Skillibeng Urged To Let ‘Crocodile Teeth’ Breathe

Even as Esyde artist Skillibeng continues on what many are describing as a prolific song-releasing streak, Dancehall pundits have expressed concern that he seems to be inadvertently impairing his potential cross-over song Crocodile Teeth from making its mark, by constantly overshadowing it with new, not-as-good releases.

The topic came up for scrutiny on the Let’s Be Honest podcast recently with hosts Jaii Frais and Chevi.  The two argued that, while the 24-year-old is immensely talented, he has not been giving his stand-out song much of a “breather” to enable it to expand its reach, but was instead overextending himself and debasing his catalog, by releasing sub-par songs such as Silhouette.

“Within the past two months, Skilli drop over 40 song enuh.  Silhouette – absolute f_kery.  F_ckery! There is nothing to it,” Jaii Frais said.

“But hear wha a di problem: Jamaican artist stop pay fi studio time.  Every man have dem owna studio.  If a back inna di day when man haffi hitch up round a King Jammys and know seh dem a pay dem b_claat money fi dem session a man wouldn’t guh record dem f_kery deh.  Di man deh pon: ‘twerk’.  ‘Naked’.  ‘Silhouette’, ‘Silhouetteee’.  Big f_ckery!” he repeated.

Added Jaii Frais: “Mi think di man did a guh hard pon dat bro.  Like yuh know when Jamaican guh pon international beat or you know when Kartel dem used to guh up on Eminem dem. Di man all waan come do a challenge wid di shit to.  Bro this ain’t it.”

On the other hand, Jaii Frais said Skilli is still doing exceptionally well musically, but questioned whether the slew of releases after Crocodile Teeth would hamper his career or allow him to grow.

“Skilli a do good.  Wedda we like him methods, or how him a put out di music because, di Coke ting, him really follow up pon dah ting deh very, very quick.  Da tune deh – me personally like di song; it catchy.  It’s stupid you know, but it catchy,” he said.

“Mi feel like Skilli deh a one point inna him career weh him caan miss.  And I would say I am against what he is doing, because none of these songs are going to pass Crocodile Teeth.  Cause Crocodile Teeth, a it a get di cross ova treatment right now… It a guh places right now” he said, adding that some overseas rappers were saying they want to collaborate with the artiste and many female influencers on Instagram with millions of followers have posted videos of themselves listening to Crocodile Teeth.

His co-host Chevi said Skilli appeared to be in too much of a haste to release songs, and the incessant rush could prove to be disadvantageous in the long run.  He also said the wrong approach had been taken towards Skilli’s recent mixtape titled The Prodigy, which ought not to have been released without Crocodile Teeth.

“A tune like Crocodile Teeth weh out for like two months now.  Tune like dat, yuh follow up di chune deh wid 35 other tune and it don’t deh pon di mixtape which would a bring di mix tape… Di mixtape do have some bad songs.  But yuh si if him did use these bad songs like nine songs with Crocodile Teeth pon it, do you know how big of a project that would have been, with a proper push?  Like fi just take the right approach to it bro, he could have become something bigger, even though he’s getting big right now,” he said.

“Suh when you si him a do it like dat, him a rush him thing… and him, himself a kill himself.   Him a kill him songs, because him naw meck none a him song dem breathe,” Chevi added.

As the discussion continued, both Chevi and Jaii Frais lamented the fact that Skilli was also suffocating Crocodile Teeth by failing to properly promote the song.

“Di man not even a promote Crocodile Teeth; yuh know how tough dat song is?  Even the beat bro, is a proper structured song,” Chevi wailed.

“Crocodile Teeth is like it a bring dis new ting to him and is like every chance him get him kill di song.   Him naw gi it no promotion; him naw post nuttn.  Him drop a 35 track project and yuh gi one video, look like a mediocre video, then yu gi wi a next release.  Hot, don’t deh pon it; Coke don’t deh pon it; Silhouette challenge, whatever that was,” Jaii Frais added.

Chevy also surmised that perhaps Skilli was “going hard” in order to separate himself from and move ahead of his arch-rival Intence.  However, his co-host begged to differ.

“I don’t feel like it is strategic.  Di man have a big chune an di man a do bare odda f_kery dawg,” Jaii Frais said.

“Di song dem weh Skilli have weh sound like freestyle, is normally fi him team produce it – Esyde.  Like for instance, di Not song – bad song, wi love di song – but it sound like a song weh yu deh pon a ends and inna di mood suh yuh jus jump pon it.  And all a dem song deh, di Esyde song dem have a likkle don’t cya (very casual) vibes to it,” he noted.

Jaii Frais also said it would be unwise to compare Skilli with Vybz Kartel who has a reputation for being prolific with his releases, as Kartel is versatile in his content whilst Skilli is not.   Even Skilli’s “girl songs” he said, sounded like they were written for men, just like his gun tracks.

“You can’t watch Kartel.  Skillibeng is no Vybz Kartel.  An yuh haffi memba seh Kartel a gi yuh different layers”, he said.

The two young pundits also had some sound advice for Skilli in their conclusions.

“Yuh can overfeed di people or dem a guh get tired a yuh enuh, unless you a Vybz Kartel,” said Chevi.

Said Jaii Frais: “Skilli a do weh him a do.  But stop kill yuh song dem bredda; dat a my advice,” Jaii Frais said.

The Let’s Be Honest podcast is available on Spotify, iTunes, and Soundcloud. Watch their segment on Skillibeng below.