KINGSTON, Jamaica — Mr. Gallimore is raising hell on the charts—and he insists he is only trying to save souls from it.
The Jamaican gospel deejay has surged to the No. 2 position on the iTunes World chart in the United States this week with his hard-hitting single “What A Hell,” transforming a fiery message about Judgment Day into an unlikely digital hit.
The latest version, powered by a world-music-inspired beat from acclaimed producer Jon FX, represents another breakthrough for Gallimore and his partnership with P & W Music.
“This is really great news. I partnered with P & W Music to make this great achievement a reality, as Jon FX used a world music beat to bring this message to a whole new audience,” Gallimore said.
The production gives Gallimore’s Jamaican gospel deejaying a broader international backdrop, blending his dancehall-rooted delivery with sounds designed to travel beyond the traditional reggae market.
But the song already had some fire under it.
“What A Hell” was previously released over the popular Hill and Gully Ride riddim, helping establish the track before the Jon FX version began its climb.
Then came the video—and that is where things get considerably hotter.
Gallimore uses “What A Hell” to deliver a thunderous warning about salvation and Judgment Day, deejaying:
“What a hell if you nuh mek it when Father God come/ Man a guh run to the rock, the rock it shall run/ Hell if you nuh make it on that Judgment Day/ According to your works a so you ago get your pay.”
But the video also appears to turn the temperature up on reggae artiste Yaksta, continuing a simmering ideological feud between the two artistes over Christianity.
Gallimore previously criticised Yaksta over lyrics declaring “Jesus nah come save we,” arguing that such messages could sow doubt about Christianity among young Jamaicans.
Now “What A Hell” delivers what looks like a musical rebuttal.
“What a hell if yu nuh make it on that Judgment Day. The words from his mouth defile him,” Gallimore said.
And the visuals aren’t exactly subtle.
The video depicts an AI-generated representation of Yaksta burning in the fiery pits of hell.
Ouch.
Gallimore, however, insists viewers shouldn’t interpret the imagery as him condemning anyone to eternal damnation.
“This is a warning,” he said. “I am not sending anyone to hell, it’s just a warning.”
The provocative approach appears to be connecting with an audience. Gallimore says the video has amassed 28,000 views in just two weeks, with young Christian listeners helping to drive its momentum.
The controversy also adds another chapter to an age-old Jamaican cultural conversation, where reggae, Rastafari and Christianity have frequently collided over questions of God, religion, liberation and spiritual authority.
This time, however, the debate is playing out with a thoroughly modern twist: iTunes charts, AI-generated hellfire and a gospel deejay ready for lyrical warfare.
For Mr. Gallimore, the formula appears to be working.
He is preaching heaven, depicting hell—and climbing the charts somewhere in between.
