Nobody Has to Know, the hit song by Kranium, continues to earn accolades. Eight years after it was released, it has been certified silver in the United Kingdom for sales of more than 200,000 copies.

The Jamaica Observer caught up with New York-based Kranium by telephone yesterday. He was in high spirits.

“I mean, it’s been a good ride. Dancehall music, it works when it’s done properly, and sometimes it takes longer. It [the song’s success] just shows that if we support the music these are the things that happen,” said Kranium.

Nobody Has to Know, which made the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart, was certified gold in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2019 for sales of more than 500,000. It also earned a gold certification in Canada for selling 40,000 copies.

Another Kranium single, Can’t Believe, which features Ty Dolla Sign and WizKid, was also certified gold in Canada.

“I feel like each time when I get a record that goes big it leads more people to the catalogue. Last year we went gold in Canada with Can’t Believe. These records been going gold in different countries. The consistency of the work leads people to the catalogue,” said Kranium, whose latest single, Options, is scheduled for release today.

He knew Nobody Has to Know would have been a big hit, while working on the song.

“I was 100 per cent sure that it would’ve been a hit. Some people do music for music, but I do music for a cause. I’m representing for dancehall music overseas. When Nobody Has to Know came out, my dream was to make a song that a dancehall artiste can do from America. Not every song works, but I’ve never in my life focused on more than one song at a time,” said Kranium.

The St James-born artiste (real name: Kemar Donaldson) is the nephew of singjay Screwdriver, who had a hit song during the late 1980s with Sharon.

Kranium has charted twice on the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart. Rumours peaked at number six in 2015, while Midnight Sparks reached number four in 2019. Atlantic Records released both albums.

Last year, Kranium scored a hit with Gal Policy, and in February he released the five-song EP Toxic, which he describes as an appetiser for new material.

“Yes, I will be putting out a full-length album this year. This is gonna be one of my greatest works ever. We went into the studio with producers like Cool and Dre and Izzy [producer of Koffee’s hit Toast]. Mostly producers more than artistes. I think I’ve evolved and I pushed the limit on this project. It’s a cross-breed of so much elements and diverse,” Kranium disclosed.