Skillibeng tastes Billboard success

Skillibeng is the latest dancehall artiste to get to the Billboard charts. The Brik Pan Brik artiste got a taste of Billboard success for his participation on the album, Tropical House Cruises to Jamaica: The Reggae Collector's Edition. The project is currently number 16 on Billboard's Compilation Albums Chart.

Although the accomplishment came from being a part of a compilation album, Skillibeng told THE STAR that this will mark the beginning of great things to come.

"This latest success only represents how hard Skillibeng has been working and this is just the beginning, because hard work for me never stops," he said. "This is a great look for dancehall and Jamaican music on a whole, and me just feel like the work really just start put in." The artiste did not go into details about his plans to start transitioning into the international realm.

He only urged his fan base to be on the lookout for new music and what he dubbed 'some big moves' he would be making. But his producer, Gutty Bling, told THE ST AR that with the artiste eyeing a crossover career from the get-go, they seized the opportunity to contribute to the album. He said they knew it could potentially lead to bigger things for the artiste.

"When Sean 'Contractor' Edwards (executive producer of the project) reached out to us about having Skilli on the album, we knew people outside of Jamaica were really watching and making note of the progress the artiste has been making. Right away we saw the opportunity to break into other markets, and so right away we said yes," he said. "It was a great joy being on the album and we give thanks, because it has given us a preview of what Billboard success feels like. Now we just affi use the exposure fi expand and broaden the thing. We have some international collabs to drop in the near future and so we just a continue putting in the great work."

Predicted more succes

Edwards sung Skillibeng's praises as he predicted more success for the artiste. He explained that having watched the young entertainer work, he is confident Skillibeng will be able to connect with the international market. "I heard Skillibeng first with the Brik Pan Brik song and I reached out to Claims Records, Gutty Bling dem, and I said this yute is going places. I saw his work ethic and that he was very lyrical and trying to be one of the best in his craft, and I knew he had to be a part of the album," he said. "I am not a teenager anymore, but I go around the young people a lot just to see what they're listening to and when I was doing my research, I found out he was a hit with the young people, and not just those in Jamaica."

Edwards said that he knew the album has helped to expose Skillibeng to more people on the mainstream market, "because although many people knew of him, a lot still don't know him yet. This was a good opportunity for him, because it will open up doors and send him on another level to more people. It will broaden the musical scope for him," he said.