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Daddy Yankee Talks Biggie, Dancehall, and Coining the Term “Reggaeton” on Track Star: Watch
Daddy Yankee discussed the influences behind reggaeton during a music trivia appearance on Track Star, naming American hip-hop, Jamaican dancehall and Puerto Rican salsa. He said he coined the term “reggaeton” in 1992, a claim he has made before, though accounts differ about when the word first appeared in recordings.
He recalled The Notorious B.I.G.’s early influence on him and credited dancehall artists including Super Cat, Buju Banton and Beenie Man with shaping a generation of Puerto Rican musicians. He called New York a key route for reggaeton’s international reach and said he had discovered his music’s impact in India through a collaboration with Diljit Dosanjh on his latest album, La Postal, released last week.
In short
- Daddy Yankee says he coined the term “reggaeton” in 1992.
- He cited hip-hop, dancehall and salsa as key influences.
- A collaboration helped him recognise his music’s reach in India.
Explained simply
Reggaeton is a music style that developed in Puerto Rico, drawing on influences including hip-hop, Jamaican dancehall and Latin music such as salsa. Its sound and identity took shape through exchanges between Caribbean and US music scenes.
Daddy Yankee is a Puerto Rican singer and rapper who became one of reggaeton’s best-known performers. The Notorious B.I.G., a US hip-hop artist, and dancehall musicians such as Super Cat, Buju Banton and Beenie Man are among the artists cited as influences on the genre’s musicians.
The name “reggaeton” is widely associated with the style, but accounts differ over when the word first appeared in recordings. New York has also helped connect Puerto Rican music with wider audiences, while collaborations have carried reggaeton to listeners in places such as India.