Born Llandel Veguilla Malavé on January 14, 1977 in Cayey, Puerto Rico, he and Wisin began performing as a duo in the late '90s (Yandel then billed himself "Llandel") and made their album debut in 2000 with Los Reyes del Nuevo Milenio. They later made the jump to a major label in 2003 with Mi Vida...My Life, their first for Universal subsidiary Machete Music. Yandel issued his debut solo offering in 2004, Quien Contra Mí, but his focus remained on his partnership with Wisin. Pa'l Mundo then catapulted them to mainstream success in 2005. Subsequently, Wisin & Yandel established their own label, WY Records, and presented an affiliate group, Los Vaqueros, whose self-titled debut landed in the Top Ten, followed by 2007's Wisin vs. Yandel: Los Extraterrestres, which hit the top spot on the U.S. Latin albums charts and sold over a million copies worldwide.

Combined with their highly successful touring show, the duo proved nearly unbeatable as a force in reggaeton. 2008's Wisin & Yandel Presentan: La Mente Maestra, also went number one on the U.S. Latin and Mexican album charts, and was certified platinum in both countries. Their Midas touch continued with 2009's Revolución: Evolucion, which sold over three million copies globally, and 2011's Los Vaqueros: El Regreso, which was their fourth straight U.S. Latin album chart topper. It also claimed the number one entry in Mexico. The duo toured the Americas relentlessly. After 2012's chart-topping Líderes, Wisin & Yandel toured and coached with the reality show La Voz Mexico, and went on an official hiatus in 2013. The split, though shocking to the music press and fans, was not hostile. Each man claimed he had records to make apart from his work as a duo, and that they would work together again.

Yandel's sophomore set, De Líder a Leyenda, featured guest appearances by J Alvarez, Daddy Yankee, and Don Omar. The 16-song set placed number one on the Latin Albums and Latin Rhythms charts and was certified Gold. A single from this album, "Hasta Abajo," was used as the theme song for Univision's Nuestra Belleza Latina beauty pageant. Yandel released several singles and remixes from the album, toured, and made guest appearances on other performers' recordings. He re-entered the studio near the end of 2014 and issued no less than five singles in 2015, including "Encantadora," which landed in the Top 20 on numerous charts. The album Dangerous was released in early December. It featured guest spots by Shaggy, Alex Sensation, Lil Jon, and French Montana and topped the Latin album charts. Yandel also perfromed at the Cotto-Canelo fight, making him the first Latino ever to perform during an HBO pay-per-view event. ~ Jason Birchmeier & Thom Jurek