Janet Jackson Surprises Daddy Yankee With Historic Latin Grammy Honor
History got a surprise presenter in Las Vegas. Janet Jackson stunned the Latin Grammys on Thursday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, appearing to honor Daddy Yankee as he became the first Latin urbano artist ever named the Latin Recording Academy’s Person of the Year.
The former collaborators reunited eight years after their single “Made for Now.” Jackson used the moment to recognize more than the records: “His artistry helps bring reggaeton to audiences around the world and open doors for generations of Latin urban artists,” she said. Yankee responded by praising her legacy and recalling their collaboration as one of his favorite songs.
The celebration started a night earlier: at Wednesday’s Person of the Year gala, LL Cool J and J Balvin introduced the honoree. On Thursday, LL also joined Yankee’s performance — a catalog medley with guests including Bizarrap, Bad Gyal, Feid and French Montana, running through “Despacito,” “Rompe” and “Gasolina.”
Yankee used his acceptance to remember where it started — a scene that faced rejection before the world caught on, when early reggaeton circulated hand to hand on cassettes and DJs like Playero helped young rappers develop the sound outside radio and TV.
His next chapter is already moving: his new release La Postal features Cardi B, Myke Towers and Danny Ocean, and he is scheduled to perform at Coachella in 2027. And the legacy is literally archived — “Gasolina” was added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry in 2023.
From the cassettes to Person of the Year. Where does Daddy Yankee rank among the most important artists of his generation? 👇
