Byron Messia Says ‘Talibans’ Is More Afrobeats Than Dancehall
Kittitian star Byron Messia says his big hit Talibans is actually an Afrobeats song infused with some Caribbean ‘griminess,’ despite its placement atop Spotify’s official Dancehall playlist and its current position at No. 4 on the US iTunes Reggae Songs chart.
Messia, who was born 23 years ago in Jamaica, made the revelation to Capital Xtra’s Ras Kwame, on his first trip to the United Kingdom.
Echoing Kwame’s observations about Talibans possessing an unmistakable Afrobeats riddim, the artist cited Burna Boy, Rema, and Davido as Afrobeats figures he holds in high regard.
He then gave a peak behind the scenes of the song’s creation, revealing that initially, he had intended for it to be a song for the ‘ladies’ but he determined that he would break the mold of Afrobeats by injecting some ‘griminess’ into a space not known for it.
“Is a gyal song I was about to build on it [the riddim] innuh, den mi seh ‘Nah, yuh know seh when yuh listen to Afro[beats], is bare rebellious and love songs yuh only a hear? Yuh nah hear no war or no griminess pon dem beat deh,” he said.
He explained: “Yeah, so if you really think ‘bout it – a jus dat yuh a hear – rebellious songs and loving songs. No griminess. Suh mi jus seh, ‘Yuh know wa? Mi ago apply dat and see wa gwaan… and see it deh… Mi jus’ yow, mi ago do somethin’ different, mi ago switch it up and mek dem talk ‘bout it’ and… yeah.”
Talibans continues to rack up impressive numbers and celebrity endorsements. The song’s music video, released in January, recently crossed 20 million views on YouTube.
Messia is aware of those career milestones but chooses to remain humble.
“It’s a wonderful feeling but it’s still a normal feeling because… I never try to get too comfortable or to try to even feel like I’m man of the hour. I still have ‘nuff work to put in,” Messia told Ras Kwame, who had quizzed the young star on the song’s hot streak, his plans for the future, and how he has handled the fast lane to fame so far.
He was also asked about how he perceives his status as Dancehall’s hottest commodity at the moment. For him, he tries not to think of it that way.
“I don’t even try to be the man… When yuh get dem kinda thinking deh, with dat kinda mindset and mentality deh, you ago fall yuh self. We nuh really think dem way deh,” he reasoned.
Shedding some light on his current mindset, Messia explained: “We jus’ know seh, alright, if we have a big song a road, we need fi jus’ get a bigga one. That is the mentality. The mentality is never ‘Oh, a we a run di place.’”
He added that his approach extended beyond personal growth; he’s an advocate for collective success, always leaving room for collaboration and improvement. “You could even help out a next bredda and seh ‘Yow, mek we lock di place together.’ There’s always room for improvement, there’s always room for a next man,” he said.
Messia, who continues to rub shoulders with Dancehall artists, also gushed about his well-known admiration for Chronic Law. While insisting he has always tried to be himself, he revealed that the Law Boss is the only artist he emulates on some level, praising the Hillside singer’s wordplay.
Closing the interview, Messia teased his upcoming album, Sad & Famous; a project underway with Dancehall star Skillibeng, and spoke briefly about other collabs and projects he has on the way. The Kittitian star also promised that this summer will be an epic one for him, and he can’t wait for fans to see what he has in store.