In this article, we’ll present to you the most popular Jamaican rappers in 2021 and eploring the most popular rapper from Jamaica most exciting emerging talents and time-tested stars poised to level up in the new year.
Rap music like any other musical genre and scene, evolves as times change. Nothing is static. New technologies, new artists and new sounds drift in from across the seas or via the internet.
In Jamaica, for the last few years, musicians have been drawing influence from the production stylings of trap music, which first emerged in the southern US.
Practically everyone assumes a certain type of culture when they think about Jamaica; people don’t usually think of its subcultures.
With many of these new artists being in their late teens and early twenties, they’ve grown up entirely under the influence of social media, and the diversity of sound found across the internet has defined their expansive musical palettes.
Here are the top Jamaican rappers/dancehall
1. Koffee
Koffee is a popular Jamaican reggae singer, songwriter, rapper, deejay, and guitarist who is best known for her hit single ‘Toast’. Many of Koffee songs become very popular and trendy online with a great number of streaming and downloads on Boomplay.
Koffee was born Mikayla Simpson on 16 February 2000 in Spanish Town, Jamaica. She was raised by a single mother in Ethel View. She has a younger brother called Karma who is also a talented musician.
Koffee attended the Ardenne High School in Kingston where she won her school’s talent show which also happened to be an audition. She later learns music theory and vocal technique in her high school choir. All this happened in 2016.
Koffee released her first single in 2017 as a tribute to the legendary Usain Bolt which went viral on social media. The rest they say is history.
2. Fahda Romie
Fahda Romie was born Jerome Downes and grew up in May Pen Clarendon, where he gained the nickname “Fahda Romie” from friends and relatives.
Fahda Romie now collaborates with Codelank, a skilled Jamaican producer, on amazing tunes in a variety of genres.
The youth had decided to assemble some of the tracks for his EP, which he will release on December 31st, 2020, to commemorate the anniversary of his first successful release, “Recommend,” which was released on December 31, 2019.
Songs on the EP include Recommend, Vortex, Quasar Freestyle, Program, Sheikh up di place, Drilling, and East Rave.
3. Skillibeng
Emwah Warmington, known professionally as Skillibeng, is a Jamaican dancehall Deejay “DJ” and rapper from St. Thomas, noted for his works with Vybz Kartel, DJ Khaled, Sean Paul, Nicki Minaj, Wizkid, Rich the Kid, Kali Uchis, Popcaan, J.I the Prince of N.Y, and French Montana.
Adopting the name Skillibeng—a reference to vintage dancehall slang from the ’80s and ’90s—he debuted in 2015 with the track “Brain Parts.”
4. Kraff Gad
Kraff Gad, a Dancehall fusion artist, made a notable impact in 2022 with his hit single “Deniro” and has continued to release new music in an effort to maintain his success. While his ability to blend hip-hop and dancehall may appear effortless, it is debatable whether it brings something new and original to the genre.
He closed out 2022 with an EP entitled “11:11” which could be considered as showcasing his versatility as an artist, but it is up for debate whether it truly displays his undeniable musical talent, with irresistible melodies and sharp lyrics.
Kraff Gad is seen by some as an artist with potential for growth, but whether he can sustain his current level of success is yet to be determined.
5. Dexta Daps
Dexta Daps is a prominent figure in the US East Coast Reggae scene, known for his unique style as a dancehall balladeer. He consistently delivers titillating tunes to his growing audience, both at home and abroad.
He has a dedicated fanbase, as evidenced by his over 500,000 monthly Spotify listeners and close to 3.5 million monthly Spotify streams across his catalogue.
His ability to connect with his audience through his music and his devoted fanbase has put him on a trajectory to become a mainstream artist.
However, as with any Homegrown artist, it will be interesting to observe how he continues to evolve and maintain relevance to attract mainstream music industry opportunities.
6. Chronic Law
Chronic Law is a rising star in the music industry who has taken a careful and calculated approach to building his brand over the years. His focus on building his presence on YouTube has paid off organically as he has now achieved an impressive average of 1.2 million Spotify streams and over 15 million Youtube streams monthly.
This is a testament to his unique approach to the mainstream music industry, and his ability to connect with a large audience through his videocentric dancehall talent.
It’s clear that Chronic Law is not only dedicated to his craft but also has a good understanding of the current music industry and how to navigate it. However, it will be interesting to see how he will transistion into the mainstream.
7. Bayka
Bayka is a rising musician from Spanish Town who made his debut in 2021 with his single “Mobster”, which was a commercial hit and helped establish him as a prominent figure in the dancehall scene.
With a unique style that combines traditional dancehall beats with modern electronic elements, he has a dedicated fanbase and impressive streaming numbers, generating over 1.2 million Spotify streams per month and just under 1.5 million Youtube streams monthly.
He is becoming one of the most sought-after artistes in the dancehall scene, but it will be interesting to see how he evolves as an artiste.
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