Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez (born February 3, 1976), known professionally as Daddy Yankee (also known by the nickname D.Y), is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known as the "King of Reggaetón" by music critics and fans alike. Daddy Yankee is the artist who coined the word reggaeton in 1994 to describe the new music genre that was emerging from Puerto Rico that synthesized American hip-hop, Hispanic Caribbean music, and Jamaican reggae rhythms with Spanish rapping and singing. He is often cited as an influence by other Latin urban performers.