The top 20 dancehall artists in the world right now in 2024
Music is a universal language. That is why it would not be strange to see someone from the West play music from the other side of the globe and vice versa. The top dancehall artists in the world today have followers from every corner of the world and keep releasing new projects to earn new fans.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The list of the top dancehall artists worldwide includes artists trending on Billboard, those with high numbers of streams on platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music. These artists have received positive reviews from music critics and publications. They are either making records behind the scenes or being active in the industry.
Summary of the top 20 dancehall artists in the world
| No | Name |
| 1 | Vybz Kartel |
| 2 | Popcaan |
| 3 | Nadia Batson |
| 4 | Sean Paul |
| 5 | Mavado |
| 6 | Beenie Man |
| 7 | Capleton |
| 8 | Spice |
| 9 | Bad Gyal |
| 10 | Buju Banton |
| 11 | Masicka |
| 12 | Alkaline |
| 13 | Tommy Lee Sparta |
| 14 | Konshens |
| 15 | Mr Vegas |
| 16 | Teejay |
| 17 | Shaggy |
| 18 | Jada Kingdom |
| 19 | Intence |
| 20 | Shenseea |
Who are the top dancehall artists in the world today?
Dancehall is one of the major music genres today. The genre originated in the late 1970s in Jamaica and has since spread to be a favourite among music lovers worldwide. Initially, many critics considered dancehall a smaller version of reggae than the roots style.
1. Vybz Kartel
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Adidja Azim Palmer
- Date of birth: 7 January 1976
- Age: 48 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Kingston, Jamaica
Vybz Kartel is no doubt a household name in the international dancehall scene. The Jamaican artist's popularity keeps rising despite him facing murder charges. To date, Vybz Kartel has released numerous songs. He is regarded as one of the most popular dancehall artists.
2. Popcaan
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Andrae Hugh Sutherland
- Date of birth: 19 July 1988
- Age: 35 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: St. Thomas Parish, Jamaica
Popcaan began ruling the dancehall scene in his early 20s. The Jamaican deejay, singer and songwriter, first became known when he collaborated with Vybz Kartel on the song Clarks in 2010. Singer Popcaan has since grown his brand and gone ahead to release about a dozen mixtapes and albums.
3. Nadia Batson
- Full name: Nadia Batson
- Date of birth: 7 December 1976
- Age: 47 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Nadia Batson is one of the prominent female dance hall artists. Nadia Batson has spent years behind the scenes as a songwriter, producer and background vocalist. Some of her recent hist include I'm Yuh Lover, Market and You, Soca & Money ft. Dan Evens.
4. Sean Paul
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques
- Date of birth: 9 January 1973
- Age: 51 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Kingston, Jamaica
Sean Paul is considered one of dancehall’s most prolific artists of all time. He has been active in the music scene since the early 90s. Sean Paul received a nomination for Crossover Artist of the Year at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards. His latests hits are Greatest, Dem Time Deh and Rebel Time.
5. Mavado
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: David Constantine Brooks
- Date of birth: 30 November 1980
- Age: 43 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Kingston, Jamaica
Mavado has been active in the music scene since the early 2000s. The singer and deejay first came into the limelight after releasing his first official single Real McKoy, in 2005.
He became people's favourite when he released the song Weh Dem a Do on the Red Bull & Guinness riddim. Mavado has since collaborated with international stars like Chipmunk, DJ Khaled and even appeared in Drake’s video.
6. Beenie Man
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Moses Anthony Davis
- Date of birth: 22 August 1973
- Age: 50 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Kingston, Jamaica
Beenie Man has been the king of the dancehall scene for the longest time now. The music legend came to be popular in the 80s and 2000s as he was starting his career. Beenie Man is also a deejay with over 30 albums and numerous singles. He is one of the most celebrated Jamaican dancehall artists.
7. Capleton
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Clifton George Bailey III
- Date of birth: 13 April 1967
- Age: 56 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Islington, Jamaica
Capleton is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician. He owns a record label called David House Productions. Capleton is known for his Rastafari views expressed in his songs. He has released songs such as High and Forever Rise.
8. Spice
- Full name: Grace Latoya Hamilton
- Date of birth: 6 August 1982
- Age: 41 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Spanish Town Public Hospital, Spanish Town, Jamaica
Spice is one of the female dancehall artists with excellent chemistry when making music. The singer and songwriter came into the limelight in early 2000 and has so far released two studio albums and over 50 singles.
9. Bad Gyal
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Alba Farelo Solé
- Date of birth: 7 March 1997
- Age: 27 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Vilassar de Mar, Spain
Bad Gyal is a Spanish singer, songwriter, DJ and model. She began her music career in 2016 and has since produced several hitting singles. So far, Bad Gyal has one studio album, two mixtapes, two extended plays (EPs) and 43 singles.
10. Buju Banton
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Mark Anthony Myrie
- Date of birth: 15 July 1973
- Age: 50 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Kingston, Jamaica
Buju Banton has been relevant in the industry for a while now. He has collaborated with many international artists. Buju Banton is known for songs like Blessed, Hills and Valleys, Buries Alive, Destiny, and Love Black Woman.
11. Masicka
- Full name: Javaun Fearon
- Date of birth: 4 December 1993
- Age: 30 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Portmore, Jamaica
Masicka is a young star who has quickly become established as one of the premier male dancehall artists. Some of Masicka's top tracks include Leader, Update, They Don’t Know, Blessings and Stay Strong.
12. Alkaline
- Full name: Earlan Bartley
- Date of birth: 19 December 1993
- Age: 30 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Kingston, Jamaica
Alkaline is one of the best dancehall artists. He has been making records and using Kartel’s style as an inspiration for his projects. Alkaline's recent songs are LumSum, Nuh Rival and Mad Luv.
13. Tommy Lee Sparta
- Full name: Leroy Russell Junior
- Date of birth: 4 November 1987
- Age: 36 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Montego Bay, Jamaica
Montego Bay native is one of the most aggressive dancehall artists today. Tommy Lee Sparta has, for the longest time, been one of Vybz Kartel's closest associates. He gained popularity when he signed up with Adidjahiem Records and later on when he worked with the Portmore Empire crew.
14. Konshens
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Garfield Delano Spence
- Date of birth: 11 January 1985
- Age: 39 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Kingston, Jamaica
Konshens is known for club bangers and party songs. Some of his renowned hits include Gal A Bubble, Pull Up To Mi Bumper, Walk and Wine, Do Sum’n and Simple Songs. Konshens is rated among top dancehall artists today.
15. Mr Vegas
- Full name: Clifford Smith
- Date of birth: 29 December 1974
- Age: 49 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Kingston, Jamaica
Mr Vegas is known for his distinct voice and fantastic music. The musician first came into the music scene in 1997 and had his debut album, Heads High, in 1998. Mr Vegas got his name from his friend, who teased him that he kicked the ball like a Las Vegas dancer. Today, he has over a dozen albums and two Grammy Award wins.
16. Teejay
- Full name: Timoy Janeyo Jones
- Date of birth: 3 October 1994
- Age: 30 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Glendevon area of Montego Bay, St. James, Jamaica
Teejay is a singer-songwriter, rapper, producer, and international performer. He has collaborated with artists such as French Montana, Shaggy and Davido. Some of Teejay's popular songs are Weirdo, Bedroom Odyssey and Gyal Dem Time.
17. Shaggy
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Orville Richard Burrel
- Date of birth: 22 October 1968
- Age: 55 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Kingston, Jamaica
Shaggy is known as a superstar in the music scene. He gained international fame with hits like Oh Carolina, Boombastic and It Wasn't Me. Shaggy's recent songs include When She's Around (Funga Macho), Whine & Jumping and Modd.
18. Jada Kingdom
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Jada Ashanti Murphy
- Date of birth: 5 September 1998
- Age: 25 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Kingston, Jamaica
Jada Kingdom is a young, up-and-coming new Jamaican artist rapper and model. She started her career as a swimsuit model on Instagram before becoming a musician. Jada Kingdom is known for her unique blend of dancehall and R&B in her music. Her recent songs include Top Tier, Steef Lazarus, What's Up (Big Buddy) and IDG1F.
19. Intence
- Full name: Tashawn George Gabbidon
- Date of birth: 3 October 1995
- Age: 28 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Tavern in Kingston 6
Intence is a young artist gaining fame for his great dancehall hits. He has released several hit songs such as Year of Gear, SHH, Lessona and Toxic Relationship.
20. Shenseea
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Chinsea Linda Lee
- Date of birth: 1 October 1996
- Age: 27 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Mandeville, Jamaica
Shenseea has gained prominence in the music industry with her notable tracks. She has released several singles such as Hit & Run, Beama, My Bad and Obsessed. Shenseea has won NAACP Image Awards and MOBO Award.
Who is the top dancehall artist right now?
According to Billboard, some of the trending dancehall artists right now are Skeng, Mr. Vegas, Lyrikal and Nadia Batson.
Who is the most played dancehall artist?
According to Last.fm the most played dancehall artists are Sean Paul (2,248,931 listeners), Bad Gyal (263,013 listeners), Vybz Kartel (288,822 listeners) and Popcaan (282,613 listeners).
Music lovers that enjoy dancehall music also love Jamaican culture. Fans worldwide travel to the Caribbean country to enjoy the Jamaican experience and get in touch with the locals. The top 20 dancehall artists in the world have been making international tours which add to their net worth.
Yen.com.gh shared a comprehensive list of the most popular artists in the 1980s. This was a dynamic and transformative period. It witnessed the introduction and rise of various music genres like electronic dance music and new wave.
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