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Vybz Kartel Off Audiomack’s Top 5 Reggae/Dancehall Chart For First Time In 2020

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Vybz Kartel

Audiomack has released its most-streamed reggae and dancehall artistes this week and the Worl’ Boss Vybz Kartel is off the top five list, for the first time this year.

Audiomack, which is already firmly established in Jamaica, has been making a push to build a presence with artistes in other Caribbean markets.

The top trending reggae/dancehall artiste on the platform this week is Alkaline at number one followed by Jahmiel at number two who recently released an EP.  Popcaan secured number three, followed by Masicka at number four, and Skillibeng at number five.

The week prior on June 8 when Audiomack released their top 5, Kartel was streaming at the number five position with Alkaline, Popcaan, Masicka, and Chronic Law leading him.

Kartel has been releasing songs consistently since being incarcerated for the 2011 murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams and was the most streamed artiste of 2019.  However, it seems like the fans aren’t gravitating to his recent releases as they normally do or some other force is at play.

Two weeks ago the artiste dismissed YouTube views and ‘trending’ as a kid’s game after a recent release, Not Ok, did get as much traction as GAZA fans would have hoped.

Loyal fans of the artiste suggested that trending artistes were “buying views”.

In spite of the numeric performance of Kartel’s Not Ok which some of his fans have likened to a Disney type song, Vybz Kartel is still the king of local numbers. In fact, up to April, his collective views for the first quarter of this year are 12.5 million, making him the most-streamed artiste out of Jamaica.

The artiste has released almost a dozen songs in the last three months, with several collaborations and noted versatility of various sounds and beats.  His song Sociopath has 1.2m views after release a month ago, while Run Dancehall with Lisa Mercedez has just 950,000 views since May 2. Heavyweight a partnership along with Sikka Rhymes has 541k views.  Adiana also has 1.4 million views after being released two months ago.

Vybz Kartel
Vybz Kartel

Kartel has cemented himself as the most prolific dancehall artiste alive. He’s managed to keep himself relevant and on top of the entertainment industry, releasing hundreds of songs and recording hits after hits. In 2016, while in prison, Kartel released his most internationally successful album, King of the Dancehall, which peaked at number two on the U.S Billboard Reggae Charts. The album included the single Fever which topped various local music charts and became his most successful on streaming websites.  Fever received Gold certification from the RIAA in February this year.

Earlier this year, Kartel released a 10 track album, To Tanesha, which was dedicated to his common-law wife and mother of his three children, Tanesha Johnson. They co-produced the album with their respective record labels: Short Boss Muzik and Vybz Kartel Muzik. He’s now promoting the upcoming release of his album Of Dons and Divas.

But what accounts for the anemic views on Audiomack and Kartel’s recent absence from YouTube ‘trending’?  Perhaps it is the fact that many artistes have been releasing music lately along with many new faces in the industry who are backed by solid management and marketing and advertising support.

Dancehall fans are now exposed to many hits from artistes like Alkaline with three hit songs out, Intence with Yeng, released one month ago having 2.2million views, Dexta Daps with more than three million views for Breaking News¸Popcaan’s Numbers Don’t Lie, and Govana‘s Convo series just to list a few.

Whatever accounts for the change, fans prefer other songs right now. Arguably though, only Vybz Kartel has shown to be capable of being in the number one position consistently. Hopefully, Of Dons and Divas which boasts many collaborations, will bring some competition that sees Di Teacha back at the number one spot.