IN 2002, American deejay Baddaflex got some attention when he performed at Sting. Eleven years later, he records as SkillinJah and recently debuted at number four on Billboard’s Reggae Album Chart with the EP, Riddim Jockey.

SkillinJah is signed to GanJah Records which is based in the midwest United States. Founded by musician Josh Heinrichs and his wife Kaytee, the company distributed Riddim Jockey.

Born Kyle Bell in Houston, Texas in 1979, SkillinJah says he was introduced to reggae music at age 11. While attending his brother’s football match, he heard the team’s theme song, which was a selection from Peter Tosh’s Equal Rights album.

He was taken by its “smooth vibes” and pleaded with his mother to buy him the album. Within one week, he learned every song from the 1976 classic and soon embraced Jamaican pop culture, listening to artistes such as Super Cat, Beenie Man and Bob Marley.

To date, SkillinJah has recorded two studio albums — Emergency Spliff which was released in 2011 and Reality which came out last year.