Daddy Yankee Testimony: From Gasolina to God’s Grace

Name: Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, Raymond Ayala, or Daddy Yankee

Born: February 3, 1977 in San Juan, Puerto Rico

“Y yo sé lo que es estar en una camilla en un hospital en el borde de la muerte también y en el borde de la muerte yo digo al señor señor: 'Por favor dame la oportunidad.' Si tú me revives señor y me ayudas y no me dejas morir te voy a servir.’”

("And I know what it's like to be on a stretcher in a hospital on the verge of death too. And on the verge of death, I say to the Lord, Lord: 'Please give me the chance.' If you revive me, Lord, and help me, and don't let me die, I will serve you.")

The Rise of an Icon

Growing up in Villa Kennedy, a public housing project in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Raymond Ayala had dreams of making it to the MLB. But at the age of 17, those dreams were abruptly altered when he was struck by a stray bullet during a neighborhood gunfight—an innocent bystander caught in the chaos.

Navigating life in a community steeped in violence and drug trafficking, Raymond turned to music. In 1995, he began his journey as a rapper, forging his path in the then-underground genre of reggaetón, which combined Caribbean dancehall-style with hip-hop and Latin rhythms.

Faced with rejection from major record labels, Raymond founded El Cartel Records, giving him full independence and creative freedom. This bold move laid the groundwork for what would become a global takeover. In 2004, his breakout hit “Gasolina” catapulted reggaetón into the international spotlight, eventually being named one of Rolling Stone’s greatest songs of all time in 2021.

He would go on to collaborate with international stars such as Ed Sheeran, Luis Fonsi, Camila Cabello, Bad Bunny, Nicky Jam, Natti Natasha, and Justin Bieber, cementing his legacy as a music legend.

A Divine Departure from Fame

Yet, after three decades of fame, Raymond made a shocking decision: to walk away from his reggaetón career.

“I realized something, the Bible says: ‘For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?’ So tonight I recognize and I am not ashamed to tell the whole world that Jesus lives in me and I live for him.” – Raymond, December 2023

This heartfelt declaration came during his final concert on his farewell tour in Puerto Rico, the island that raised him.

“My people, this day for me is the most important day of my life and I want to share it with you, because to live a life of success is not the same as living a life with purpose…For a long time I tried to fill a void in my life that no one could fill. I tried to fill and find meaning in my life. Sometimes I appeared to be very happy, but something was missing to make me complete and I have to confess that those days are over. Someone was able to fill that void that I felt for a long time. I was able to realize that for everyone I was someone, but I was nothing without Him…Thank you very much, Puerto Rico, and I hope that you walk with me in this new beginning and I hope that something very important is recorded in you: Do not follow any man. I am a human. All the people who followed me: Follow Jesus Christ, for he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

And before exiting the stage, he left his fans with one final truth:

“Christ loves you and Christ is coming.”

Daddy Yankee’s Testimony: Near-Death & New Life

But how did we get here? What is Daddy Yankee's Testimony

At RESP (Iglesia Refugiados en su Presencia), Raymond gave a powerful and raw account of his spiritual transformation:

“Because you know that you can go far without God. I am proof of that. I am proof of that. God made us in his image and likeness, that is, he enabled us, he gave us some talents and skills that you can go very far without him. And if you don't believe me, I have a very clear example. The Tower of Babel. I built my Tower of Babel. I built a tower that reached to the sky. I said, I'm going up there, nobody can stop me.”

He continued:

“[God] I was waiting for you, [Raymond] I said: no one is going to stop me. [God] You were very sure of me. Let me send you away, just like I did with those at the Tower of Babel, and we went down to destroy their plans. I'm going down to destroy yours. and sent you an executioner called health. [Raymond] I didn't see that coming. I never saw that coming, never. I'm one day in Colombia, on the verge of death. I'm singing, a place I'm looking, in the hospital, on the verge of death. One foot is here and one foot is there…”

Raymond doesn’t shy away from discussing his brushes with mortality:

“I don't know how many people have been on the brink of death, but I've been on the brink of death several times. And I can tell you about the experience of what the angel of death sees, of feeling him there. I was shot when I was young. I was hit multiple times by bullets. It's a miracle I'm alive. God performed a miracle for me since I was a kid. He protected me from death… So they shoot me with a rifle. 47 rifle, right at me, PA PA PA PA... just one bullet. So God wasn't far away. God was always there. Likewise, countless times I've seen my friends die there. In the middle of gunfire, [I] helping them pick them up, taking them to the hospital. I know what death is. And I know what it's like to be on a stretcher in a hospital on the verge of death too.”

In a chilling close, he reflects:

“And on the verge of death, I say to the Lord, Lord: 'Please give me the chance.' If you revive me, Lord, and help me, and don't let me die, I will serve you.”

A New Beginning

Today, Raymond Ayala — known on stage as Daddy Yankee—has left behind the secular music industry. His focus is now on spreading the Gospel, investing in philanthropy, sports, business, and uplifting global communities through faith and action.

Looking to hear another testimony?Check out The Archives of BFF. Readily available on Amazon with Prime shipping.See you in the next one! Over and out!