It is incredibly hard to believe that Daddy Yankee is in his mid-40s and on his final tour. Maybe it is his impressive genes; the man seems to not age one iota, maybe it is our refusal to call ourselves old, who knows. Nonetheless, when news broke out that Yankee was embarking on his final worldly go-round, it was imperative, maybe obligatory, to attend and see the best-of-the-best the reggaetón genre has ever produced. This is not an exaggeration, most critics, most fans, most performers all concur, Daddy Yankee is the GOAT in this industry. News flash, I agree, too.
So, here we are, final Atlanta stop. La última vuelta tour in full effect, ready to go, set to melt some faces. Lights dim, timer shines bright and counts down for 5 minutes to note the exact start time, each passing moment the jubilation grows further intense. The clock strikes zero and in the distance fast approaching — is it a bird? is it a plane? Well, yes it is a plane, and Daddy Yankee disembarks, que comience la fiesta!
Thunderous applause takes over, deafening even. For the thousands on hand, this is history, this is a moment to take in. The legend himself bringing Atlanta one last hurrah, one last spectacle, one last ride. Accompanied by a plethora of dancers, blazing fireworks and some sick graphics, Yankee does what he does best, bring down the house. “Campeón, campeón, campeón soy,” rips Yankee, as he introduces bangers off his latest LP, LegenDaddy. No lies detected, the man is a champ. After an eventful entrance, the oomph of the night is about to double, triple, go sky high.
It proves to be a night of nights. Nostalgic, sad, special, insane, colorful, lively and bumping. From top of the line displays and strobes to the giant inflatable Daddy Yankee doll, Ramón Ayala Rodriguez is a gentleman of the stage. The outfit switches, the array of performance dances, the nonstop singalongs from a heightened crowd only add fuel to the fire of each passing anthem. Ya’know, like gasolina. Yeah, pun intended!
Once upon a time, Daddy Yankee aspired to be a professional baseball player, a stray bullet almost derailed his entire career, he was just another starving artist. Then one day, Yankee caught lightning in a bottle when he overheard a stranger poke fun at a random girl admiring a luxury sports car. “A ella le gusta la gasolina,” this unknown man wisecracked. Just a moment in time for most; however, it also set the stage for the birth of the most important song the genre would ever produce. Nowadays, the reggaetón market is flooded by big names like Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Aneul AA, Nicky Jam, Don Omar, the list goes on and one, but make no mistake, there is only one King of Reggaetón and you know his name. This is final run, buy a ticket and go admire greatness. Cheers!
LoudSound Magazine 