Since he emerged on the music scene more than five years ago, dancehall artiste Squash has served hit after hit.

The hit-streak continues with his debut project, an EP titled Hate Being Famous, which was released on May 16.

The nine-track set bears the labels 6ix Real Records/Salkey Records and Hemton Music and is distributed by 21st Hapilos Digital.

Three of the songs from the project have landed on the YouTube Trending For Music list. Burn, which has to date racked up more than 906,000 views, spent multiple days at the #1 position but it fell to #2 on Friday May 30.

Leaf of Life, which features Malie Donn and Byron Messia, is at #3 and has more than 665,000 views.

Meanwhile, No Emotions is #11 with 318,000 views.

Producers who worked on Hate Being Famous include Mario ‘Din Din’ Hemmings of Hemton Music, Salkey Records and 6ix Real Records.

Ato Wallace of Attomatic Records assisted with song coordination.

In an exclusive interview with Observer Online, Squash spoke about working with longtime producer Ato Wallace of Attomatic Records, who is also responsible for several of his hit songs including last year’s massive hit Big Breeze.

“We started out just hanging in the studio day in and day out. As time went on, we realized we shared the same passion and love for music. There were countless times one of us would call the other— ‘Where you at, Squash?’ —and the answer was always the same: ‘At our second home’. And just like that, we’d link up at the studio, cracking jokes, experimenting with vocals, and pouring our energy into the music,” the deejay said.

“Some days we went without eating or sleeping, driven by the same fire. It was me, Atto, and Din Din —more like family than a team—sharing ideas, breaking down tracks, and always reminding ourselves: it’s not about the quantity, it’s about the quality. That mindset, along with consistency and respect, got us to where we are today. We never let disagreements get in the way—we used them to grow,” Squash disclosed.

Asked what was it that inspired the EP’s title, Squash said, “One day, I sat down and asked myself: Why do I get so much hate from people I’ve never met? Then I overheard something that hit me deep. Being famous will connect you to a world of hate and false views and that moment changed everything and I decided to stay grounded, reflect on my journey, and admit something out loud, I hate being famous.”

Dubbed the 6ix Boss, Squash is thankful to his fans for their continued support of his music.

“Thanks for all the love and support. Always appreciated. I give thanks to the Most High for using me as a vessel and blessing me with the gift of music to share with the world.

“Nobody saw me when I was down, fighting to rise from the ground. But once I pulled myself up, suddenly everyone wanted to know: Who’s Squash? Who’s 6ixBoss?

“That’s when I realized—some fans weren’t just supporting the music… they were fighting against me as a person. It wasn’t until these recent days, walking down dark streets, that I truly understood what fame comes with: pain, hate, jealousy, and even time behind bars. No matter how hard I tried to show the world that I’m not the person the media painted me to be, I still found myself in battles I didn’t even know how I got into. But through it all, I give God the glory,” said Squash.

He added, “Despite everything, I’m incredibly thankful. To my support team—words can’t express how grateful I am. Big up my wife Naomi and my kids—Daddy loves you always. Massive respect to Salkey Records, Hemton Music, Attomatic Records, Eastlink Records, 6ix Real Records, NW Records, and Blacku.”

Squash, born Andre Whittaker, had previously teased several projects, including the unreleased Mr Whittaker, but this EP marks a major milestone in his career as his first official body of work, which comes amid legal troubles for the deejay, who is reportedly in immigration custody following an alleged weapons-related arrest.

Since his breakthrough with songs like Ooh La La La and Lavish and Trending, Squash has remained a fixture in dancehall, racking up millions of views with hits including Shub Out and Get Up.