Skillibeng is only 24, but he's already on the verge of entering dancehall's highest echelon. The Jamaican rapper's 2021 sophomore album, Crocodile Teeth LP, boasts features from American rapstars Bobby Shmurda and Rich The Kid, as well as Popcaan, one of the few dancehall artists who've achieved true global celebrity. He's now reached another career milestone, announcing Thursday that he'd signed with Eastsyde/RCA Records. To celebrate, he's shared "Whap Whap," his debut single with the label, featuring fellow islander F.S., who's contributed verses to several of Skilli's previous tracks as well.
The new song is a montage of gun sounds, from the titular phrase to "bap bap" to "brrrrrrp" and beyond, an ominous synth string and low-range piano beat echoing Skilli's onomatopoeia with its own occasional gunfire.
"Whap Whap" comes with a video shot in Jamaica and Trinidad, where Skilli and his crew stroll through tropical landscapes and residential neighborhoods, heavily armed. Watch it above.
