Don Omar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Don Omar
Don Omar in 2015 promoting The Kingdom Tour
Background information
Birth name	William Omar Landrón Rivera
Also known as	El Rey (The King) King of Kings Kong
Born	(1978-02-10) February 10, 1978 (age 47) Santurce, Puerto Rico
Genres	Reggaeton hip hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper singer songwriter record producer actor
Years active	1996–2017 2019–present
Labels	Orfanato VI Universal Latino Machete
Awards	Full list
Signature

William Omar Landrón Rivera (born February 10, 1978), known as Don Omar, is a famous rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor from Puerto Rico. Many people call him the "King of Reggaeton" because he helped make this music style popular around the world. Billboard and Rolling Stone magazines have even called him a reggaeton legend. Other artists often say he inspired them.

Don Omar was born in Santurce, a part of San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is one of the artists who brought reggaeton to a global audience. He became very famous with his first album, The Last Don, released in 2003. This album sold over 400,000 copies in the US. Since then, he has sold about 15 million records, making him one of the top-selling Latin music artists. He briefly announced his retirement in 2017 but returned to making music in 2019 with his song "Ramayama" featuring Farruko.

Throughout his career, Don Omar has won many awards. These include three Latin Grammy Awards, one Billboard Music Award, 17 Billboard Latin Music Awards, and eight Viña del Mar International Song Festival Awards.

Don Omar has also acted in movies. He played the character Rico Santos in four Fast & Furious films. He first appeared in Fast & Furious (2009) and later in Fast Five (2011), The Fate of the Furious (2017), and F9 (2021).

Early Life of Don Omar

Don Omar was born and grew up in Santurce, a neighborhood in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is the oldest son of William Landrón and Luz Antonia Rivera. From a young age, he loved the music of artists like Vico C. When he was younger, he was an active member of a church in Bayamón. After four years, he decided to leave the church to focus on his singing career.

Don Omar's Music Career

Don Omar's first time performing in a nightclub was with DJ Eliel Lind Osorio. After that, he often appeared on music collections from popular DJs and producers like Luny Tunes and Noriega. He also sang backup for the music group Héctor & Tito. One of the members, Héctor el Father, helped him create his first solo album.

Rise to Stardom

Don Omar's career took off with his first album, The Last Don, released in 2003. Both the studio version and its live version sold very well. They were certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, meaning they sold over a million copies. He won awards for Latin Pop Album of the Year and New Artist & Latin Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year at the Billboard Latin Music Awards in 2003.

In 2005, Don Omar was featured on rapper Cuban Link's song "Scandalous". This song reached number 45 on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart.

King of Kings Album Success

In May 2006, Don Omar released his album King of Kings. This album made history by being the highest-ranking reggaeton album to reach the top 10 on the US charts. It debuted at number 1 on the Latin sales charts. His single "Angelito" also hit number 1 on the Billboard Latin Rhythm Radio Chart. Don Omar even broke a sales record at Disney World's Virgin Megastore, which was previously held by pop star Britney Spears.

King of Kings entered the charts at No. 7, selling 74,000 copies in its first week. This was the highest debut for a reggaeton artist at the time. In April 2007, Don Omar received the Billboard Latin Music Award for Reggaeton Album of the Year for King of Kings. Billboard recognized this album as the most successful Latin American album of the decade and the most successful in reggaeton history. By the end of 2009, Billboard estimated the album had sold over 4.1 million copies.

Later Albums and Collaborations

Don Omar's third studio album, iDon, came out on April 28, 2009. This album sold over 2.5 million copies. The song "Virtual Diva" became one of the most requested songs on Latin radio stations.

The album Don Omar Presents: Meet the Orphans was released on November 16, 2010. This album featured artists from Don Omar's own Orfanato Music Group label, along with other reggaeton artists. It included the popular song "Danza Kuduro" with Portuguese-French singer Lucenzo. "Danza Kuduro" was also featured in the movie Fast Five. This album sold over 3 million copies.

His album Don Omar Presents MTO²: New Generation was released on May 1, 2012. This album featured Natti Natasha, who had just signed with Orfanato Music Group, and other artists like Zion & Lennox. The album included the hit song "Hasta Que Salga el Sol", which won the award for Best Urban Song at the 2012 Latin Grammy Awards. The album itself won the award for Best Urban Music Album at the same awards show.

The Kingdom Tour

For a long time, Don Omar and fellow artist Daddy Yankee were seen as rivals for the "King of Reggaeton" title. In early 2016, they announced they would perform together in a concert series called The Kingdom Tour. Fans were very excited, and tickets sold out quickly in cities like Las Vegas, Orlando, and New York. Don Omar explained their relationship, saying, "We respect each other. That desire to be the best is what has pushed us to be better."

In September 2021, Don Omar partnered with Saban Music Group. In February 2022, he was announced as a main performer for the 2022 Los Della Festival in California.

Personal Life

In 2003, Don Omar had his first son, Nicolás Valle Gómez. He married journalist Jackie Guerrido on April 19, 2008, but they divorced in March 2011.

Awards and Nominations

Don Omar has won many awards throughout his career. These include three Latin Grammy Awards, one Billboard Music Award, and 17 Billboard Latin Music Awards. He has also received three Lo Nuestro Awards and eight awards from the Viña del Mar International Song Festival.

Discography

Studio albums

• The Last Don (2003)
• King of Kings (2006)
• iDon (2009)
• Meet the Orphans (2010)
• MTO²: New Generation (2012)
• The Last Don 2 (2015)
• The Last Album (2019)
• Forever King (2023)

Live albums

• The Last Don Live (2004)
• King of Kings: Live (2007)

Compilation & Greatest Hits albums

• Los Bandoleros (2005)
• Da Hitman Presents Reggaetón Latino (2005)
• Los Bandoleros Reloaded (2006)
• El Pentágono (2007)
• El Pentágono: The Return (2008)

Concert Tours

• The Last World Tour
• King of Kings World Tour (2006-2007)
• iDon World Tour
• Meet the Orphans World Tour
• MTO²: New Generation World Tour
• Hecho en Puerto Rico
• Retro Evolución World Tour
• The Kingdom Tour (2015-2016)
• Back to Reggeaton Tour (2024)

Filmography

Don Omar has also appeared in several movies and TV shows.

See also

In Spanish: Don Omar para niños

• List of best-selling Latin music artists
• List of Puerto Ricans