Rytikal Sheds Light On His Darkness In ‘Weh Mi Know’

Dancehall artist Rytikal takes a surprisingly vulnerable turn on ‘Weh Mi Know’ – a track in which he explores his struggles to love and be loved, trust, and believe in the people around him.

While those themes are among some of the lowest-hanging fruits in Dancehall artistic expression, the 26-year-old manages to separate himself from the droves of his peers who have offered only surface-level glances into them. 

In Weh Mi Know, he demonstrates his willingness to avoid the façade of invulnerability and strips himself of the bravado often at the root of many similar Dancehall tunes. And though he sparingly indulges in a bit of machoism, it comes across less as a red herring, and more as a nearly palpable representation of his frustration of being repeatedly disappointed by those around him, and more seriously, himself. 

Though nearly four minutes long, the song’s essence can be found in a simple yet telling reference Rytikal makes. In the song’s second verse, his expressions that his heart “have a heavy load” and that his “‘matic” is “light” seamlessly encapsulates the crux of his predicament. As a young man on a rather successful journey, for all the money he’s made, it hasn’t brought him the contentment he seeks, at least as far as trust and love are concerned.

He sings – preaches almost – that he is confused and in need of surety. That declaration feels less like a lyrical construct done in service of advancing the song, and more so like a confession. With a Bible noticeably next to him throughout most of the song, Rytikal appears especially invested in unburdening himself of those thoughts he sings of while he is alone in a room.

Even as he acknowledges the things that weigh him down, he alludes to the optimism he has, though it is admittedly kept in check by the darkness he’s experienced. He points out, to that end, that the “future bright, but darkness a weh mi know”, bringing the song’s title into focus.

Weh Mi Know was released on March 6. Press play on the video above.