Shalkal Carty
Birth nameShalkal Carty
Also known asShalkal
Born (1985-01-06) January 6, 1985
Runaway Bay, Jamaica
OriginJamaica
GenresDancehall
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, Keyboards, Production
Years active2019–present
LabelsShalkal Music Productions

Shalkal Carty (born January 6, 1985), stage name Shalkal, is a Jamaican dancehall/reggae artist, realtor, author and developer.[1] Among his various nicknames, he is oft-referred to as "Ruler" and has been recognized as a prolific and skilled lyricist in the genre. He is credited with further popularizing dancehall as well as reformulating and evolving the genre by cross-pollinating it with other musical styles, perhaps most notably Zimdancehall.[2]

Early life

Born in Jamaica, Shalkal grew up in Runaway Bay, Saint Ann where he attended York Castle High School in Brown's Town. He came from a musical family, and was exposed to Jamaica's musical culture from an early age. While growing up, Shalkal frequently entered lyrical competitions and sound clashes, and often won. In 2008, he migrated to America, and began to further refine his musical craft, while gaining employment with a real estate development company.[3]

Among his various nicknames, he is oft-referred to as "Ruler" and has been recognized as a prolific and skilled lyricist in the genre.[4] He is credited with further popularizing dancehall as well as reformulating and evolving the genre by cross-pollinating it with other musical styles, perhaps most notably Zimdancehall.[2]

Career

In the mid 2000s, Shalkal joined a real estate firm based in Chicago, Illinois. In 2019, Shalkal released his first single, entitled Envious So. Soon after, Shalkal begin publishing more tracks, including Money Dance, and Come Money Come (both in 2019),[5] Fi You Money (2020) and Ungrateful Maga Dog (2020). They, in turn, were quickly followed by his singles Ghetto Party (2022),[1] Hush (2020), Destiny (2023),[3] and Karma (2023).[4]

In February, 2023, Shalkal releases his first EP, The Diary. It was followed, in August with his debut LP, Casualty. He has also assisted and mentored several other artists, in Jamaica and elsewhere, with production for their songs and riddims.[6] Most notably, he has collaborated with Epixode, a reggae/dancehall recording artist, creative director, and fine arts painter from Ghana, as well as Ninja Lipsy and Bazooker, both from Zimbabwe.

In 2021, Shalkal authored his first book: Put God First.[7] It was followed quickly by the publication of his children's novel, Miller the Brave Dog. [8]

Position on Obeah culture

In 2020, he took a stance on the influence of Obeah culture on dancehall, stating, "Obeah is a deplorable practice."[5] This influenced the creation of his single, Put God First. At that time, he said, "a lot of my US friends are asking me what is this obeah business? The thing is embarrassing as a Jamaican." He went on to clarify his insights, stating, "Investors in the music who perhaps see dancehall as an international genre with great potential must have been shocked and disappointed with all the chatter about obeah, negativity, and nastiness. The industry is already undercapitalized as it is and when people are not talking about hit songs and streaming numbers but about milk baths, black magic, and mix-up around its biggest stars, then the industry is in trouble."[9]

In 2023, Shalkal was nominated for "Best Reggae Entertainer/Band," in the 41st Annual Chicago Music Awards.[10]

Shalkal Carty Singles
Year Title
2019"Envious So"
2020"Put God First"
2022"Gallis"
2022"Hush"
2022"Ghetto Party"
2023"Destiny"
2023"Karma"

Awards and nominations

Chicago Music Awards[10]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2023KarmaBest Reggae Entertainer

References

  1. 1 2 Mills, Claude (19 April 2021). "Shalkal Lands Collab With Zimbabwean Dancehall Artist Ninja Lipsy". Dancehall Magazine. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Shalkal calls out the 'ungrateful'". The Jamaica Star. 14 July 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  3. 1 2 Mills, Claude (23 December 2022). "Shalkal Pushes 'Destiny' To Free Black People Of Chains Of Materialism". Dancehall Magazine. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  4. 1 2 Mull, David (11 August 2023). "Jamaican rapper Shalkal: Karma is a force we cannot escape". The Standard. pp. 1–2.
  5. 1 2 "Shalkal Says Social Media Chatter Around Spice Degrades Dancehall". Jamaica Loop News. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  6. ↑ Mull, Davis (24 January 2023). "Learn to Take Constructive Criticism, Jamaican Rapper Shalkal to Upcoming Artists". Standard Media.
  7. ↑ Carty, Shalkal (23 August 2021). "Put God First Kindle Edition". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  8. ↑ Carty, Shalkal (September 8, 2021). "MILLER THE BRAVE DOG, Paperback". amazon.com. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  9. ↑ Kerr, Anna-Kaye (9 April 2022). "Dancehall Artiste Shalkal Shares "Ghetto Party" Inspiration, Working With Epixode". Urban Islandz. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  10. 1 2 "41st Annual Chicago Music Awards Nominees". Chicago Music Awards Magazine. 19 May 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
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