Tr3s Exclusive: Daddy Yankee Talks 'Prestige,' 'Love in Any Language'

By Sugey Palomares

If you have raw musical talent and lots of love to give, you may want to submit your musical message of love for a chance to win some cold, hard cash.

Daddy Yankee teamed up with Western Union to launch the "Love in Any Language" campaign last week, encouraging consumers to create and upload original music videos expressing their love to family and friends. "All you have to do is post the video! Easy like that," Daddy Yankee said during the launch. The submission deadline is April 18. The lucky winner will receive $10,000 and a chance to appear at the 2011 Billboard Latin Music Conference in Miami on April 27.

Daddy Yankee took some time to talk with exclusively with Tr3s about the contest, his upcoming album Prestige and much more. Here's our Q&A with the Puerto Rican reggaeton artist.

“Love in Any Language” sounds like a great initiative to find new talent. What inspired you to be a part of this national campaign?

"What inspired me to be a part of this is that I am a part of the community. The ultimate winner has the opportunity to win $10,000 and also show their talent to the world. That is going to change someone’s future completely, and I’m happy to be a part of that."

You recently reached more than one million Twitter fans, congratulations. How do you feel about the huge following?

"It’s such a great honor! Just knowing that you are touching so many people out there with your music. I receive so many tweets from different countries, so it’s a global thing."

Are there any funny fan comments that stand out?

"There’s a lot, there’s a lot. Everyday I receive so many messages, and it’s hard because you want to respond to everyone. It’s especially hard when I receive Russian tweets. It’s a funny situation. I feel like I need a translator by my side. [Laughs]"

Your new album Prestige is slated to drop this summer. What is the difference between this album and your other hits?

"The difference between this album and my other albums is that I have gotten the chance to work with many different colleagues from other genres. Basically, it feels more like an independent album. I have so many collaborations in this album and my favorite right now is Prince Royce. Reggaeton and bachata! That’s a very interesting collaboration right there!"

That’s great. When can fans expect to see you on the big screen once again?

"I’ll probably be shooting the next movie by the end of November. That’s the reason I have dropped like 30 pounds because I’ll be playing a boxer. So you know if you are going to play a boxer you have to be in shape! [Laughs] I had to do a lot of cardio, dieting, and discipline, but I know the end result will be worth it."

What other projects are you working on?

"I’ll be on tour next month. First stop will be Honduras and then Chile. After that, we will be in Europe and then the States. There is always a lot going on!"

Are you looking forward to Daddy Yankee's new album? Tell us in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Daddy Yankee, Latin Music, Love in Any Language, Musica Latina, Prestige, Reggaeton, Western Union