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" 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).[1]
Byron Messia | |
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| Birth name | Dylan Byron |
| Born | 10 April 2000 Kingston, Jamaica |
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| Years active | 2019–present |
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Early life
Byron Messia was born in Jamaica, but his family relocated to Saint Kitts and Nevis when he was just two months old.[2] He developed an interest in music during his teenage years and began recording songs at the age of 15.[3] 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."[4]
Career
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.[5] This was followed by the singles "Wait On You" and "Fantastic", released the next year.[6] 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.[7][8] 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.[9]
On 30 January 2023, Messia released the single "Talibans",[10] which peaked at number 99 on the Billboard Hot 100.[11] 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 (MC), denoting sales of over 400,000 units in the United Kingdom and 40,000 units in Canada, respectively.[12][13] On 25 May 2023, Messia signed a recording contract with Interscope Records, marking a significant milestone in his career.[14] 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).[15][16] It peaked at number 39 on the New Zealand Hot Singles.[17] He released the single "Mad Dawgs" on 22 September 2023.[18] On 7 November 2023, he was featured on Chris Brown's song "Nightmares",[19][20] and followed it up with "La La" featuring Suarez in December 2023.[21]
On 27 March 2024, Byron released "Head Chaage", featuring Squash, the first single of the year.[22] A music video accompanied the single, released two days later.[23] 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.[24]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Reggae | ||
| No Love | 8 |
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | NZ Hot [25] | ||||
| "Talibans" | 2023 | 99 | — | No Love | |
| "Choppa" (with Lil Baby and Rvssian) | 2024 | — | 32 | Non-album single | |