The Puerto Rican ambassador is back with a serving of what he describes as Barrio music in his latest offering coming in the form of a movie and major soundtrack tentatively titled "Talento de Barrio."
Multi platinum selling artist Daddy Yankee has sold well over 2 million copies of his album Barrio Fino in the U.S. Is certified 2x platinum with his last album, 2007's El Carterl: The Big Boss. He has a $20 million record contract with Interscope and a lucrative endorsement deal with Pepsi. He's won a bevy of awards for his ground breaking work, has graced the cover of countless magazines, and now the kid from the barrio sits down with Defsounds for it's first international feature and discusses what he has in store for us with Talento De Barrio which features Yankee as the main character in a gritty tale of his [the characters] rise to fame.
If you didn't know Yankee before, you're about to get familiar.
Daddy Yankee: Yeah, I wanted to play in the MLB but unfortunately I got shot at the age of 17. I was always into music but back then there wasn't much money in it, but there was big money in sports--there still is. So I went that route but ended up in the hospital.
Defsounds: So
did you seek music as an alternative or did you naturally just fall
in line with it?
Daddy Yankee: I was always into music, but like I said there wasn't much money in music..after getting shot I started getting more serious with it.
Defsounds: So you're sort of the Latin 50 Cent, not because you've been shot or anything, but because you're also known as one of the first Latin Hip Hop artists to hit the mixtape scene heavy starting with El Cartel, what made you decide to do that?
Daddy Yankee: Marketing, I've always done this little compilation albums like mixtapes--I still do, gotta show love to the people. I love putting my music out there for the people, they love it, I love it, I still work with underground artists
Defsounds: Are
you going to put out a mixtape to amp up the release of the movie and
the album?
Daddy Yankee: Yeah we're working on something now with some big djs, can't name any names yet but it's definitely coming.
Daddy Yankee: I thought it was great, but I knew it would never hit mainstream in a long term kind of thing because people didn't really understand the music.
Reggaeton isn't mainstream, it was never meant to be mainstream, Reggaeton is the underground sound from our Barrios, our calles[Streets]. The problem it had in the US is the same problem Hip Hop has out here and other Latin countries, Hip hop is big but it isn't as big as Reggaeton because they can't understand the words and lyrics.
People like Nore and others definitely helped bring it to a mainstream level but I knew it wasn't going to much further...people thought there were gonna be more Daddy Yankees who can keep hitting hard but that wasn't the case.
Defsounds: I'm
glad you brought Nore up, many people says he exploited the Genre
when it first blew up because he backed away so quickly after it
calmed down, do you agree with that?
Daddy Yankee: Nah, what Nore did was show support and I got alotta love for him. Nore is a hip hop artist and for him to do Reggaeton with us, it was a big thing, it was nothing but love.
Defsounds: In
2006 you were named one of the 100 most influential people by Times
Magazine, how big an honor was that to you?
Daddy Yankee: I think to this day that is my biggest honor, of all the people out there to be named amongst 100--it was just a great feeling, I do this for my people and that just felt amazing.
Defsounds: You
went back to your hip hop roots with El Cartel: The Big Boss, working
with Will.I.Am, Scott Storch, Akon, and Nicole Scherzinger to name a
few, are you taking the same approach with your next album?
Daddy Yankee: Well the next album will be released with the movie..it'll be the soundtrack. It was going to be just a soundtrack but then people kept asking for another Yankee album so it'll be a fusion of Latin and hip hop, the hip hop element is always there because that's what I do, I'm a lyricist above everything else, reggaeton is for the ladies, but I'm a lyricist.
Defsounds: So
What's Talento De Barrio, The film's more or less the story of
your upbringings, was that a conscious decision to go that way or
was it just coincidence?
Daddy Yankee: Nah, the movie doesn't have much to do with my life--that's just some Internet rumor. It's about the struggle that everyone faces.
Defsounds: How will the release work? is it going world wide?
Daddy Yankee: It'll be released to select theaters in major cities then it'll go to DVD. The album will be released world wide at the same time.
Defsounds: So
after this soundtrack, what's next for Daddy Yankee?
Daddy Yankee: After the soundtrack and the movie, I'll be working on my next album--it'll be an all English album released through Interscope, me and Jimmy [Iovine] have been talking about it. I want to work with everyone for it.
Defsounds: Who
are you guys looking to work with?
Daddy Yankee: Definitely Scott [Storch], I think Scott's great and I love working with him. Will I Am and Pharrell have also been in talks. The production will be handled by them as well as others hopefully.
Defsounds: Any Collabos or is this just gonna be straight Yankee?
Daddy Yankee: Of course!, I Love collabos--as a kid listening to KRS One and those collabos back in the day, I love them..artists working together is a great thing, the album will definitely feature some good ones but I can't name any names yet!
You can click here to check out the trailer to movie below:
COMMENTS
it wasn't about gasonline, even do he did own a gas system or watever
damn i thought i killed this guy when he was 17
akuma94 whats the 94 about was you born then! he released Gasolina and made a big hit and a massive name for him! like he said he doin it to keep himself and family fed! i aint latin but im sure his latin work are more related to the streets!
and Hip-Hop isnt just rap its a culture!
and in it are different tribes!
DJ'ing,
Rapping/MCing/RnB
Graffiti
Break Dancing
diffenrnt countries have different "tribes" (sub-genre)
akuma94, its hatin ass muthafuckaz like u dat got things fucked up, u gotta learn how to respect another man's hustle
ayo u know RnB is not hip-hop.and rappin and Mc is the same..
Good look for him. Keep grindin
Akuma94, you don't know shit. Of course reggaeton is not hip-hop. It isn't, doesn't try to be, and never will be. It is its own thing and those artists pride themselves in that. And "Gasolina" isn't about gasoline, that may be the title but its obviously a metaphor. "Laffy Taffy" by D4L is not about the stretchy tasty candy, its a metaphor. Aprende un poco de espanol y sabrias eso cabron
co-sign
lol u called him a cabron
now what he's got to do is realeased that album with the NAS collabo
El CANGRI REPRESENTADO EL BARRIO!!!!!!!!!!
Did Daddy Yankee jus say "Hip hop is big but it isn't as big as Reggaeton"
Get da fuk outta here wit dat bullshit, we got people in Japan rockin hip hop!
Hip Hop has been out since da late 70's.
Reggaeton didn't get big until N.O.R.E. released "Oyi Mi Canto" n I should kno cuz I'm Rican n North Philly had shit bumpin' all day when it first came out
I don't listen 2 reggaeton but da people I kno dat do listen to it don't listen 2 Daddy Yankee cuz dey say he make dumb songs
He meant in latin countries. He says "The problem it (Reggaeton) had in the US is the same problem Hip Hop has out here (Puerto Rico) and other Latin countries, Hip hop is big but it isn't as big as Reggaeton because they can't understand the words and lyrics"
Daddy Yankee... This nigga doin movies now...
www.bloodcuzinz.com
When Daddy Yankee talks about Gasoline he talks about sex. Listen carefully to it. She likes the gasoline. <~~~she loves the dick. Mostly why every dude was telling a girl
gasoline is talking about ya sex drive thats what he was talking about my Aunt is latino and she told me that he was talking about i thought that nigga was talking about feeling his car with gas because thats what you see on the video gas station and cars and of course girls.
yo i am from Puerto Rico and i live in san juan and for real Yankee sucks big time, all that reggeton shit sucks,they have to play hip hop in spanish like old times Lito y Polaco , that was hip hop , fuck reggeton. and i was in school with Yankee in Gabriela Mistral, he never take no shot , he was a punk.
Ill let u know bout Daddy Yankee i Grew up in Puerto Rico ....this music was my roots growing up and it still is...but the man is straight Garbage if u only understand wut he be saying...he just sings 4 da ladies i mean ain nothing wron with dat...but when it comes 2 reggaeton ...look up my man TEMPO who influenced daddy yankee and the whole Genre of Reggaeton....2 Bad the guy is doing 25 years in prison for a drugh trafficking Charge...DADDY YANKEE IS OVERATED the whole island of Puerto Rico knows it....And ThaT GASOLINA JOING WAS RECORDED BACK IN 1999...TRUST ME I WAZ IN PUERTO RICO WHEN IT CAME OUT AND THAT SHYT HIT DA STATES IN 2004...IF ANYTHING THE MAN WHO PUT REGGAETON OUT IN DA UNITED STATES AND ITS RESPONSIBLE 4 IT RIGHT NOW....IS TEGO CALDERON...HE CAME OUT WITH THE FIRST REGGAETON ALBUM in 2002 BEFORE DADDY YANKEE IN THE U.S!!!GET YA SHIT SKR8it
WOW, I can totally see how this is true. But you also have to give him credit for being the one to cross over & giving other artist an oppertunity to shine & do things other artist have not accomplished.
Y0o0o.!
Tego aint running nothing compared to Hector El Father
u gotta give it up 2 Hector signing Wit Jay-Z dat was a big leap in Reggaeton and Hip-Hop Yankee and Interscope dat was very dope as well
who did Tego sign with.?!?!? no one i aint hating but Tego still struggling just da way Don Omar is but Don is garbage now that he turned to Christianity.
Latinos Stand Up.!!!
www.myspace.com/s0o0phenomenal
He always make hot videos, and like a good performer he makes some in two languages. But his lyrics are not hittin
daddy yankee es una puta lol the hitman, esse cabron es pince mayate....................daddy yankee all day baby
I'm hispanic & I have to say I don't really listen to spanish music, but I like him, he's ok. I have problems understanding what he says sometimes, but can dig it. And for the ones stating the music is only for the ladies, you are probably right, but it you read the interview you would notice that he said that. Duh!.....LOL He's ok though. Don't know how much of a lyricist he really is though!
hey mami,u looking good
Whats up with all of Latinos not knowing how to type. WTF..Mi Gente yall need to step yall up!!!FOR REAL!!!
(tayahua10) "WTF..Mi Gente yall need to step yall up!!!FOR REAL!!!" Read Ya Own Shyt Up Top Bruh ^
Step Wut Up Bo? Seems Like Ya Problem Is Worse At Least They Typin, U Just Forgettin Shyt As A Whole.I'm Sure Ya Advice Logic Is Flawless LMAO !! SCREAM AT ME,1..
lol vete pal carajo con esa mierda mano...he aint live half of da shit he do in dat movie ya dig...
damn...latino's hatin
wtf yall taking bout yall some fags yankee aint big in PR get da Fuck outta here nigga must not be Frm Pr cuz dat nigga is one of the pioneers of Reggaeton and Reggaeton aint hip hop but its a mixture of of it along with dance Hall,Salsa,And others so learn yall shit ppl id understand y yall hating
....yankee doing his thang no homo
peace Weeepppaaaa
B-Boy A.R.T.
MC Shan is the best rapper alive.
ima dominican & i follow REGGEATON very closely, i have to admit daddy yankee is by far not the best reggeaton artist that title definetly goes 2 tego calderon or Don Omar dudes who really spit from the heart but u have to give Daddy Yankee credit 4 crossing ova the music to the non spanish speaking people, the genres been in the states for a while but of course only hispanics listen 2 it because of the lyrics
Man let me say this im living in P Roc right now im typing from Caguas and Yankee is the major of this shit man...he aint the best but it was because of him that reaggeaton made it to the states. There are a lot of artist that are better than him but he did what he had to do to take it to another level(US). There are a lot of wanabee pueroricans in this site that live in the states and dont know shit. Gasolina was recorded in 99 it was recorded in 03 and released in summer of 04, Yankee was shot with AK bulletes. The people here in the island like Yankee but like i said there are other reggeaton artist better than him like TEMPO and Tego. I follow the movement since it began with Playero 37 and what Yankee says its true hip hop aint big in PR because niggas here cant understand the lyrics, myself I listen to hip hop but i know how to speak english the right way and thats why im a bigger fan, but none of my homies bump Jay or Nas not even Pac or Big. But get your shit straight wannabee puertoricans.
WHO IS DADDY YANKEE
don omar pwns your ass
Jorge1212 (whore hey) is an idiot mad niggas in PR be listening to reeal hip hop. Yankee aiight but WHoreHey is an idiot!! PR Stand UP!!
Another example of a wannabe puertorican typing from the states you dont know shit nigga if you aint here quit talking shit...
CAGUAS 00725 Y NO QUIERO SER DE SAN JUAN
MAMABICHO
i AGREE Wit SOME Of YA`ll..EVERYBODY MAKES it SEEM liKE YANKEE DA SHit. HE AiNt All DAt.HE AiGHt BUH HE AiNt ON DON OMAR`S lEVEl. && HE DEff NO WHERE NEAR tEGO CAlDERON`S lEVEl. WEN yA`ll WANt SOME [REAl] REGGAEtON liStEN tO tEGO..HE GOt SUM REAl SHit fO YO EARS<3
i can agree with you tego is the shit
nigga fuck u... and ya mother die slow bitch!!!!
Daddy yankee str8 but tego is way harder
D NiCE if itS SUCH A GAY SitE GEt YO GAY ASS UP Off HERE..YOU ONE lAME ASS fOO
Iadi5Bizzy you gay ass john legend looking bitch ass get a better picture for example a female and get off that gay shit cuzz another def sounds faggot.
jokesta hey yo D nice stop with negative comments or will be kick off this is the last warning
HAHA WHY DA fUCK YOU Still ON tHiS "GAY SitE" DEN BitCH? YOU tAKiN UP OUR AiR..jUSS GO Kill YOSElf =]
Daddy Yankee is aite but He is striaght pop. Best rapper in PR will always be Tempo and Big Pun.
joell ortiz is better he true to tha game hes puerto rican but he aint foreign thats why he doesnt get as much reconition for his skillz
me being a puerto rican american who doesnt speak spanish.. i dont listen yankee but i respect his hustle. Im a hip hop head..and latin mc's for me who get down is simple..pun..ortiz..beatnuts..az..cypress..funkdoobiest.....old fat joe...immortal technique..
psycho realm..termanology...aztek..omar cruz..tru life..damn my mind cant think anymore..lol..
cuban linx..fuckin kid frost..lol..lighter shade of brown..lol..But if you guys got time check out Mami Montana cause that girl can spit.
MOST YA NI99AS DONT KNOW UR ASS FROM UR ELBOWS, REGGAETON AINT START WITH PLAYERO 37 IT WAS ON WAY B4 THAT WITH BLANCO AND MAICOL Y MANUEL, AND TEGO AINT START SHIT , TEGO WAS RAPPING FOR 12 YEARS BEFORE HE HAD A HIT, YANKEE BEEN THE MAN IN THE REGGETON MOVEMENT FROM JUMP, FROM HIS DAYS WITH PLAYERO TIL HE RELEASED HIS OWN SHIT, AND HE WAS ONE OF THE ONLY NIGGAS TO GET AT TEMPO WHEN TEMPO WAS MURDERING NIGGAS LIKE LITO Y POLACO DO YA HOMEWORK, BEFORE HE TURNED POP HE WAS AS LYRICAL AND GUTTER AS ANY OTHER , LOOK UP WINCHESTER YANKEE AND EL 30 30 AS HE WAS KNOWN BEFORE , YA NIGGAS NEED TO STOP TALKING RECKLESS CUZ YA DONT KNOW MUCH , HE DID GO POP NOW , BUT THATS WERE THE $$$$ AT SHIT HES THE ONLY REGGETON ARTIST TO GO PLATINUM AND HES DONE IT TWICE MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT....STOP HATING SUCKAZZZ!!!!!!!!
I would definitely endorse the analogy that Daddy Yankee is the Latin 50 Cent. Most hardcore reggaeton listeners I talk to say, "Daddy Yankee is the biggest sellout in reggaeton music- just like 50 Cent."
FUCK reggaetun raggaetun ant Rap!!!!
fuck u bitch!!!!!
OMG U ALL NEED TO STOP HATIN ON THIS MAN!!!!! HE IS DA BEST REGGEATONERO ND I LUV HIM 2 DEATH ND SO WHAT????? E ERY1 HS THER OWN OPINIONS ND THIS IS MINE.HIS MUSIC IS BADSS ND DA SHXT ND HE IS VERY SEXY.DON OMAR IS AIGHT BUT MOST OF HIS SONGS SUCK ND TEGO IS JUS PLAIN BORING!!! DADDY'S MUSIK MAKES U MOVE ND DANCE,NOT LIKE TEGO ND DON OMAR.I KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT DIS MAN CUZ I MET HIM BACKSTAGE IN A CONCERT IN 2008 . IN PERSON HES DA COOLEST,HUMBLEST,BEST PERSON IVE EVER MET ND I DONT GIVE A DAMN WAT U NIGGAZ B SAYIN!! YOU GUYS JUS NEED TO STOP TALKIN TRASH ABOUT HIM ND GET OVER URSELVES:]HES DA BEST ND ALWAYS WILL BE!!! I LUV U DADDY YANKEE!!!
Some of yall need to stop hatin on him. I know he aint dat lyrical anymore no doubt, but back n da day when he was 30-30 he was cool. And when he was in Playero 37 he was a vicious reggae artist. Still I would'nt put him on real mc's level like, Tempo, Eddie Dee, Mexicano 777, Lito y Polaco. Shit those are real mc's.
Some of yall need to stop hatin on him. I know he aint dat lyrical anymore no doubt, but back n da day when he was 30-30 he was cool. And when he was in Playero 37 he was a vicious reggae artist. Still I would'nt put him on real mc's level like, Tempo, Eddie Dee, Mexicano 777, Lito y Polaco. Shit those are real mc's.
I LOVE HIM HE IS SO CUTE N I LOVE HIS MUSIC
jus to let dem dudes at da top kno dat gasonline mines a man wit a car.... jus don listen to the music if ya don understand it