A subgenre of reggae, heavy on rhythm, Dancehall was unknown to many until the 1980s when it became dominant in Jamaica’s music scene. Although the seductive chant of Dancehall combined with part talking part singing, became famous by the end of the 1970s, it existed long before that and its origins can be traced back to West African performance modes. While many singers have, over time, tried to revive the genre, not many have been successful in their attempts—except the young Sheldon Killalmij, who is amping the genre up by bringing a fresh sound with a dancehall vibe.
Sheldon was born in Kingston, Jamaica, in a very humble family. Growing up, his mother did her best to give him a good life but despite that, he never had it easy. Even though he had to struggle with finances, Sheldon, from a young age, was determined to make it big. He attended Titchfield High School in Portland, Jamaica from which he graduated in 2008. He then went to the College of Agriculture Science and Education, Portland, after which in 2010 he joined the Jamaica Constabulary Force. Later, he migrated to the United States where he joined the United States Marine Corps and due to his hard work and dedication, he acquired the rank of sergeant. He also received the Armed forces medal and Campaign medals for serving overseas.
His music career had taken a backseat as he studied and severed as a Marine. And once he did make a switch to pursue his passion, many people did not have faith in him. However, Sheldon knew his ultimate goal was to make it big in the Dancehall industry. He first rose to popularity with the release of his debut rhythm Clock Tick with hit single Bubble Up by Former Portmore Empire member Gaza Kim that received over 500K streams on Spotify. Despite his success, he knew he had a long way to go and so did Dancehall. “Dancehall music genre is underrated and needs more attention,” he added. And thus Sheldon decided that from then onward he would dedicate his work to popularizing the genre, not just in Jamaica but all over the world.
Today, Sheldon is taking things to another level. After the release of his first project in 2022 which featured big names like Gaza Kym, Potential Kidd, and 9Grainz, he is planning outrageous collaboration for 2023. His second project is titled Buzzer Riddim and is driven by a hard-hitting rhythm featuring artists such as Munga Honorable, Maestro Don, Gaza Kym, and I Octane, just to name a few. “We are doing a lot of work in the studios right now and have many singles to put out for several artists,” Sheldon added. Predicting from the names that he is currently working with, it is safe to say that 2023 is going to be nothing but full of extraordinary opportunities for both Sheldon and Dancehall, in general. After all, this inspiring musical genius is on a mission to give Dancehall the recognition it deserves, because even after what Bob Marley has done for Reggae music, it’s still nowhere near the other popular genres.
Sheldon Killalmij Thaxter has big goals for the future. He wants to collaborate with popular names, top the chart on Billboard, and most importantly make Dancehall the next big thing. But he is certainly not going to stop just there. All his life, he has put effort, sacrifice, hard work, and dedication into everything he has done, which is why even if it is not an easy road ahead, he knows he will make it.
