April 5, 2025 • 8 mins
Despite most of us having to spend 2020 under lock-and-key, Jamaican dancehall artist Skillibeng spent the majority of last year spreading his name all around the world thanks to some great tracks. Without a doubt, the last year has provided Skillibeng with a string of breakthrough moments, including the release of his single “Brik Pan Brik”, jumping on a remix of Pop Smoke’s “Dior”, and dropping his debut mixtape “The Prodigy” which featured an appearance from his mentor, Popcaan. Today, Skillibeng is arguably more popular than his former idol and he knows he needs to continue working hard to keep it that way. And my man ain’t kidding – that “Prodigy” mixtape I just mentioned, well, it features over 30 tracks because Skillibeng understands that you need to make hay while the sun shines -- a lesson he learned after nearly losing his life in an automobile accident a few years ago.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yeah, moda just class. My music is very influential and
relatable and emotion towards anything. If it's good, good vibes,
if it's sad, have executed that the right way where
people get irreliate it and feel the music.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Despite most of us having to spend twenty twenty under
a lock and key, Jamaican dancehall artist Skilly Bang spent
the majority of last year spreading his name all around
the world thanks to some killer tracks. Without a doubt,
the last year has provided Skilly Bang with a string
of breakthrough moments, including the release of his single Brick
Pun Brick, jumping on a remix of Pop Smokes There,
(00:31):
and dropping his debut mixtape, The Prodigy, which featured an
appearance from his mentor Popcorn.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Does I'm puppet in music from him fan And yeah,
we can't do it because I mean it's Eastern new
from Window and capitalized on that and see what we
can I mean, we've got to pop gun cousin beIN
a Jamica being a Jamaica.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Today, Skilly Bang is arguably more popular than his former idol,
and he knows that he needs to continue working hard
to keep it that way. He told the face. Music
gets us to where we want to beat. It got
me to where I am now. It gets results. So
my main rule is to always have new music, new projects,
new works. And my man ain't kidding. That Prodigy mixtape
(01:14):
that I just mentioned, well, it features over thirty tracks
because Skilly Bang understands that you need to make hey
while the sun shines, a lesson that he learned while
nearly losing his life in an automobile accident nearly a
few years ago. Want to learn more about the come
up of Skilly Bang than keep watching our newest episode
of Before They Were Famous. Skilly Bang was born m
(01:39):
while Warmington in the parish of Saint Thomas, Jamaica, on
December twenty third, nineteen ninety six. As a child, he
grew up in the rural community of License, situated on
the eastern end of Jamaica. That's where Skilly learned how
to appreciate the peace and quiet that only a country
life can provide. St.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Thomas, Sat Thomas Eastern where I thought from jam in
the eastern part of Jamaica. Yeah, Tamas is the eastern
parish in Jamaica. So that's your old movement started. And
you know, we think bolted down and say yo yo,
that's a good movement though a look east, look to
(02:18):
the east.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
As a teenager, Skilly attended Moran Bay High School, where
he not only was an excellent student, but also discovered
a passion for performing while participating in his school dance club.
It was also at this point in his life that
Skilly earned his nickname Skilly Bang, which is actually a
popular slang or toast in Jamaica, usually by dancehall DJs
in the late eighties and early nineties.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
It can represent photo culture after dance. Kind of everyone
with the name, so the name was kind of a
just a slug.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Around this time, Skilly began tinkering with writing and creating
his own songs while still working a day job at
his father's local business. For a short period, he tried
to juggle the responsibilities of music, work, and school, but
and Your Death experience would reshape his life and change
his priorities. One night, after finishing work at his dad's business,
Skilly jumped in the car to travel to a nearby
(03:09):
city where he was scheduled for an interview with Jamaican
DJ Super Height. Along the way, he met with an
accident that he took to be a sign telling him
to switch things up. He told the face, a car
drove out, my car flipped over, but nothing happened to me.
I had to make that choice between music and the
nine to five because I knew that I was overworking
myself trying to satisfy both career paths. Because how you
(03:30):
balancing that out? Yo?
Speaker 1 (03:31):
It's just a natural It's just a natural balance, guys.
It's bin a focus. I'm a bin a vision even
before everything started, so kind of a kind of self
control over everything with north A Deally things guys thinking
I'm a blow the baas and is I think get
things under control easily.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
So, fresh out of high school and ready to dedicate
himself to music entirely, Skilly Band got to work and
came up with his first few singles like Pain and Emotion,
as well as brain Parts, which utilized vibe cartels perge rhythm,
which he made famous with his hit single ct Scan.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Do you have to tell on your record you put
your emotion into these records?
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Who taught you that?
Speaker 1 (04:12):
How'd you learn that? It was just a a self
starting along with because you say vibe Scott Melissa Assa
Melissa I as a music and one of the persons
who did this the bit was Vibe Scott Till for me.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
These tracks immediately made him a pretty big hit locally,
but it would take Skilly Bang a few more years
to earn himself his breakthrough moment. This came in twenty
nineteen with the release of his critically acclaimed single Brick
Pond Brick. In case you're wondering just what that title means,
it's a Jamaican term for stacking bands and bands of cash.
But as popular as the track was, it also caused
something of a controversy with its sampling of a national
(04:56):
news report about its increase in Jamaican based scamming activities.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Some people were saying about the first track, scamma track,
but that's why people phoned in first thing about it,
not mainly Kevin and I mean people love anything a
me in the morney. People love chat this kid.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Of course, as long time viewers of this channel known,
nothing helped sales numbers like a little bit of controversy,
And before he knew it, Brick pom Brick was inspiring
a surge in Jamaican dancehall culture where DJ's were regularly
encouraged to play popular songs on repeat for a cash incentive.
Due to these occurrences, some people thought that Brick pom
Brick was a bigger hit than the artists who created it,
(05:34):
but Skilly would prove his doubters wrong with his next track,
Mister Universe, dropped in May of twenty twenty, to further
his massive critical and commercial acclaim. While looking back at
his journey from little known artists at dancehall, superstar Skilly
Bang told The Face, it has always been a goal
for me to be a household name in dancehall, to
be one of the best, because the way we started,
not a lot of people have that. I saw a
(05:55):
different kind of potential that I have. From very early
in my career. I was always about my thing. Skilly's
next step to accomplishing his life's goals was to release
his debut studio album on Christmas Eve, twenty twenty, in
celebration of his twenty fourth birthday. No Less Like I
mentioned off Top. This monster of an album, titled to Prodigy,
features more than thirty tracks and includes features with the
(06:16):
artists that helped inspired Skilly Bank's rapid ascension including Jada
Kingdom and Popcorn. This album would cement Skilly as the
center of the new wave of dancehall culture in Jamaica
and also saw the talented young artists experimenting more with
his sonic stylings. More recently, Skilly Bank has been making
inroads with the international market as well, hanging out with
US rapper Rich the Kid who hopped on the Skillyes
(06:38):
Real Boss while visiting Jamaica. He also made his Billboard
chart debut thanks to a remix of his track Crocodile
Teeth that features none other than the Queen of Rap,
Nicki Minaj. With results like that, Skilly's drive to ensure
that dancehall music earns its rightful place in the pantheon
of music genres next to other more mainstream genres like
hip hop as well. On track, he told the face
(06:59):
that's my aim to uplift danceaul and put it on
that level. As you can see, it's working already. As
for where Skilly Band goes from here, well that's a
story for another time and another place. After all, this
is before they're famous. Please be sure to let us
know your thoughts down below, and don't forget to follow
us on Instagram app before they're famous to vote on
what's next, and I'll catch you guys in another video.
Yeah, moda just class. My music is very influential and
relatable and emotion towards anything. If it's good, good vibes,
if it's sad, have executed that the right way where
people get irreliate it and feel the music.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Despite most of us having to spend twenty twenty under
a lock and key, Jamaican dancehall artist Skilly Bang spent
the majority of last year spreading his name all around
the world thanks to some killer tracks. Without a doubt,
the last year has provided Skilly Bang with a string
of breakthrough moments, including the release of his single Brick
Pun Brick, jumping on a remix of Pop Smokes There,
(00:31):
and dropping his debut mixtape, The Prodigy, which featured an
appearance from his mentor Popcorn.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Does I'm puppet in music from him fan And yeah,
we can't do it because I mean it's Eastern new
from Window and capitalized on that and see what we
can I mean, we've got to pop gun cousin beIN
a Jamica being a Jamaica.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Today, Skilly Bang is arguably more popular than his former idol,
and he knows that he needs to continue working hard
to keep it that way. He told the face. Music
gets us to where we want to beat. It got
me to where I am now. It gets results. So
my main rule is to always have new music, new projects,
new works. And my man ain't kidding. That Prodigy mixtape
(01:14):
that I just mentioned, well, it features over thirty tracks
because Skilly Bang understands that you need to make hey
while the sun shines, a lesson that he learned while
nearly losing his life in an automobile accident nearly a
few years ago. Want to learn more about the come
up of Skilly Bang than keep watching our newest episode
of Before They Were Famous. Skilly Bang was born m
(01:39):
while Warmington in the parish of Saint Thomas, Jamaica, on
December twenty third, nineteen ninety six. As a child, he
grew up in the rural community of License, situated on
the eastern end of Jamaica. That's where Skilly learned how
to appreciate the peace and quiet that only a country
life can provide. St.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Thomas, Sat Thomas Eastern where I thought from jam in
the eastern part of Jamaica. Yeah, Tamas is the eastern
parish in Jamaica. So that's your old movement started. And
you know, we think bolted down and say yo yo,
that's a good movement though a look east, look to
(02:18):
the east.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
As a teenager, Skilly attended Moran Bay High School, where
he not only was an excellent student, but also discovered
a passion for performing while participating in his school dance club.
It was also at this point in his life that
Skilly earned his nickname Skilly Bang, which is actually a
popular slang or toast in Jamaica, usually by dancehall DJs
in the late eighties and early nineties.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
It can represent photo culture after dance. Kind of everyone
with the name, so the name was kind of a
just a slug.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Around this time, Skilly began tinkering with writing and creating
his own songs while still working a day job at
his father's local business. For a short period, he tried
to juggle the responsibilities of music, work, and school, but
and Your Death experience would reshape his life and change
his priorities. One night, after finishing work at his dad's business,
Skilly jumped in the car to travel to a nearby
(03:09):
city where he was scheduled for an interview with Jamaican
DJ Super Height. Along the way, he met with an
accident that he took to be a sign telling him
to switch things up. He told the face, a car
drove out, my car flipped over, but nothing happened to me.
I had to make that choice between music and the
nine to five because I knew that I was overworking
myself trying to satisfy both career paths. Because how you
(03:30):
balancing that out? Yo?
Speaker 1 (03:31):
It's just a natural It's just a natural balance, guys.
It's bin a focus. I'm a bin a vision even
before everything started, so kind of a kind of self
control over everything with north A Deally things guys thinking
I'm a blow the baas and is I think get
things under control easily.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
So, fresh out of high school and ready to dedicate
himself to music entirely, Skilly Band got to work and
came up with his first few singles like Pain and Emotion,
as well as brain Parts, which utilized vibe cartels perge rhythm,
which he made famous with his hit single ct Scan.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Do you have to tell on your record you put
your emotion into these records?
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Who taught you that?
Speaker 1 (04:12):
How'd you learn that? It was just a a self
starting along with because you say vibe Scott Melissa Assa
Melissa I as a music and one of the persons
who did this the bit was Vibe Scott Till for me.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
These tracks immediately made him a pretty big hit locally,
but it would take Skilly Bang a few more years
to earn himself his breakthrough moment. This came in twenty
nineteen with the release of his critically acclaimed single Brick
Pond Brick. In case you're wondering just what that title means,
it's a Jamaican term for stacking bands and bands of cash.
But as popular as the track was, it also caused
something of a controversy with its sampling of a national
(04:56):
news report about its increase in Jamaican based scamming activities.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Some people were saying about the first track, scamma track,
but that's why people phoned in first thing about it,
not mainly Kevin and I mean people love anything a
me in the morney. People love chat this kid.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Of course, as long time viewers of this channel known,
nothing helped sales numbers like a little bit of controversy,
And before he knew it, Brick pom Brick was inspiring
a surge in Jamaican dancehall culture where DJ's were regularly
encouraged to play popular songs on repeat for a cash incentive.
Due to these occurrences, some people thought that Brick pom
Brick was a bigger hit than the artists who created it,
(05:34):
but Skilly would prove his doubters wrong with his next track,
Mister Universe, dropped in May of twenty twenty, to further
his massive critical and commercial acclaim. While looking back at
his journey from little known artists at dancehall, superstar Skilly
Bang told The Face, it has always been a goal
for me to be a household name in dancehall, to
be one of the best, because the way we started,
not a lot of people have that. I saw a
(05:55):
different kind of potential that I have. From very early
in my career. I was always about my thing. Skilly's
next step to accomplishing his life's goals was to release
his debut studio album on Christmas Eve, twenty twenty, in
celebration of his twenty fourth birthday. No Less Like I
mentioned off Top. This monster of an album, titled to Prodigy,
features more than thirty tracks and includes features with the
(06:16):
artists that helped inspired Skilly Bank's rapid ascension including Jada
Kingdom and Popcorn. This album would cement Skilly as the
center of the new wave of dancehall culture in Jamaica
and also saw the talented young artists experimenting more with
his sonic stylings. More recently, Skilly Bank has been making
inroads with the international market as well, hanging out with
US rapper Rich the Kid who hopped on the Skillyes
(06:38):
Real Boss while visiting Jamaica. He also made his Billboard
chart debut thanks to a remix of his track Crocodile
Teeth that features none other than the Queen of Rap,
Nicki Minaj. With results like that, Skilly's drive to ensure
that dancehall music earns its rightful place in the pantheon
of music genres next to other more mainstream genres like
hip hop as well. On track, he told the face
(06:59):
that's my aim to uplift danceaul and put it on
that level. As you can see, it's working already. As
for where Skilly Band goes from here, well that's a
story for another time and another place. After all, this
is before they're famous. Please be sure to let us
know your thoughts down below, and don't forget to follow
us on Instagram app before they're famous to vote on
what's next, and I'll catch you guys in another video.
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