COME TO DADDY.

Byline: Fred Shuster Music Writer

Daddy Yankee says rumors of reggaeton's demise are entirely exaggerated.

The Puerto Rican superstar, whose song ``Gasolina'' is reggaeton's biggest crossover hit, insists the music is surely evolving. But whatever happens, he adds, the ubiquitous blend of tropical rhythms, reggae, hip-hop and rap is here to stay.

``It's part of the landscape,'' said the singer-producer known to his mom as Raymond Ayala. ``It has been used in hip-hop, rap, all the top hit styles. People who don't even know what they're listening to love it. It can only get stronger. Those that say reggaeton is going away are just jealous.''

Daddy Yankee is part of the reggaeton cross-cultural reach. On his forthcoming album, the colorful, high-energy performer sings in Spanish and English and collaborates with hitmakers Pharrell Williams and the Black Eyed Peas. He promises the finished album will be as danceable as anything on the multimillion-selling ``Barrio Fino,'' the summer '04 breakthrough disc that spawned ``Gasolina.''

Along with the new album, Yankee is planning a musical based on the life of the late salsa great Celia Cruz.

``Everyone knows her name, but not everyone knows what her life was like,'' he said.

Everyone also now knows the name Daddy Yankee, who's among headliners Saturday at the ninth edition of 102.7 KIIS-FM's annual Wango Tango daylong show at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine.

``He has star power,'' said Julie Pilat, KIIS-FM's assistant program director and music director. ``Years ago, we broadcast a show of his live from Puerto Rico, and he's just larger than life. When he performs, he's like a Kanye West or an Usher - a very powerful, charismatic performer.''

If Yankee's recent curtain-raiser at the Billboard Latin Music Awards in Miami was anything to go by, Irvine will definitely be one to remember.

At the awards show, where he scored three trophies (Latin album artist, top reggaeton album, and as part of the collaboration resulting in Billboard's reggaeton song of the year), Yankee was surrounded by dancers sporting jungle camouflage. The energy level was high, and the audience responded in kind.

But success didn't arrive as quickly as it might seem for Yankee. He tells of rejection by multiple record companies and a blackout of his music on Puerto Rican radio and TV. Although reggaeton's single-minded Spanish-language lyrics mostly deal with sex, Yankee believes they should also address social issues like violence, gangs and drug abuse.

The highly danceable music, which resembles an electronic offspring of polka, first grabbed hold in Puerto Rico before making inroads in major Latino markets in Miami, Los Angeles and New York. But some say the music is running out of steam.

''Impossible,'' Yankee, 29, counters. ``It's already taken over in America, and now it's exploding in Europe. It's like reggae or Brazilian or African music - reggaeton is good music, even if you don't understand the language. We use a lot of r&b and live instruments, just like the latest hip-hop, but we have this meeting of the Caribbean and rap worlds.''

Inroads made by ``Gasolina'' broke down the door for Spanish-language pop on Englishlanguage Top 40 radio, KIIS-FM's Pilat said. Meanwhile, ``Mayor Que Yo,'' Daddy's collaboration with fellow reggaeton stars Wisin & Yandel, Baby Ranks and others, is going strong at Latin urban formats. And a new subgenre, salsaton (a mix of salsa and reggaeton), is heating up at tropical/salsa radio.

``Any music genre heats up and cools down, but what's more important is the fact that reggaeton and Daddy Yankee changed what can be played on mainstream pop radio - and that change will never go away,'' she said.

Despite his high profile, Yankee has remained in Puerto Rico, where he lives with his wife of 10 years and their kids.

``That's where the music is based,'' he said. ``The only thing that's changed is my bank account.''

Fred Shuster, [phone]

fred.shuster(at)dailynews.com

DADDY YANKEE

Where: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, 8808 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine.

When: 5 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets: Sold out, try brokers. [phone]; wangotango.com; daddyyankee.com.

IF YOU GO

KIIS-FM's annual Wango Tango concert is a daylong event celebrating the Top 40 station's most popular artists and genres. The concert, hosted by 102.7 KIIS morning man/``American Idol'' host Ryan Seacrest, takes place Saturday at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine.

The lineup consists of rapper Kanye West, singer Mary J. Blige, reggaeton king Daddy Yankee and chart-toppers Rihanna, Ne-Yo, Baby Bash, Nick Cannon, Ray J and Natasha Bedingfield.

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

Daddy Yankee has a forthcoming album and is planning a musical based on the life of salsa great Celia Cruz.

Box:

IF YOU GO (see text)