Dancehall artiste Skillis is generating a lot of buzz with his latest single, ‘Money Pree’. The single, released on the Major Moves Music label, has been bombing FM radio into submission since its release and a video for the project racked up 42,000 views on youtube since its release one week ago.
The video is currently enjoying rotation on HYPE and RE TV and hit the Street Mix and the FIWI Choice Top ten charts since its release.
The artiste who goes by the street-savvy name of Skillis is pleased with the response so far.
“The feedback has been great, to get almost 50,000 views in one week is great for a relatively unknown act so I am very pleased and looking forward to great things,” the artiste whose real name is Antonio Small, said.
He explained how he got the name, ‘Skillis‘.
“When I first started out in music back in 2010, I came out with the name Tony Skillz, but I also had the alias Skillis, which I realized most people gravitated to, so after taking a break from music, naturally I decided to come back with that name,” he said.
He grew up in St Ann Jamaica where he attended schools like Brown’s Town primary, and then Brown’s Town Comprehensive High, before he migrated to the US. He completed his secondary education by attending three different High schools Erasmus Hall High, Lincoln High before finally graduating from Samuel Tilden High.
In 2010, he recorded multiple songs for an unofficial underground mixtape but the songs did not get proper promotion at the time. Undaunted, Skillis continued to work at his craft during his spare time.
“Growing up in Jamaica, the influence of dancehall and reggae was always a part of my life and at a early age I realized I was gifted at writing good music, so I didn’t want to give up my dream,” he said.
With the encouragement of his network of family and friends who believe in his talent, Skillis decided to return to music industry this year, a decision which led to his first official release, ‘Money Pree’,
There are several other dancehall projects in the pipeline. He is actively seeking to increase his visibility in Jamaica.
“I have performed in a few nightclubs in Brooklyn, but never Jamaica, that’s what I want to do soon. I want to make the name, Skillis, a household name in music worldwide,” he said.
