Another busy year for these Jamaican artists (Jamar Cleary, Riphotography)
The men of the dancehall were a force for 2022 with catchy tunes and hot performances. From airwaves to timelines, it was hard to miss any of these artistes this year as they made their mark on the industry. But it is up to you to decide who is the male artiste of the year.
Masicka Masicka entered 2022 riding on the waves of his album 438 which was released at the end of 2021. The tracks dominated airwaves all year long and made his name a definite standout in dancehall- synonymous with outstanding lyricism, great delivery, and consistency. 38 debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart and had spent a total of 7 weeks in the Top 10 chart and received over 100 million streams. He also gave an excellent performance at this year’s staging of Reggae Sumfest that never disappointed his fans, and added several hits over the year such as 'Umbrella', 'History', and his latest release, 'Feisty'.
Popcaan The Unruly Boss has certainly built up quite the reputation in dancehall over years and 2022 was definitely another good year for the St. Thomas Born Deejay. Ending the year on a high note, he was one of 2 local acts to perform at the highly anticipated Burna Boy Live Concert.
He was also featured on the Love, Damini album with the popular tune, 'Ton-iann Singh'. No leaving out his parish, the deejay also hosted his back-to-school treat during the summer to give back to the people of his hometown. When not dropping hit tunes such as 'Elevate' with Imeru Tafari and 'Next To Me' ft. beauty queen Toni-ann Singh, he spent time in the jet life with his friends and family and doing shows overseas, while his next project is also around the corner, his next album, 'GIHE'.
The unruly boss, continued to build his reputation in the dancehall (Jamar Cleary)
Chronic law Chronic Law had a good run in 2022 as arguably one of the most consistent artistes when it came down to releasing music. Following up with track after track, the Law boss certainly laid out the rules in his lyrics and quickly became one of the most listened-to dancehall acts of 2022 with several tracks trending for weeks on YouTube. Songs such as 'Legend', 'Empty', 'Silence', 'Walk with Faith' and 'Scars from War' were popular favorites. When he got to perform throughout the Caribbean and even in Canada alongside quite a few performances in Jamaica, the St. Thomas native, strengthened his status in the industry.
Chronic Law, one of the most consistent artistes (Riphotography)
Valiant Valiant could arguably be classified as a breakthrough artiste of the year, but his rise to stardom gives him reason to be categorized with the heavy. First making waves with the slang “Kotch E Hat, A Lie”, he quickly became a household name. He followed up with tunes such as 'St. Mary', 'North Carolina', 'Siance', 'Dunce Cheque' and more trended for weeks on charts at one point having 7 tracks in the top ten on Itunes at once. His song 'Dunce Cheque' currently has over 8 million views on YouTube at the time of this article, and also his new release, 'Barbie's' has already become very popular. Every song just connects and the potential to become a giant in the dancehall industry is alive and well.
Skillibeng Skillibeng was at the top of his game and showed that he meant business. From collaborations with DJ Khaled and Fivio Foreign and French Montana to officially going on tour with R&B legend Chris Brown, he is definitely one to reckon with in the male dancehall arena. He also MOBO Award (Music of Black Origin) in the 'Best Caribbean Music Act’ category.
Skeng This ‘Spain Town’ artiste carried his weight. He released his first EP, 'Beast of an Era', this year and also welcomed his first child. His tunes 'Life Changes' and 'London' were fan favorites. But when he released the track 'Likkle Miss' he had social media in a frenzy. International Hip Hop artiste Nicki Minaj hopped on the track and extended the lifeline and reach of the tune.
He performed across the Caribbean and Jamaica throughout the year and made a mark. A few hiccups along the way but that never dampened his spirits as he continued to make headlines.
Skeng at his debut EP launch (Jamar Cleary)
Ding Dong Still a crowd and favorite, the dancer turned artiste Ding Dong had the world moving this year. 'Stir Fry', 'Happiness', and 'Rich Walk', were party starters all year long. But it was 'Bounce' that really took the cake with people from all over the world trying their hardest to catch the choreography. With a stellar music video to accompany it, it is certainly one for the books.
Ding Dong turned up event after event this year, including Sumfest and Dream Weekend. He also inked ambassador deals with some cooperate companies and stamped his class as a full package entertainer.
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