At just 20 years old, up-and-coming dancehall artiste Tielo Lanez has already found what he believes is his breakout hit.

The track, titled Greedy, has been gaining much attention on the local entertainment circuit. The deejay has already received huge endorsements from fellow entertainers. So well received is the single that it has also racked up more than 300,000 views on YouTube as well as the coveted TikTok seal of approval.

Greedy, a song targeting the female audience, encourages women to walk away from relationships when their financial needs aren’t being met.

The track is a veritable anthem for women who crave a certain level of financial support from their partners.

Tielo Lanez admits it has put him in the line of fire with some of his male counterparts. He told the Jamaica Observer’s Splash that one line of the song, in particular, has male listeners lashing out.

“Some a di man dem hate the song. Dem nuh like say mi a tell the ladies say dem fi leave if dem nah get no money. Mi feel like the line weh say, ‘If the boy nah spend pan yuh den him fi d*ad…’ has a lot more impact than the lines weh a say the woman dem must run weh cheap man,” he said. “Di man dem a bun mi out wicked. Dem nuh wah mi tell the woman dem fi make sure say dem spend dem money before getting certain intimate treatment. It nuh really matter to me still, because a di ladies me represent fa, and they’re loving the song.”

Speaking of the impact the song has been having, the young entertainer said, although he knew the track would be a hit, the moment he finished recording the reactions have been overwhelming.

“I knew the song was going to be big, but the feedback, and now the controversy, mi never expect that. It’s only been four weeks since its release and it has gone viral on TikTok, [hundreds of] thousands of views on YouTube, and other artistes a endorse the message,” he shared.

“It’s an overwhelming feeling having a song like this at this stage in my career. I know I’m young, but it’s good to know that the work you put in every day is paying off and your music is getting somewhere. I just want to keep growing,” the artiste said.

Now that he has seemingly got his foot through the industry’s doors, Tielo Lanez says he’s all about the work as he strives towards his goals. For him, though the pressure is now mounting due to his growing fan base, he doesn’t mind as the attention will prompt him to do even better.

“I have high expectations for myself and this song is only going to push me to work harder and aim for greatness. I like the pressure; mi nah shy away from it. There should be pressure, it keeps me going,” he said. “I don’t want to drop the ball. I don’t want to feel too comfortable. Right now, producers and promoters have been reaching out a lot more and I just want to capitalise on that. I love the doors the track has opened and I just want to take things to the next level.”

Highlighting that he sees a Grammy Award in his future, Tielo Lanez shared that while dancehall is his niche, he is open to exploring different genres as he matures.

“I don’t want to box myself in. I want to get into Afrobeats at some point or R&B, reggae. If you’re in music and you’re not growing then something is wrong. I want to keep moving up in this business,” he said. “I want to work with soca artistes, pop artistes. I just want to work with and learn from other creatives in other markets as I grow in this industry.”

Tielo Lanez.