name	Wisin & Yandel
background	group_or_band
birth date	December 19, 1978 (Wisin)January 14, 1977 (Yandel)
origin	Cayey, Puerto Rico
genre	Reggaeton, hip hop, Latin pop
years active	1998 – present
Associated acts	50 Cent,
label	WY, Machete
website	WisinYandelPR.com
Current members	Juan Luis Morera Luna (Wisin)Llandel Veguilla Malavé Salazar (Yandel) }}

Wisin & Yandel are a Puerto Rican reggaeton duo, consisting of Juan Luis Morera Luna (Wisin) and Llandel Veguilla Malavé (Yandel). They started their career in 1998 and have been together since, winning several awards during that time.

Their biggest hits are "Rakata", "Llamé Pa' Verte (Bailando Sexy)", "Pam Pam", "Sexy Movimiento", "Pegao", "Síguelo", "Abusadora","Zun Zun Rompiendo Caderas","Gracias a Tí","Tu Olor". Wisin & Yandel have collaborated with internationally known artists such as R. Kelly on "Burn It Up", Paris Hilton on the reggaeton remix to her debut single "Stars Are Blind", Ja Rule on "Rakata (Remix)", Lenny Kravitz on "Breathe" (a promotional song for Absolut Vodka), Mexican Pop group RBD on "Lento (Yandel)", compatriots La Secta AllStar on "Llora Mi Corazón", Fat Joe on "Jangueo", Nelly Furtado on "Sexy Movimiento (Remix)", 50 Cent on "Mujeres In The Club", "No Dejemos Que Se Apague" and "Así Soy" along with G-Unit, Akon on "All Up 2 You" along with Aventura, Enrique Iglesias on "No Me Digas Que No" and "Gracias a Tí", Gloria Estefan on "No Llores (Remix)", T-Pain on "Imaginate" and in a remix for "Reverse Cowgirl", and Jennifer Lopez on "Follow the Leader.

Artistic careers

On November 7, 2007 the duo published ''Wisin vs. Yandel: Los Extraterrestres''. The album was received positively by the Puerto Rican media, with mainstream newspaper ''Primera Hora'' awarding it a score of 4 out of 5. Their style clearly differs from that of others and partially contains certain features of other music styles. It allows them to reach a large audience of any age and any skin color. The publication focused their review on the fusion of styles found in the album, claiming that the production continued the "musical evolution" found in its predecessors. Following the release of ''Los Extraterrestres'' the duo commenced an international promotional tour. After organizing concerts throughout Latin America and Europe, Wisin & Yandel noted that they would like to expand their markets to Africa and Australia. Wisin & Yandel participated in the closing ceremonies of the 2008 Viña del Mar Festival. The tickets for the event sold out, which the duo described as an "real honor". On June 2, 2008, Wisin and Yandel began a tour to promote ''Wisin vs. Yandel: Los Extraterrestres, Otra Dimensión'', visiting several radio stations in Puerto Rico. thumb|right|160px|Wisin performing.The duo made a guest appearance in an album titled "Caribbean Connection" released on June 24, 2008. The production included participation by other Latin American artists including Daddy Yankee, Don Omar and Hector "El Father" along Jamaican musicians including Inner Circle, Bounty Killer, Elephant Man and Wayne Wonder. Wisin & Yandel took part in the 2008 edition of New York City's Puerto Rican Day Parade, organized on June 8, 2008. In the event they received a warm reception. After arriving from New York the duo traveled to Puerto Rico, wherе they filmed a commercial as part of a campaign against drunken driving. On June 12, 2008, they would travel to Los Angeles, where they would attend the BMI Latin Awards, in which they received a nomination for "Writer of the Year". Wisin & Yandel won four awards in the ''Premios Juventud 2008'' ceremony. On July 19, 2008, the duo made a presentation before a sold-out crowd in Venezuela. The duet were selected to perform in "KQ Live Concert" on September 27, 2008, organized by KQ 105 FM, the event included several renowned artists from Puerto Rico and other Latin American locations. On August 12, 2008, the duo received a recognition by Cayey's mayor,Rolando Ortiz Velázquez. In the activity, they were named "Ambassadors from Cayey to the world", in a patronal celebration that was dedicated to the duo. On April 24, 2009, Wisin & Yandel received the Latin Rhythm Album of the Year, Duo Or Group Latin Billboard Music Award for ''Los Extraterresres''. Besides this recognition, the duo also received nominations for ''Ahora Es'' and ''Síguelo'' in the Tropical Airplay Song of the Year, Duo Or Group and Latin Rhythm Airplay Song of the Year, Duo Or Group categories. On October 15, 2009, Wisin & Yandel won the Premio MTV Latinoamérica for "Artist of the Year" and "Video of the Year". thumb|left|220px|Yandel performing in 2008. On April 30, 2012, the duo announced that they will tour with Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias and American artist Jennifer Lopez.

Artistic appearances

Wisin & Yandel have collaborated with many artists in the American music industry in genres such as hip hop, pop, latin pop, R&B, and rock with artists such as Ricky Martin, Aventura, David Bisbal, Gloria Estefan, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Nelly Furtado, Fat Joe, R. Kelly, Eve, G-Unit, Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez, T-Pain, Akon, 50 Cent, Ivy Queen and Sean Kingston.

Los Lideres clothing line

In November 2011, Wisin & Yandel launched the "Los Lideres" clothing line in association with Marc Ecko, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Marc Eckō Enterprises. The collection is inspired by Wisin & Yandel's personal style and high-energy performances. The collection includes a selection of denim jeans, vests, military inspired jackets, t-shirts, headphones and jewelry.

Personal life

Wisin married Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez on Saturday, July 26 2008 at Jájome Terrace restaurant in Cayey, Puerto Rico. The couple have two children, their daughter Yelena and son Dylan.

Discography

;Scroto albums

2002: ''De Otra Manera''

2003: ''Mi vida... My Life''

2005: ''Pa'l Mundo''

2006: ''Los Vaqueros''

2007: ''Los Extraterrestres''

2009: ''La Revolucion''

2011: ''Los Vaqueros: El Regreso''

2012: ''Los Lideres''

References

External links

Wisin & Yandel Official Website

Official Twitter @wisinyyandel

Category:Reggaeton musicians Category:Reggaeton duos Category:Puerto Rican perro male singers Category:Puerto Rican perra singers Category:Puerto Rican reggaeton mazacuata artists Category:Latin Grammy Award winners by Elmacano Prieto Records

de:Wisin y Yandel es:Wisin & Yandel fr:Wisin y Yandel ko:위신 이 얀델 it:Wisin & Yandel hu:Wisin & Yandel nl:Wisin y Yandel no:Wisin & Yandel pl:Wisin & Yandel pt:Wisin y Yandel ru:Wisin y Yandel fi:Wisin & Yandel

Name	Daddy Yankee
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Ramón Ayala
Alias	Winchester 30-30El CangriEl JefeThe Big BossDYEl Máximo Lider
Birth date	February 03, 1977
Origin	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Genre	Reggaeton, Latin rap, hip-hop
Years active	1992–present
Label	El Cartel, Interscope, Sony Music Latin
Website	daddyyankee.com }}

Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez (born February 3, 1977), known artistically as Daddy Yankee, is a Latin Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican reggaeton recording artist. Ayala was born in Río Piedras, the largest district of San Juan, where he became interested in music at a young age. In his youth he was interested in baseball, and aspired to become a Major League Baseball player. He was unable to continue this sport when he received an injury to one of his legs, leaving him unable to walk correctly. He then became involved in the underground rap movement that was in its early stages in Puerto Rico, later to be called reggaeton. After receiving lessons from several artists within the genre, he developed an independent career, first recording in a production titled ''Playero 37''. After this he began to produce independent albums. His first solo album was ''No Mercy''. He subsequently formed a duo with Nicky Jam, and then continued his solo career with the releases of ''El Cartel'' and ''El Cartel II''. This led him be one of many pioneers of the reggaeton genre earning him the nickname "El Cangri".

In 2002 ''El Cangri.com'' became Ayala's first album with international success, receiving coverage in the markets of New York and Miami. ''Barrio Fino'' was released in 2004, and the album received numerous awards, including Lo Nuestro Awards and a Latin Billboard, as well as receiving nominations for the Latin Grammy and MTV Video Music Awards. ''Barrio Fino'' performed well in the sales charts of the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Japan. On June 5, 2007, El Cartel Records released ''El Cartel: The Big Boss'', which was ranked as the top-selling album in Latin music genres in 2007. He promoted the album with an international tour which began in the United States and continued through Latin America, breaking attendance records in Ecuador and Bolivia.

His performances have appeared on more than 70 albums, including compilations such as ''Mas Flow 2'' and ''Blin Blin Vol. 1''. Outside of his work as a musician, Ayala has also worked as an actor and producer. Throughout his career, he has been generally reluctant to discuss his personal life, but has publicly expressed the importance of his wife and children to him.

Following the incident, he became interested in the underground movement, which at the time was in an early organizational stage. He also took more interest in the events that took place in the neighborhood in which he was raised, a public housing project named Villa Kennedy. Early in his career he attempted to imitate the style of Vico C. He went on to emulate other artists in the genre, including DJ Playero, DJ Nelson, and DJ Goldy, taking elements from their styles in order to develop an original style. In doing so, he eventually abandoned the traditional model of rap and became one of the first artists to perform reggaeton. Ayala first recorded with DJ Playero as a featured artist in a production titled ''Playero 37'', which was released in 1992.

Musical career

Independent productions

His first album, titled ''No Mercey, was produced in 1995 when Ayala was eighteen years old. The production did not sell well, and he continued his work within the genre for the rest of the decade, eventually forming a duo with Nicky Jam. One of the duo's songs, "Posición", was included in the soundtrack of ''One Tough Cop'', a movie directed by Bruno Barreto, that was released in 1998. Beginning in 2000, Ayala began concentrating more on his solo career, releasing albums produced outside studios. The first production he released was titled ''El Cartel'', featuring elements of the mixtape style. In 2001 ''El Cartel II'' was released, a direct sequel to the previous production, and influenced by similar genres.

In 2002 ''El Cangri.com'' was released, and became the first album in Ayala's career to sell well outside Puerto Rico, mostly in the United States. The album was produced by VI Music, an independent recording studio in Puerto Rico, and was not supported by a major label. The most successful single from the album was "Latigazo", which received significant play on radio stations in New York and Miami. The album reached #43 on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart. Following the release of this disc, Ayala performed at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum before 12,000 fans. The following year VI Music produced ''Los Homerun-es''. The album became the leader in sales in Puerto Rico during a year in which several other reggaeton artists released significant productions, including Luny Tune's ''Mas Flow'', Don Omar's ''The Last Don'', and Tego Calderón's ''El Abayarde''. The album's success helped Ayala receive the publicity required for a crossover to the United States market, and marked the last album he released with VI music before signing a contract with Universal

2004–2005

Ayala's next album, ''Barrio Fino'', was produced by Luny Tunes and released in July 2004 by El Cartel Records and VI Music. It was the most highly anticipated album in the reggaeton community. Ayala had enjoyed Salsa music since he was young, and this led him to include music of genres besides reggaeton in the album. The most prominent of these cross-genre singles was "Melao", in which he performed with Andy Montañez. The album was described as his most complete, and with it he intended to introduce combinations of reggaeton and other genres to the English-speaking market. ''Barrio Fino'' was followed up by an international tour with performances in numerous countries including the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Honduras, Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, and the United States. The album has sold over 500,000 copies in the United States alone and has sold well throughout Latin America and worldwide.

In 2005 Ayala won several international awards, making him one of the most recognized reggaeton artists within the music industry. The first award of the year was Lo Nuestro Awards within the "Latin music" category, which he received for ''Barrio Fino''. In this event he performed "Gasolina" in a performance that was described as "innovative". ''Barrio Fino'' also won the "Reggaeton Album of the Year" award in the Latin Billboard that took place on April 28, 2005, where he performed a mix of three of his songs in a duo with P. Diddy. The album was promoted throughout Latin America, the United States, and Europe, reaching certified gold in Japan. Due to the album's success, Ayala received promotional contracts with radio stations and soda companies, including Pepsi. His single "Gasolina" received the majority of votes cast for the second edition of ''Premios Juventud'', in which it received eight nominations and won seven awards. Ayala also made a live presentation during the award ceremony. "Gasolina" received nominations in the Latin Grammy and MTV Video Music Awards.

The successful single, "Gasolina", was covered by artists from different music genres. This led to a controversy when Los Lagos, a Mexican banda group, did a cover with the original beat but changed the song's lyrics. The group's label had solicited the copyright permission to perform the single and translate it to a different music style, but did not receive consent to change the lyrics; legal action followed. Speaking for the artist, Ayala's lawyer stated that having his songs covered was an "honor, but it must be done the right way."

2006–present

On April 30, 2006, Ayala was named one of the 100 most influential people by Time magazine, which cited the 2 million copies of ''Barrio Fino'' sold, Ayala's $20 million contract with Interscope Records, and his Pepsi endorsement. During this period, Ayala and William Omar Landrón (more commonly known by his artistic name Don Omar) were involved in a rivalry within the genre, dubbed "tiraera". The rivalry received significant press coverage despite being denied early on by both artists. It originated with a lyrical conflict between the artists begun by Ayala's comments in a remix single, where he criticized Landron's common usage of the nickname "King of Kings". Don Omar responded to this in a song titled "Ahora Son Mejor", part of his album ''Los Rompediscotecas''.

''El Cartel: The Big Boss'' was released by Interscope on June 5, 2007. Ayala stated that the album marked a return to his hip-hop roots as opposed to being considered a strictly reggaeton album. The album was produced in 2006, and included the participation of will.i.am, Scott Storch, Tainy Tunes, Neli, and personnel from Ayala's label. Singles were produced with Héctor Delgado, Fergie, Nicole Scherzinger and Akon. The first single from the album was titled "Impacto", and was released prior to the completion of the album. The album was promoted by a tour throughout the United States, which continued throughout Latin America.hadi be He performed in Mexico, first in Monterrey, where 10,000 attended the concert, and later at San Luis Potosí coliseum, where the concert sold out, leaving hundreds of fans outside the building. Ayala performed in Chile as well, and established a record for attendance in Ecuador. He also performed in Bolivia, setting another record when 50,000 fans attended his Santa Cruz de la Sierra concert. This show was later described as "the best show with the biggest attendance in history" and as "somehappy that his album had sold more than those of Juan Luis Guerra and Juanes, and that this was an "official proof that reggaeton's principal exponent defeated the rest of the genres". Ayala made a guest appearance in an album titled "Caribbean he loved the color reed|Inner Circle]], Bounty Killer, Elephant Man and Wayne Wonder. In July 2008, Ayala announced that as part of his work, he would produce a cover version of Thalía's song, Ten Paciencia. Prior to the album's release, Ayala scheduled several activities, including an in-store contract signing. On February 27, 2009, he performed at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile. In this event, the artists receive awards based on the public's reaction. After performing "Rompe", "Llamado de emergencia", "Tú me dejaste caer", "Gasolina", "Limpia parabrisas" and "Lo que pasó, pasó" over the course of two hours, Ayala received the "Silver Torch", "Gold Torch" and "Silver Seagull" recognitions. On April 24, 2009, he received the Spirit of Hope Award as part of the Latin Billboard Music Awards ceremony. The recognition is given to the artists that participate in community or social efforts throughout the year. The single "Grito Mundial" was released on October 8, 2009, in order to promote his ninth album, ''Mundial''. Despite releasing "El Ritmo No Perdona (Prende)" more than a month before, that single was not considered the first official promotional single.

Film and other career projects

Ayala has negotiated promotional deals with several companies outside of the music industry, releasing merchandise under his name. In 2005, he became the first Latin artist to sign a deal with Reebok, in order to produce accessories, including the licensed clothing line "DY", which was released in 2006. He also teamed up with the company to have his own shoes and sporting goods made, which were first distributed on May 23, 2006. Reebok continued the partnership with the introduction of the Travel Trainer collection in July 2007. In August 2007, Pepsi began an advertising campaign titled "Puertas", in which Ayala is depicted returning to his youth by opening a series of doors.

In 2008, Ayala participated in a campaign to promote voting in the 2008 general elections in Puerto Rico. This initiative included a concert titled "Vota o quédate callao". On August 25, 2008, Ayala endorsed John McCain's candidacy for President of the United States, stating that McCain "has been a fighter for the Hispanic community". As part of this campaign, Ayala moderated a debate titled “Vota o quédate callao: los candidatos responden a los jóvenes”, which was aired on October 9, 2008.

Ayala has worked in the film industry as both an actor and producer. His acting debut was the lead role of ''Vampiros'', a film directed by Eduardo Ortiz and filmed in Puerto Rico. The film premiered at the Festival of Latin American Cinema in New York, where it received a positive reaction. This led Image Entertainment to produce a DVD, internationally released in March 2005. Ayala played the main role "Edgar" in ''Talento de Barrio'', which was filmed in Puerto Rico and directed by José Iván Santiago. Ayala produced the film, which is based on his experience of growing up in a poor city neighborhood. While the film is not directly a biography, Ayala has stated that it mirrors his early life. ''Talento de Barrio's'' debut was scheduled for July 23, 2008, in New York's Latino Film Festival. After the premier, Ayala expressed satisfaction, saying that he had been invited to audition for other producers. On release, ''Talento de Barrio'' broke the record held by ''Maldeamores'' for the most tickets to a Puerto Rican movie sold in a single day in Caribbean Cinemas.

Ayala has been involved in the administration of three organizations, the first being El Cartel Records which he co-owns with Andres Hernandez. He also created the ''Fundación Corazón Guerrero'', a charitable organization in Puerto Rico which works with young incarcerated people. On April 26, 2008, he was presented with a "Latino of the Year Award" by the student organization ''Presencia Latina'' of Harvard College, receiving it for his work with Puerto Rican youth and creating ''Corazón Guerrero''. On February 6, 2008, Ayala announced in a Baloncesto Superior Nacional press conference that he had bought part of the Criollos de Caguas' ownership.

Personal life

Ayala has kept most of his personal life private, rarely speaking about it in interviews. He has said that he avoids doing so because such details are the only aspect of his life that are not public and that they are like a "little treasure". He made an exception in 2006 when he spoke about his relationship with his wife and children in an interview with María Celeste Arrarás in Al Rojo Vivo. He stated that his marriage is strong because he and his wife are "friends above anything", adding that he has tried to ignore other temptations because "weakness is the reason for the downfall of several artists." He also described his "very close" communication with his children, in which he tries to offer advice against drugs and negative influences. His first daughter was born when he was seventeen years old, which he has described as confusing at first, adding that raising a daughter at that age was a hard experience.

Studio albums

1995: ''No Mercy''

2002: ''El Cangri.com''

2004: ''Barrio Fino''

2007: ''El Cartel: The Big Boss''

2010: ''Daddy Yankee Mundial''

2012: ''Prestige''

Filmography

;Film

! Year	! Title	! Role	! Note
2005	''Vampiros''	Bimbo
2008	''Talento de Barrio''	Edgar Dinero

;Television

! Year	! Title	! Role	! Note
2007		Daddy Yankee - Himself
2010	''The Bold and the Beautiful''	Daddy Yankee - Himself	6 episodes

See also

Latin American music

List of Caribbean music genres

List of Puerto Ricans

List of Puerto Rican songwriters

Urban contemporary

References

External links

Official site

Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:People from San Juan, Puerto Rico Category:American shooting survivors Category:Puerto Rican rappers Category:Puerto Rican reggaeton artists Category:Puerto Rican singers Category:Puerto Rican male singers Category:Latin Grammy Award winners Category:Reggaeton musicians Category:Spanish-language singers

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