Claim: Daddy Yankee is from Puerto Rico or of Puerto Rican descent.

Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez -LRB- born February 3 , 1977 -RRB- , known by his stage name Daddy Yankee , is a Puerto Rican singer , songwriter , rapper , actor and record producer . Ayala was born in Río Piedras , San Juan , Puerto Rico , and was raised in the neighborhood of Villa Kennedy Housing Projects . He is known as the `` King of Reggaetón '' by music critics and fans alike .   Ayala aspired to be a professional baseball player , and tried out for the Seattle Mariners of the Major League Baseball . Before he could be officially signed , he was hit by a stray round from an AK-47 rifle while taking a break from a studio recording session with reggaeton mix tape icon DJ Playero . Ayala spent roughly one and a half years recovering from the wound ; the bullet was never removed from his hip , and he credits the shooting incident with allowing him to focus entirely on a music career . In 2004 , Daddy Yankee released his internationally acclaimed single `` Gasolina '' , which is credited with introducing Reggaeton to audiences worldwide , and making the music genre a global phenomenon . Since then , he has sold over 18 million albums . Daddy Yankee 's album Barrio Fino made history when it became the top selling Latin music album of the decade between 2000-2009 .