Don Omar Credits Latina Legend Ivy Queen for the Start of His Career in Reggaetón

Don Omar Credits Latina Legend Ivy Queen for the Start of His Career in Reggaetón
Credit: Lunchbox LP and Instagram/ @ivyqueendiva (left to right)

Reggaetón’s thump echoes from Puerto Rico to global arenas, but behind its ascent stand voices seldom credited. Among them, a woman with a fierce voice and unapologetic presence who once bet on a young man navigating the early chaos of urban sound.

Ivy Queen, known for reshaping the genre in heels and leather, once opened a door that Don Omar has never forgotten. Speaking in an interview on Despierta América, he cut through industry noise to name the person who once spoke on his behalf.

@soldadosdeivyqueen

🎥|| #DonOmar “Yo tengo carrera en este género gracias a una mujer, yo le debo muchísimo a mi amada Ivy Queen, #IvyQueen fue la primera artista que habló en favor de Don Omar para que Don Omar comenzara a salir de Puerto Rico a hacer presentaciones” ❤️‍🔥 Respeto eterno. Don Omar reconociendo la grandeza de Ivy Queen 👑🔥 #LaCaballota #ReggaetonQueen #MujeresEnElReggaeton #SoldadosDeIvyQueen #ParaTi #FYP #LeyendasDelReggaeton #MusicaUrbana #TikTokLatino #Pionera

♬ original sound – Soldados de Ivy Queen

“I owe my career in this genre to a woman,” Don Omar said. “I owe so much to my beloved Ivy Queen. Ivy Queen was the first artist who spoke in favor of Don Omar so that Don Omar could start leaving Puerto Rico to do shows.” That gesture helped vault him into the Latin music space as it was still defining itself.

When Women Move the Genre Forward

His words carry weight in a genre long dominated by masculine bravado. Don Omar’s gratitude reads like an overdue correction to a narrative that too often leaves women in the margins. Ivy Queen believed not only in herself but in what the genre could become if others, like Don Omar, were given the same chance she fought for.

That kind of support, rare at the time, gave the reggaetón scene its first glimpses of global ambition. What followed was a music industry forced to take seriously a movement rooted in speakers and mixtape culture.

Don Omar Praises Other Women in the Industry Too

Years later, another young woman stood in front of Don Omar. This time at a meet and greet. She wasn’t yet a global name, only a dreamer from Medellín with a camera and a conviction. Karol G asked for a photo.

That image made its way back to Don Omar long after the moment passed. Speaking about the encounter, he recalled her presence with a tone of quiet respect.

“Today seeing who Karol G is feels good,” he said. “It is nice to see that she never stopped dreaming, that she kept chasing her dreams, that she kept working.” There is no inflated sentiment. Only recognition of someone who didn’t quit.

History Written in Their Names

What Don Omar revealed isn’t anecdote. It is a ledger. One entry belongs to Ivy Queen, whose voice stood between him and obscurity. Another to Karol G, who once stood in line, camera in hand. Now they lead from stages that were never built for them.

These aren’t gestures of praise. They are facts, long overlooked, that speak to who really moved reggaetón forward. Women shaped it, lifted it, and made it undeniable. The genre keeps their names. So do the men who remember.

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