Puerto Rico’s reggaeton singer ”Daddy Yankee” performs during his concert in Vina del Mar city, about 75 miles (121 km) northwest of Santiago, October 11, 2009.

Credit: Reuters/Eliseo Fernandez

MIAMI (Billboard) - In 2005, Daddy Yankee hit big on the charts with an upbeat reggaeton anthem about the joys of gasoline.

Half a decade later, and with four No. 1s on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart, including the top-selling Latin album of the decade (”Barrio Fino”), Yankee — whose real name is Raymond Ayala — has established himself as one of the stalwarts of the reggaeton genre as well as a maverick artist who has redefined the role of Latin artists as entrepreneurs directing their own careers.

As he prepares for the April 27 release of his new studio album, “Mundial,” bonus track “Grito Mundial” has been chosen for World Cup TV campaigns on Telefutura and ESPN in the United States and on Azteca in Mexico. In addition, his new women’s fragrance is slated to launch at the end of May, along with a media campaign that includes a billboard in New York’s Times Square. In the fall he will star in a Hollywood film, and his TV show, “Tuneame la Nave,” began its second season in March on Azteca. Plus, he’s extended his sponsorship deal with Coors Light, which launched last fall.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62Q08Z20100327