Masicka‘s ‘438,’ the debut album released on December 3, 2021, has sold 50,000 album equivalent units through a combination of streams and sales in the U.S., as reported by Billboard and verified by Luminate data. Additionally, Masicka boasts a cumulative total of 258.8 million on-demand streams across his entire discography.
This accomplishment positions ‘438’ among most successful independent dancehall albums of the 21st century.
“The direction and empowerment for artists culture they(Def Jam) have. Mi like how dem work. Mi like Tunji vision more than anything else. We spoke probably about a year and a half before [I] actually signed. Mi also like the humbleness. Mi think we share the same work ethic and vision all in one. Anything’s a risk, but mi think this a good risk,” he said.
Balogun shared via a press release that, “Def Jam has always been the home for great artists across the wide spectrum of Black music, and Masicka is very much emblematic of that vision.”
Tunji also played an integral role in setting up the collaboration “Wet” with Fridayy which impressed Masicka.
“Tunji [Balogun] set that up!” Masicka said. “When I heard di track, I was like, “Yo, this dope,” and Fridayy connected right as his album dropped – mi love di album, it’s crazy,” he said.
The dancehall artist whose debut album ‘438’ won Dancehall Album Of The Year at the recently held Caribbean Music Awards expressed the need for expansion beyond the Caribbean, citing his desire to reach a wider audience and the changing landscape of modern dancehall.
“I think, personally, mi cover a lot of ground throughout the Caribbean. I feel like I’ve done everything I needed to in the Caribbean. I’ve traveled the Caribbean like 6-7 times already, over and over again, and it’s just trying to get a greater reach. They see the talent, they see the creativity. It’s just trying fi expand the content and mek di ting grow and just build it. Nuh sense fi have all this talent and you remain on the same level,” he explained.
Masicka mentioned hip-hop influences on “Generation of Kings” and expressed interest in collaborating with artists like Lil Baby, Jay-Z, and 50 Cent.
He also highlighted the role of social media in promoting his music and connecting with a global audience, emphasizing its importance for musicians in the current era.
“Social media is the Golden Age, man. It mek it a lot easier and mek people from all over di world see your music. It helps a lot. It help to promote, it help to grow the fan base. Social media is one of the key things right now for musicians. They can just pick up the phone and see somebody in Guatemala and somebody one million miles away. We have a better advantage now than the generation of artists before us, so we just haffi make use of that,” he said.
Looking ahead, Masicka plans to shoot music videos, promote the album further, and work on a deluxe edition. He envisions becoming a fully established artist in the U.S. over the next five years and expressed interest in signing artists with versatility and a genuine love for music.
“In five years’ time, I really love fi become a fully established artist in the U.S. A fully established dancehall artist selling hundreds of thousands of records, start performing in stadiums, and sign some artists,” he said.
