Daddy Yankee’s “Que Tire Pa’ ‘Lante” Hits 1 Billion Views Amid Steely & Clevie Copyright Lawsuit

Daddy Yankee’s Que Tire Pa’ ‘Lante, one of the over 1,800 songs listed in Steely & Clevie‘s consolidated copyright lawsuit against him and more than 160 other Reggaetón artists, producers, and record labels, has now surpassed one billion views on YouTube.

Released in 2019 by El Cartel Records and Warner Chappell Music, the song is one of 41 Daddy Yankee tracks alleged to have ripped off elements from Steely & Clevie’s Fish Market riddim without permission.

It also heavily sampled Cutty Ranks’ A Who Seh Me Dun (Wait Deh Man) , which itself was based on Sly & Robbie‘s Bam Bam riddim.

The music video, directed by Marlon Peña, is set in a neon-lit urban desert and showcases global street-dance talent with cameos from Latin stars such as Anuel AA, Bad Bunny, Darell, Natti Natasha, Wisin and Lennox. Billboard noted: “beyond its visual appeal, Que Tire Pa’ ‘Lante boasts impressive chart success, reaching the No. 1 spot on multiple Billboard charts, including Latin Airplay, Latin Rhythm Airplay and Argentina Hot 100.”

Que Tire Pa’ ‘Lante‘s ascension marks the eighth time the Reggaetón star has featured either as lead singer or collaborator in a song that has amassed a billion YouTube views. The lawsuit also names his songs Dura (1.9 billion views), Shaky Skaky (1.7 billion), Con Calma with Snow (2.8 billion), and the Luis Fonsi collab Despacito (8.4 billion).

Limbo; Andas En Mi Cabeza, a feature with Chino y Nacho; and China featuring Anuel AA, Karol G, Ozuna and Balvin have each exceeded one billion views, but these are not named in the suit.

Throughout his career, Daddy Yankee sold more than 30 million records. His 2004 hit Gasolina, one of his other songs named in the Steely & Clevie lawsuit, is often credited with bringing Reggaetón to a global audience.

Steely & Clevie Productions had initially filed the lawsuit in 2021 in a California court, essentially claiming that Dennis The Menace’s Pounder riddim and Pounder Dub Mix II were early recreations of their 1989 Fish Market riddim that were later widely copied by Reggaeton artists and producers.

In June last year, Daddy Yankee’s attorneys, Pryor Cashman LLP, tried to have the lawsuit thrown out, arguing that the Jamaican company was overreaching in its attempt to, according to them, monopolize “rhythm and other unprotectable musical elements” that are foundational to the Reggaetón genre.

They also said the lawsuit should be dismissed for numerous technical reasons, including the argument that Steely & Clevie’s copyright claims could only extend to the Fish Market since they allegedly lacked valid copyright registrations for the Pounder Riddim and the Pounder Dub Mix II.

On Tuesday, Judge André Birotte Jr. denied Daddy Yankee’s motion to dismiss the case.

He ruled that the Jamaican producers had adequately claimed protectability for Fish Market’s drum pattern and compositional interplay and said a jury should be allowed to decide whether the allegedly copied portions were qualitatively significant.

Judge Birotte also rejected Daddy Yankee’s argument that Steely & Clevie lacked standing to sue over the derivative Fish Market instrumentals, ruling that their ownership of the original riddim allowed them to sue for songs that allegedly copied elements from the Pounder Riddim and Pounder Dub Mix II.

The case will now proceed to the discovery stage.

In a speech at the end of his final concert in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in December last year, Daddy Yankee, whose given name is Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, announced that he was retiring from the music industry to devote himself to his Christian faith.

The singer also told the audience that he had come to realize that “living a successful life is not the same as living a purposeful life.”