Though the hit song Brik Pan Brik launched him to stardom, Skillibeng is seeing new levels of success thanks to Crocodile Teeth’s crossover appeal.
Similar to SpotemGottem’s viral hit Beat Box that sparked several remixes and this year’s hottest dance challenge, other rhyme slingers have tapped Skilli’s haunting instrumental for lit freestyles and remixes. Rap queen Nicki Minaj, controversial R&B crooner Tory Lanez and most recently UK rapper Youngs Teflon have showcased their rap skills on the track by releasing or teasing their own gritty versions of the gunplay hit.
The Florida rapper’s debut single was already buzzing from its 4/20/2020 release when a new remix, Pooh Shiesty’s Beat Box 2, which dropped in December, added fire to the pulsing track. That in tandem with the Christmas debut of TikTok’s catchy dance step #JunebugChallenge extended the life of the song by a long shot.
Within months a new trend took hold, and explosive remixes premiered from the likes of DaBaby with Beat Box 3, NLE Choppa with Beat Box 4, Beat Box 5 by Polo G, Mulatto with her Big Latto Mix, and a freestyle version from Jamaica’s own dancehall siren Shenseea. Unofficial versions by Young M.A., Lil Yachty and more also exist, and it seems the next wave of this viral phenomenon belongs to the 50 Bag hitmaker.
Even the mini-fiasco on Skillibeng’s social media couldn’t stop the monster impact of his official Crocodile Teeth remix with Nicki Minaj. The track still sits at No. 1 on Youtube’s Trending in Jamaica for a fourth day running, and slowly but surely, the St. Thomas native is living up to his Mr. Universe moniker.
Toronto rapper Tory Lanez also threw his hat in the ring with a bracing freestyle full of vivid, violent rhymes. “
@skillibeng #CrocodileTeeth …… should I drop this or leave this in the stash ???? … I think it’s fire tho …,” Lanez asked in the IG caption as his convincing Dancehall delivery blared in the background.
The Feels singer is a longtime Dancehall collaborator due to his Caribbean roots, and though Skillibeng hasn’t publicly endorsed the sample, it’s testament to the track’s viral quality.
The latest contender is UK rapper Youngs Teflon whose underground credibility suits the bars on his grisly “Skillibeng Cover”.
Citing Shottas, “gunman poses” and Jamaican actor Paul Campbell’s infamous “talk and dead” line, Teflon tackles his rivals with a slew of slick threats. His fans were here for it, with comments like, “Too too cold. This beat and flow is butter”, while others keenly noted the obvious conclusion, “they need to come up with a skillie challenge this song gone to another level.”
