Daddy Yankee

Daddy Yankee did more than anyone to establish reggaeton as a marketable music style during the early 21st century. Yankee's success was so phenomenal in the wake of his 2004 mainstream breakthrough Barrio Fino -- and in particular, the international hit single "Gasolina" -- that he transcended cultural boundaries and genre trappings. He became more than just a reggaetoñero, having transformed himself into an international name brand by the time his 2007 follow-up album, El Cartel: The Big Boss, was released. Daddy Yankee's name, image, and music were used to sell soft drinks for Pepsi and footwear for Reebok, as well as a syndicated show for ABC Radio Networks (Daddy Yankee on Fuego) and a feature film for Paramount Pictures (Talento de Barrio)