Dancehall DJ Masicka dedicates YouTube badge to fans as he posed among his other Billboard plaques.
Last week the DJ was hand delivered his YouTube gold plaque by Tuma Basa, YouTube’s Director of Urban music.
He posted: “Bless up @youtube for the million subscribers plaque. Nuff things a fawud gwaan look, the fans dem own this uno deserve it believe. #1sydeforever🐊👑#solidlakarock.”
World Music Views first reported that Masicka is the latest Jamaican artist to be signed to Def Jam Records and his first single is Pieces featuring newcomer Jahshii. The song was release on Friday February 10.
Latrice Burnette, EVP of Def Jam commented under Masicka’s IG post promoting the new single with “🧩🧩🧩”
With no major Billboard chart hit as yet, The Moments artist’s debut album 438, released December 3, 2021 is the most streamed album by a male dancehall artist in the U.S. that was released over the last 12 month period according to data provided to World Music Views by Billboard sales tracker Luminate.
The independent project has so far earned 32,600 equivalent album units (SEA,TEA) in the US. Of that sum, pure album sales in the US were 1,200 (together equaling total on-demand streams (audio + video) over its lifetime of 48.8 million).
438’s success on Apple Music Jamaica and his YouTube singles/music videos positioned Masicka to be signed to a major U.S. record company according to sources close to the matter from the label.
The 16-track debut project was released independently through Genasyde/1Syde Records and features collaborations with Stefflon Don, Popcaan, Dexta Daps and Sean Paul.
Upon its release 438 moved 5,164 equivalent album units from sales and streaming in the United States during its first three weeks in December 2021.
Over 10 billion dollars have been paid out by YouTube to artist and content creators globally over the past two years. $4B was paid out to the music industry in 2020, and in 2021 Lyor Cohen former executive at Def Jam Records says, now YouTube music CEO says “our foot is still planted on the gas pedal: In the 12 months between July 2021 and June 2022, YouTube paid over $6B to the music industry. This is a $2B increase from the $4B contribution we announced in 2021.”
Jamaica’s music industry & YouTube
Over the last 2 years, Jamaica saw dozens of artists moving from obscurity to celebrity and commanding more than $50,000 per show from their YouTube hits with massive increase in subscribers.
Skeng, who scored several Jamaican YouTube hits, scored a collab with Nicki Minaj due to the success on his songs Protocol and Gvman Shift which are the top two YouTube songs in Jamaica. Skeng is also the No. 1 YouTube artist in Jamaica over the last year with 100 million streams across his catalogue.
Skeng told World Music Views exclusively that working with the Queen New York MC is a blessing.
He said, “Nicki Minaj and Skeng Likkle Miss Remix is a good look. Is not everybody weh me meet pon dah music journey yah who show interest or believe inah me. Me try only give my energy to the ones who show the truth.”
“Working with Nicky is an achievement and a blessing. Dancehall active you see it,” he continued.
The young deejay came on the music scene only last July and is already the second most streamed YouTube artist in Jamaica over the past year. The 21 year old holds the record for the two most streamed songs in the Island of all time. Protocol (13,765,028) & Gvman Shift(11,501,085). He is currently an independent artist, but he signed a publishing deal with with Geejam Music recently.
Masicka is set to drop an album later this year under the new Def Jam deal. “Pieces” is No.1 on both on Apple Music and on YouTube in Jamaica.
