Skillibeng Earns First Gold Certification In Canada With ‘Jump’

Dancehall artist Skillibeng has achieved a major milestone in Canada with his first gold-certified single, Jump, a song by South African singer Tyla which also featured American rapper Gunna. The collaborative track has surpassed 40,000 in sales and streaming equivalents in Canada, earning gold certification from Music Canada on July 2.

This marks Tyla’s second song to reach Gold certification in Canada. Her breakout song Water is currently 2X Platinum in Canada, Platinum in the UK, and 2X Platinum in the United States.

Skillibeng’s 2020 hit Crocodile Teeth was certified Silver in the UK last year, marking 200,000 units sold there.

Jump was produced by Sammy Soso and released as a single from Tyla’s self-titled debut album.

During a visit to Jamaica in October 2023, Tyla felt the song needed a Jamaican touch and enlisted Skillibeng to add his signature sound. The song itself is a vibrant blend of Afrobeats, dancehall, and hip-hop. It features a pulsating bassline, infectious amapiano percussion, and a memorable chant of the Zulu language expression “haibo.” Lyrically, Tyla boasts about her rise to stardom, referencing her hometown of Johannesburg by its nicknames Joburg and Jozi.

Directed by Nabil, the song’s music video has over 15 million views on YouTube.   Tyla and Gunna’s scenes were filmed in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, and Kliptown, Soweto, while Skillibeng delivered his verse in a separate shoot in Kingston, Jamaica.

Speaking with Apple Music, Tyla explained the inspiration for the song: “I really just wanted to tell people who I am, and I had to show my confidence through the song.”

She highlighted Skillibeng’s powerful intro — “Original gyal, you aren’t a replica (No) // Smooth, dean, no regular degular (No)” — and how it set the stage for her own declaration of self-worth. “That intro was already perfect, and it segues to that line of me saying, ‘They’ve never had a pretty girl from Joburg/They see me now and that’s what they prefer,’” she said. “That line is just-it’s too iconic for me, and I’m just so excited to hear all the girls sing it, all the Joburg girls sing it, all the girls from home.”

While Jump peaked at No. 87 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, it found greater success in the UK, reaching No. 38 on the Singles Chart. In the US, the song soared to No. 3 on the Billboard Afrobeats Songs chart and No. 42 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Song chart.

Tyla, Skillibeng, and Gunna performed Jump at the 2024 BET Awards on Sunday night (June 30), where she also picked up two awards – Best International Act and Best New Artist.