Skillibeng & Rytikal Are The New Dancehall Trendsetters With Similar Styles

A shift is happening in dancehall as new talents emerge on the scene. Two of those talents, Skillibeng and Rytikal, stand out for bringing fresh new sounds to the genre.

Music producers and sound engineers, too, have almost everything to do with the hot new beats that come along with these trendy sounds.  Their forward-thinking and experimentation with the mixers has resulted in the development of a ‘traphall’ version of dancehall music, which has been embraced by the likes of Skillibeng and Rytikal.

Skillibeng, whose real name is Emwah Warmington, knows the impact that his new flavors have had on dancehall music. In a 2019 interview with The Star, the 22-year-old said, “I am my biggest inspiration, as long as I’m mastering my craft and building new sounds, flows, lyrics and improving my performance, then I have done my best; and I know I will be helping to shape the new era of dancehall music.”

For Skillibeng and Rytikal, the two fast-rising newcomers have exhibited certain unique qualities in their musical style and delivery, both of which can be considered trendsetters in this new movement of the genre.

The Brik Pan Brik deejay may argue that his sound is second to none, even saying so in his latest single Mr. Universe, “A who fah style mi kidnap, mi nu sound like nutt’n weh in a existence,” is just a snippet of the lyrics to the song.

Interestingly and strange enough, it’s sometimes hard the tell him apart from Rytikal. Without looking at the name of the artiste behind the track, there’s sometimes no telling whom you’re listening to.  Is it Skillibeng or Rytikal?

To analyze why they sound so much alike, lets start with their vocals.

Skillibeng and Rytikal have very similar timbres in their voice, and their lyrical styles are almost identical. Convergent evolution may have had a hand in this phenomenon, after all the two deejays lived similar backgrounds, reigning from St. Thomas and in the same era.

They’re also signed to the same label, EastSyde Records, where they’ve both released a slew of tracks in the short stint of their careers. Skillibeng’s mega-hit Brik Pan Brik, which has snatched up more than 4 million streams plus others like 50 Bag (1.6M), and Coco Tea (1M) are his most successful singles.

While Rytikal has yet to achieve such notability in his music, there is no denying that his sound and lyrical delivery is uncannily parallel to Skillbeng’s.

Rytikal’s single Galaxy Brain is often confused by fans, who think it’s Skillibeng, who, by the way, has a single titled Space Brain.

Also, if you listen to Rytikal’s Bolt Speed, Feel That, and Glory, for example, the pattern of succession in the way he drops his rhymes could easily be mistaken for Skilibeng’s way of lyrical-spitting.

They clearly have the same preference in the riddim selection, if much of that is their doing or Eastsyde’s. The tracks from these two deejays are often along the lines of traphall mixes, a blend of dancehall and trap music beats with gangster style deejaying, reminiscent of gangster rap.

Rytikal’s This Is Serious, and Skillibeng’s Evil are perfect examples, listen below.

Whether these two youngbloods want to accept it or not, their sound is irrefutably similar, yet distinct from all others in dancehall.

There is no denying that their unique talents and expertise are responsible for producing some of the most original sounds in dancehall right now.