Dylan Byron (born 10 April 2000), known professionally as Byron Messia, is a Jamaican singer and songwriter. He gained mainstream recognition following the commercial release of his single "
Talibans
The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...
" in 2023. The song spawned a remix featuring
Burna Boy, which peaked at number 99 on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and received gold certification by the
British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
Early life
Byron Messia was born in Jamaica, but his family relocated to
Saint Kitts and Nevis when he was just two months old. He developed an interest in music during his teenage years and began recording songs at the age of 15. In a statement, Messia reflected on his upbringing, acknowledging the support of his adoptive family: "I was fortunate to be adopted by a loving and caring family, who prioritized my well-being and showed me love and support. My aunts, uncles, and extended family were all instrumental in my growth and development, providing a nurturing environment that fostered my passion for music."
Career
20192022: Career beginnings
Byron Messia's music career began with the release of his debut single "Living Good" in 2019, which served as the seventh single from his debut project ''Different Perspectives''. This was followed by the singles "Wait On You" and "Fantastic", released the next year.
In 2021, Messia released the singles "Last Forever" on 1 January, "Most Hated" on 22 March, and "Who?" on 13 May, featuring RAW, Tuggy, Tuggis, and others. This marked his first collaboration with other artists. The following year, Messia released the singles "Far" on 18 February, "Ride or Die" in March, "Gone Too Soon" in August, "12 AM Freestyle" in September, and "Mhmm" in December.
2023present: Mainstream fame with Talibans and record deal
On 20 January 2023, Messia released the single "
Talibans
The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...
", which peaked at number 99 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100. The song served as the tenth single from his album ''No Love'', released the same day. ''No Love'', debuted at number 8 on the ''Billboard'' Reggae Albums chart. The single "Talibans" was certified gold by the
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and
Music Canada
Music Canada (formerly Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)) is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It a ...
(MC), denoting sales of over 400,000 units in the United Kingdom and 40,000 units in Canada, respectively.
On 25 May 2023, Messia signed a recording contract with
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...
, marking a significant milestone in his career. A remix of "Talibans", renamed as "Talibans II", was released on 20 July 2023, featuring
Burna Boy and served as the second single from Burna's seventh studio album ''
I Told Them...'' (2023). It peaked at number 39 on the
New Zealand Hot Singles. He released the single "Mad Dawgs" on 22 September 2023.
On 7 November 2023, he was featured on
Chris Brown
Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...
's song "
Nightmares", and followed it up with "La La" featuring Suarez in December 2023.
On 27 March 2024, Byron released "Head Chaage", featuring Squash, the first single of the year. A music video accompanied the single, released two days later. He subsequently released "Cyah Trust People" on April 19 and "Tricenarian" featuring Alkadon. On 19 May, he was featured on Alkadon's single "Bad Bitch". Additionally, on 13 June, he released "Choppa" featuring American rapper
Lil Baby, produced by Jamaican producer
Rvssian and Dinay Beats.
Discography
Studio albums
As lead artist
As featured artist
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Byron Messia
2000 births
Dancehall musicians
Jamaican songwriters
21st-century Jamaican musicians
Jamaican expatriates in Saint Kitts and Nevis
Living people