Skeng The Most Streamed Dancehall Artist In Jamaica For 2022, CertifiedStreams Data Shows

Skeng, Masicka, Squash, Chronic Law, Kraff Gad, Alkaline, Ai Milly, Bayka, Valiant and Intence are the most streamed Dancehall artists in Jamaica for the year 2022, according to data gathered by CertifiedStreams.

Lloyd Laing, the conceptualizer of CertifiedStreams who is also the music director at Edge 105 FM, says he’s not surprised at all at the top ten, who have emerged from a pool of 572 professionally recognized Jamaican artists.

“I’m a lover of Dancehall as much as I love anything else. I think the artists on the list have all put in the work. For some of them, we might not be seeing it visibly, but they have been putting in the work. The results are not based on a peer review, or songs the streets love or think is running Dancehall,” he told DancehallMag .

Over the last 10 months, CertifiedStreams has monitored 22 streaming platforms, 1200+ Terrestrial Radio Stations, 4 social media platforms, and 500+ online presences were monitored to compile the top 10. 

The final Top 40 list will be available in the CertifiedStreams Year In Review report, slated for release in December.

Laing said reliable measures were taken to uncover the findings and that he was encouraged to curate a Dancehall chart because the genre has been left in the cold by the other globally recognized charts.

“What we did was use a music Cross Performance Platform (CPP) ranking that shows what the artists are ranked in Jamaica, in their genre, and of course there’s a global chart that ranks them on a wider scale. What we did was we took a bird’s eye view of the list, and those are the top 10 for Dancehall. If you go global, you’ll see Shaggy and so on but coming out of Jamaica, those are the ones that are dominating,” he explained.

Among Skeng’s most streamed songs in 2022 are Protocol with Tommy Lee Sparta, Gvnman Shift, Life Changes, Heaven Passport with Intence, Talibhan with Stalk Ashley, and London.

In addition to a collaboration with rapper Nicki Minaj, he released his debut EP—Beast of the Era earlier this month. 

As for Valiant, who received his big break in the last few weeks, Laing is pleased that he is getting the recognition he deserves.

“Valiant has been putting in the work for quite a while. A lot of times when they get their breakthrough, it happens over time. It’s just that they weren’t taking the right approach. Everybody was surprised but he has been doing music for a while, and now he’s taking advantage of the spotlight that is on him,” he explained.

During the week of November 11, 2022, Valiant captured the top five on YouTube’s Music Charts for Jamaica. Dunce Cheque, C.A.L, North Carolina, St. Mary and Siance are ranked respectively.

Ironically, Laing says that many of the acts on the list do not even produce authentic Dancehall music. In fact, he says that the genre is almost extinct.

“Despite what we think, many of these artists aren’t Dancehall artists. Not Skeng, not Skilli, and now Valiant is towing the line. The music that they’re doing nowadays is Hip Hop!” he said.

“Kabaka Pyramid came out with an album the other day, and don’t ignore the sound you are hearing in your head ‘cause when you really listen to it, that’s not Reggae or Dancehall. We are turning away from what real Reggae is,” the expert continued.

He, however, disclaimed that he is not against experimentation, but the newer crop of Jamaican entertainers have all crossed the border. According to the musicologist, the African artists and producers will be snatching the last bit of Dancehall the island has left under the guise of selling ‘Afrobeats’.

“We claim to sell Reggae and Dancehall but we have not one record shop. From the days of Millie Small until now. How can you claim to sell fruits and you don’t have anything on the stall? Our attitudes, approach aesthetics need to change and the Africans are coming to drive the final nail into the casket,” he said.

“They wanna be doing dancehall—I am telling you that, and they are coming closer to that sound. They are coming for Dancehall. The major labels are coming for Dancehall and that is because they are coming with the right attitude, right approach and right aesthetics.”