10 Songs That Made Impact In The 2020s So Far

We have officially crossed the half mark of the 2020s, and a lot has happened. In Jamaica’s music scene, many new Artists and movements emerged, some fell by the wayside just as quickly as they get the break, and others never made it to the 2020s for one reason or another. We remember those who passed away, and may their music and works live on. In remembering the first half of the 2020s, we look back at a few songs that made impact in the 2020s so far. These songs may have officially given the Artists their big break, rejuvenated a career or few, set Social Media and the streets on fire, and crossed over to the International market. Here are 10 of them in no particular order.

1. Valiant – Dunce Cheque (2022)

2022 was a year for Dancehall Artist Valiant. While he was building his career for a number of years, his name got the people’s attention thanks to a TikTok video. The video, which found him dressed in Ralph Lauren, gave the birth to the phrase, “Kotch E Hat A lie?“, which found life on Social Media thanks to various posts using the sound. From there, Valiant would capitalize off the buzz with singles like “St. Mary” and “North Carolina“. Those singles enjoyed love in the streets, but it was the Tarick-produced “Dunce Cheque” that took over households, and took flight to various parts of the world. The music video quickly hit over 1 Million views in a couple days, the single overall scored streaming numbers in the millions while securing a place in Dancehall and Social Media, and caused a few controversies thanks to the rise of the “Dunce” movement. Valiant officially became a star, and he keeps the fire going in 2026.

2. Skeng – Gvnman Shift (2021)

In 2020, people were made aware of an upcoming Dancehall Artist named, Skeng. The Spanish Town native was armed with aggressive lyrics and a presence that would unleash brimstone if he was approached the wrong way. He started to make noise with the gun-toting single “Brrp“, but it was his 2021 release “Gvnman Shift” that would open up the gates for him. His stance as an Intellectual who carefully detailed his badness throughout, placed him on the forefront of Dancehall music. The John Coop/DiTruth-produced “Gvnman Shift” enjoyed viral success, and even had kids in Basic School/Kindergarten reciting the lyrics word for word. Skeng became a star in the 2020s, with hit singles quickly following, and he successfully crossed over to the overseas market thanks to his collaborations with Rapper Nicki Minaj. Ay BWOY!

3. Skillibeng – Crocodile Teeth (2020)

Unno doah grimey, and that was quickly proven when Dancehall Artist Skillibeng secured his spot in Jamaica’s music scene. He got people’s attention in late 2019 with “Brik Pon Brik“, but it was the 2020 release of “Crocodile Teeth” that has his name buzzing in more places than one. Produced by Johnny Wonder/Adde Instrumentals, Skillibeng shared his complex lyrics and flow throughout, and not only was he enjoying love in the streets, but Social Media carried the single to the viral world through various posts. Thanks to its viral success, it caught the attention of Rapper Nicki Minaj, who would hop on the Instrumental for an official remix. The remixed version would be included in her 10 year anniversary version of her breakout Mixtape “Beam Me Up Scotty” in 2021, bringing Skilli’s name to the International market, and give him opportunities for even more International collaborations. Where were you when you first heard “Crocodile Teeth”?

4. Nigy Boy – Continent (2024)

In life, sometimes we deserve a 2nd chance or few. In music, many Artists aren’t always given the chance to be great again. For Dancehall/Reggae crooner Nigy Boy, his 2nd chance was there for the taking. Having been known for years as the modern day “Jamaican Ray Charles“, the blind Singer released music that would get the people’s attention, but not make him a real breakout star., He kept busy on Social Media and in the streets covering popular songs, and sharing his original work. Thanks to Social Media, he caught the attention of Producer Rvssian, who shared a reworked version of his 2010 “Go Go Club Riddim” now named “Dutty Money Riddim” in late 2023. As a part of the Riddim’s rollout, Rvssian challenged Artists to create songs to it, and if they met the mark, would be included in the official compilation release. Nigy would take on the Riddim, and thanks to campaigning by fans, “Continent” was born in 2024. “Continent” would rack up high streaming numbers and make the Nigy Boy brand go viral worldwide, setting off a string of releases that each grew with anticipation, making the Singer 2024’s “Rookie Of The Year“. He continues to hit the mark, and reel in more fans as his career advances.

5. Yaksta – Ambition (2021)

Hailing from St. Mary, Recording Artist Yaksta is country boy who had city dreams. What made him stand out, is that he always wanted to stay true to his roots. He built his career in the 2010s, but the breakout single didn’t happen just yet. Sticking to his roots, he released “Ambition“, a song that encouraged people to reconnect with things and people that matter the most, make moves that ensured you are self-sufficient, focus on building generational wealth and having worthy assets, and have a mindset that’s above following trends and getting caught up in unproductive lifestyles. The Afro Boi/WussMuzikk-produced single would become the breakout that Yaksta needed as it provided education and entertainment, and it prompted many to focus on building their wealth in Jamaica. Those who scoffed at Farming would find themselves trading in designer fashion for the water boots, discussions would be made about the Stock Market and other investment options online, and in no time the Artist would be securing booking requests. “Ambition” remains his most popular single.

6. Malie Donn – V6 (2023)

Dancehall Artist Malie Donn is one of the Artists who emerged out of the “Trap Dancehall” movement of the 2020s, where lyrics focused on living the fast life, and various criminal activities. Even when members of the Industry would oppose the advancement of the movement, Malie’s 2023 single “V6” would slip out of the discussions, go viral on Social Media, catch the attention of International Artists and celebrities, and land placements on International radio. When some shared that “Trap Dancehall” would not take off outside of Jamaica, the Ireland Records-produced “V6” defied the doubts, and allowed the Deejay to keep his Passports heavily stamped, and build his fanbase Internationally.

7. Koffee – Lockdown (2020)

Off the heels of a GRAMMY win, Recording Artist Koffee was ready to make a greater impact in the 2020s. Her debut EP “Rapture” took her to the top, and many were anticipating her debut album. She got things started with the release of “Lockdown”, a single that was released shortly after the start of the Covid-19 Pandemic. With the world on literal lockdown, the single provided hope for listeners who believed that Covid-19 would be over shortly, and we can all get to enjoy life the way we want to. Sadly, Covid did a number with the rising death toll, borders were being closed, and the freedom we anticipated was pushed further away from us. It seemed like “Lockdown” jinxed things then, but now we reflect on how great of a song it is.

8. 1Biggs Don – Bwoii Affi (2022)

During the early 2020s, there was a significant rise in the Social Media platform, TikTok. Many careers were built on the platform with people building followings from making popular sounds, developing their creative skills, sharing knowledge, and just having fun. Some careers were built by studying the Algorithm, some were made by luck, and Lady Luck found Manchester-based Dancehall Artist 1Biggs Don in 2022. Thanks to a freestyle performance video going viral, the world quickly paid attention to the upcoming Deejay, and with the way how TikTok worked, he gained popularity thanks to users creating posts using the sound from his performance clip. Users from brands like Opensea, to organizations like NASA used his sound for their posts, and he even got endorsements from a number of celebrities including Canadian Rapper Drake. From there, Biggs Don made it official with the Outta Space Records/Steel Chest-produced, “Bwoii Affi (Watch E Style)“. Luck was on 1Biggs Don’s side in the 2020s.

9. Byron Messia – Talibans (2023)

In 2022, Jamaican-born/Grenada-based Dancehall Artist Byron Messia was on the rise in his career. While he didn’t score a major hit yet, he worked to keep his name in the public. That would all change in early 2023 when he release the album, “No Love“, which featured what would be a life-changing single called, “Talibans“. Produced by Ej Fya, “Talibans” was all about the Gangsta life, and it would quickly become Byron’s breakout hit. Nobody could predict how successful “Talibans” would become, and many Artists would find themselves recording their own verses over the Instrumental. Social Media was filled with many Artists releasing their versions of “Talibans”, and one of the Artists who stepped up was Afrobeats star Burna Boy, who would be later featured on the remix. Another Artist, R&B/Pop star Chris Brown would join in on the fun with his own version, and he would later collaborate with Messia on, “Nightmares“. Yaad and abroad loved this one.

10. Spice Ft. Shaggy & Sean Paul – Go Down Deh (2021)

Sometimes it takes one Artist to make a hit, other times it can take three. What happens when International Dancehall Artists Spice, Shaggy, and Sean Paul join forces? We get the single, “Go Down Deh“. Released in 2021 with production by Shaggy and Costi, “Go Down Deh” was a celebration of Dancehall culture that served as a reminder to the world that Dancehall is dominant. With 3 different styles combined, the single quickly gained love from the world over, and it showed in the streams with hundreds of Millions of streams since. Social Media gave it an equal amount of love as well, with many using the song in their posts. When streams weren’t enough, the single went on to earn Gold and Silver certifications, and is on its way to the 1 Billion streams club on Spotify. Many of us couldn’t be outside with this, but “Go Down Deh” kept the parties going in the house, and on livestreams.