In an interview with DJ Akademiks, dancehall DJ Skillibeng revealed how his journey in music has been so far as a youth from St.Thomas Jamaica to the Billboard charts. He has performed at major concerts and signed a record deal with RCA records. The 29 year old Skillibeng who burst on the scenes with his Brick on Brick street anthem told Academiks that initially he just wanted to be a ghetto superstar.
“I wanted to be a Jamaican superstar until the realization of what I can really do came across, it was the relation of potential that I saw in putting out songs and stuff like that and that’s what I really use to sum up what I could become after passing that local goal,” he said.
“After becoming known all over Jamaica I think what’s the next step,” Skillibeng reflected.
The self confessed country boy said, “St. Thomas is not really a city, a countrysides of Jamaica so the opportunities was kinda limited…a lot of times you have to go outside of St. Thomas to really accomplish what I wanted to do which is what I did. I started to seek what was the best place to make my music circulate the whole Jamaica faster.”
Spotify podcast host Akademiks otherwise known as “AK” has always commented on how much he admired the career of Vybz Kartel. In 2021 he said controversially that Kartel is more popular than Marley.
“My favorite artist of all time is a Jamaican artist, I think he is the best artist, there is no other artist on Earth that even comes within a centimeter of him and its Vybz Kartel,” the Spanish Town Jamaica native said.
He further explained to host Gillie and Wallo on the Million Dollars Worth Of Game podcast where he was being interviewed, “he is currently incarcerated for murder or whatever but when it comes to living your craft, also being the best at everything.”
He then shocked the hosts Gillie and Wallo when he said,
“The greatest artist, I have never seen any artist have more influence on a genre… I don’t care if you could say Bob Marley, Elvis, Beatles. “
It was at this point that Wallo responded “He is stronger than Bob?” then Gillie chimed in with “man get the f*ck outa here…get your lying ass outa here bwoy.”
The professional disruptor then clarified, “Bob Marley’s influence is worldwide but Bob Marley don’t talk to those youths in the garrison, Bob Marley don’t talk to the ghetto people.”
“Whatever influence y’all think Jay-Z had on hip hop he ain’t had what Kartel had on dancehall. It’s Tupacesque level”, he continued.
Skillibeng in his latest interview seems to agree with AK’s sentiments made in 2021 as he credits Vybz Kartel for inspiring him to get into music. He said, “Because of a person like Vybz Kartel weh inspire a lotta ghetto youths like me, a lotta country youths like me, a lotta youths weh a forward from nothing. Vybz Kartel put it in his music she him a coming from nothing and that gives you a lotta drive that you can also do this as a youth that listen to Vybz Kartel.”
The subject of Kartel came up several times in the interview as Skillibeng said “He (Vybz Kartel) is the most relatable artist” from Jamaica.
The Crocodile Teeth DJ said after getting a taste of the music industry success with Brick Pop Brick he just wanted to get a catalogue and release more music for his fans.
He says he is likable by American and European fans because of his simple lyrics. “I am relatable, I am Jamaican I speak in a whole different dialect but I am relatable so its easy to understand because I’m repeating and making you understand what I am saying,” he said.
After a successful tour schedule last year with stops at Afropunk and Wireless Fest Skillibeng had two tour cancellations in the last 5 months;
“Due to unforeseen circumstances the Wizkid- More Love, Less Ego Tour has been postponed to Fall 2023. All tickets purchased for the originally scheduled shows will be honored on the new dates at the respective venues. Stay tuned for more information.”
Two weeks earlier he cancelled his European sold out guest tour dates with Chris Brown in February. The Coke artist had released a now deleted statement stating he’s pulling out of the Chris Brown sold out tour.
“It is with a heavy heart that Skillibeng/Eastsyde Records would like to announce to fan, his withdrawal from the “Under the Influence Tour: Europe”,” the statement said.
The statement continued, “We we’re looking forward to being on the road with our brother Chris Brown and doing what we both do best which is entertaining our fans.”
In December, Skillibeng was announced as the only guest to join his RCA records label mate R&B superstar Chris Brown on the European leg of his “Under The Influence” Tour. The tour happened from February 12 in Dublin and ended March 6, 2023 in Amsterdam.
