What is constituted as dancehall music? Over the past few years, Dancehall has evolved from heavy-hitting sub-bass to more punchy 808 beats which are more prominent in genres such as hip hop. It has also changed to include new school sounds from around the world and from this, emerged sub-genres such as trap- dancehall which still causes controversy to this day. This change has called for many artists to push their limits when it comes to creativity and flexibility. Over the past year, a new set of artists have proven that they can keep up with the ever-changing demands of dancehall music to provide fresh and flavourful music that you undoubtedly cannot help but love. In no particular order, here are the top 10 dancehall artists to watch for 2021:
Shaneil Muir
When you hear a voice say “Top Gyal” you already know the track is about to be FIRE. Shaneil Muir has been nothing short of phenomenal over the past year and has been on the music scene for quite some time. In 2016 she was even a contestant on the local popular television show, Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall where she was one of the finalists. Muir was also signed to award-winning record label Good Good Productions and was recently featured as the first artist on Audiomack’s Hold A Medz series. Releasing hits such as “Yamabella”, “Blessings”, and “3D”, she has also collaborated with some of the industry’s top artists such as Stylo G, Daddy1, and Denyque. Muir has shown us that she can not only create music that empowers but captivates, and it is not hard to foresee this top gyal topping the charts for the upcoming year.
Rytikal
EastSyde Records is the home of this lyrically inclined artist Rytikal, and to know him is critical. He has released multiple songs over the past year with “Cookie Jar” and “King Inna War” being some of the most popular ones with over a million views on YouTube. He has also collaborated with fellow, fast-rising dancehall, EastSyde artist, Skillibeng on track OneSyde, Kranium, Javillani, among others. Rytikal was also featured on the second episode on Audiomack’s Hold a Medz series which is recognized internationally. Rytikal has been very consistent since 2020 releasing songs with crisp and militant sounds. This year certainly looks promising for Rytikal and we anxiously await his success.
Onsound Mynd
It is funny how when you have a passion and a calling for something that everything seems to align with it. It is certainly funny how a song that helps to propel you to success comes from a place of wanting to heal. Delmar Brown commonly known as Onsound Mynd released “Funny How” on August 21, 2020, and it has been nothing short of positive feedback since then. Onsound Mynd is Managed by Jr.Bloodline, a very active member in the dancehall scene. He has also released “Lesson Learned” on January 18 and it is already trending on Audiomack and has even been added to the viral dancehall playlist #ONTHERADAR. As you can see, when you have a calling for something, nothing can stop it and if you don’t believe us, just take a cue from Onsound Mynd.
Dane Ray
Now, when you talk about an artist that is multi-faceted, talented, and innovative then we MUST talk about Dane Ray. Ray not only produces for some of dancehall and reggae’s top artists such as Koffee, Popcaan, Jahvillani, Dovey Magnum, and Skillibeng, but he creates music of his own with songs such as “Nuh Cuddle”, “RayGad” and most recently“Blessings”. He has even been featured on Onstage and has also done two projects alongside Popcaan that got Billboard recognition. And if you thought he was done, he went on to win one of the biggest awards in Jamaica, the Prime Minister’s Youth Award for Excellence in the category Arts and Culture. He now joins artists such as Romain Virgo, Chronixx, and Koffee who have also received the award. Ray has most certainly created a place for himself within the dancehall space, and his rays will undoubtedly continue to shine during the course of this year.
Maestro Don
Imagine having a dream and stopping at nothing until you achieve it, well this is the reality for Maestro Don. The artist has always had a fascination with music from his days at Waterford Primary but it was not until he left high school that he decided to pursue music full time. He was able to secure a collaboration with one of dancehall’s biggest heavyweights Bounty Killer on the song “Pioneer” which has gotten great reviews from radio stations nationwide. After that collaboration, Maestro Don went on to release multiple singles and collaborate with other artists like D’yani and Kool Kid. He is set to release an EP entitled “Thug Love” which will have 8 tracks under the Konsequence music label and productions from both local and overseas producers.
Kyodi
Visualize with me. Think about a song that transports you to a time where everything around you was nothing but good vibes and great energy. Now, think about a song in today’s day and age that perfectly matches that mood. If you thought about “When Mi Nice” produced by Darshan Records, then you can definitely see a bright and clear vision for this 4th genna artist. Some of his other songs include “Jus Di Way Mi Roll”, “Wild”, and “Good Old Days”. Kyodi’s hard-punching lyrics and catchy choruses will certainly keep him on the radar of many listeners this year.
D’yani
Hailing from Spain Town is D’yani who is already creating his path towards success. D’yani has been on the music scene for over 5 years with one of his first songs being “Sad Story”. The artist gained major recognition from his song “Heaven Telegram” which was released in 2019. Since then he has made appearances on BBC Radio 1xtra, On Stage, and one of Jamaica’s most premiere musical events, Reggae Sumfest. D’yani’s soul definitely oozes through his music and if he continues on this path, we are certain we will see him reach even greater heights.
Nklyne
It is safe to say that Nklyne is in line to be successful in this coming year. He first went viral for his song “Guard” which currently stands at over 800 thousand views on YouTube and was trending shortly after its release on major streaming platforms like Audiomack and YouTube. His song “Guard” was followed shortly after by “Jealousy”, in which the artist recently released visuals for on January 15 and it is currently trending at the #4 spot on YouTube (JM). He is also a part of a popular YouTube couples channel, Nickii vs Klyne, which has over 170 thousand subscribers and over 14 million total views. With Nklyne’s authenticity, flow and consistency, we have no doubt that he will have a great year.
Projexx
Greatness courses through the veins of this promising young artist. Projexx has been making major moves internationally with being featured on Wiz Kid’s album Made in Lagos. He also released multiple tracks with his most popular one being“Rise Man A Man Rise” . Projexx also released a mixtape entitled “Fully Vol.1” on November 11, 2020, which contains 18 tracks. If that was not enough, Projexx is also the third Jamaican artist to be signed to major record label Warner Records. Projexx is definitely creating a legacy for himself and we are more than sure that nothing will stop this.
Gapix
When you talk about smooth vocals, clever and catchy lyrics, you have to talk about Gapix. We at Carib Voxx started paying attention to Gapix since his 2018 single “Peng Ting ” which quickly surged to success. Gapix since then has remained consistent releasing tracks such as “Style”, “Olympics” and most recently, “Save It”. With Gapix’s passion, determination, and hunger for music, there is no doubt in our minds that he will attain higher levels of success in 2021.
