhythms with Spanish rapping and singing, per People.
"In the barrios, where we grew up, most of us wanted to be drug dealers. Today, I go to barrios and the majority want to be artists, and that means a lot to me," he said.
In an interview with Billboard in 2021, UMG's Executive Vice President Michele Anthony praised the musician's impact.
"Daddy Yankee is that rare artist who actually shapes culture and changes the world through his music and ideas," Anthony said, adding, "By elevating reggaeton into a global phenomenon, he helped fuel the explosive crossover popularity of Latin music. Through his music and entrepreneurism, he has created new business models and a platform that has launched the careers of many of today's new artists."
The "Gasolina" musician also told fans he was celebrating his retirement by giving them the "best production" and "best concert tour" in addition to his final album, according to a statement obtained by People. Legendaddy, his first studio album since 2012's Prestige, drops March 24.
"I will say goodbye celebrating these 32 years of experience with this new collector's item, the album Legendaddy," he wrote. "I'm going to give you all the styles that have defined me, in one single album."
The "Despacito" rapper kicks off his farewell tour La Ultima Vuelta – The Last Turn – in August, spending the next five months touring around North America before ending the tour in Mexico in December. For a list of tour dates, check his website.