Daddy Yankee is officially retiring from reggaeton to devote his life to his religious faith, the rapper said after ending his farewell tour, La Meta (The Goal), Sunday night in his homeland Puerto Rico.
via: Billboard
The series of four back-to-back shows, dubbed “La Meta” (The Goal), kicked off Nov. 30 at The Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan and included a global livestream of Sunday’s concert with the purchase of a $20 ticket.
Fans back home and those connected virtually not only enjoyed a live musical journey through Yankee’s 30-year career, but also observed his vulnerability and transparency when the singer opened up about embracing his faith and religious beliefs.
“This is the most important day of my life and I want to share it because it’s not the same living a life with success than a life with purpose,” the star born Raymond Ayala said during his address from the stage.
“For many years I’ve tried filling a void in my life that no one could fill. I tried finding a purpose, on many occasions it seemed as if I was happy but something was missing for me to feel complete. I have to confess that those days are over and someone was able to fill that void that I felt for a lot of time. I realized that for everyone I was someone but I was no one without him,” he continued. “Throughout the years I was able to travel the world, win many awards, applaud and praise but I realized something that’s in the Bible: For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
The global artist, who spearheaded the reggaeton movement with his 2004 breakthrough hit “Gasolina,” proudly expressed that God lives in him and he will live for him.
“A chapter has ended but a new one will begin,” he noted. “All the tools that I have in my power, like music, social media, platforms, a microphone, everything that God has given me is now for his kingdom. Thank you, Puerto Rico, and I hope you walk with me in this new beginning and I hope you remember something very important: Don’t follow any person. I am human. To all the people who follow me, follow Jesus Christ, he’s the way, the truth, and the life.”
“La Meta” was part of his retirement tour La Última Vuelta that kicked off last year and landed at No. 13 on the Top 40 Tours of 2022 with a total gross of over $125 million, according to Billboard’s Year-End Boxscore charts. Yankee now joins a wave of reggaeton stars who have opened up about their faith including Farruko, Hector “El Father” Delgado, El General, and more.
Listen to his full speech in Spanish below:
Family: This day for me, is the most important day in my life.. tonight I recognize and am not ashamed to tell the whole world that Christ lives in me and that I will live for him. This is the end of one chapter and the beginning of a brand new one.
“For what good is it for a man to gain the whole world, if he loses his life? Or how much can a man pay for his life? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father and with his angels, and then he will reward each one according to what he has done. ”
St. Matthew 16: 26 – 27 Amen
