Nearly three years after he burst onto the scene with the easy-riding, Ireland Boss-produced “V6,” ascendant Jamaican dancehall star Malie Donn is finally ready to unleash his debut studio album, The Golden Child.
The 20-track set, which lands on Sept. 4 via VP Records, marks a crowning moment for the artist born Kymalie Hylton. Born and raised in the Waterford neighborhood of Portmore in Jamaica, Malie Donn, 25, is the latest inheritor of a remarkable dancehall lineage. Several genre luminaries came of age in Portmore, including Popcaan, Blak Ryno and Masicka. Chief among those artists is, of course, King of Dancehall and Billboard cover star Vybz Kartel, whose music Donn’s father used to play in the house.
“I grew up around a lot of musical elements in Waterford, which is where people like Vybz Kartel grew up,” he tells Billboard. “I used to see Masicka and so many other young artists above us, so I found myself making music starting from [banging] beats on desks. That’s when I found out I had a true passion for music. As a yute growing up in that era, Kartel played a big part in my views on music and how I go about [making it].”
After officially deciding to end his collegiate track and field career, Donn spent the beginning of the 2020s releasing a steady stream of standalone singles that culminated in early local hits like 2022’s “Hennergy” and “Crook.” “V6,” which steadily went viral thanks to its laid-back riddim and Kartel-name-checking wordplay, arrived in February 2023, and by the end of the summer, he scored his breakthrough hit and earned his freedom after being detained in Barbados on allegations of sexual assault that were ultimately dismissed. At the close of 2023, Donn boasted an enviable collection of hits, including “Dragga,” “Cups Up,” “Little Miss Grippy” and “Dungeon.”
By only recording over riddims that “get him moving right away,” Donn ensures that he “becomes one with the music,” allowing his cadence and delivery to shift in intensity or softness depending on the feel of the beat. “If me and the music aren’t compatible, it won’t work,” he says. More recently, Donn — who’s nominated for the Dancehall Impact honor at September’s Caribbean Music Awards — has snagged hits like 2024’s “Whats Popping,” 2025’s “Charge Up” (with Armanii) and this year’s “Reboot” and “Van Cleef.” According to Luminate, he’s logged over 36.7 million official on-demand U.S. streams in 2026.
Malie Donn has put out two projects in the last two years — 2024’s The Grand Rising EP (which spawned his Armanii-assisted smash “7:00”) and 2025’s Leak the Hard Drive surprise pack — but The Golden Child is his conscious effort to level up into the next stage of his career. Featuring an impressive range of collaborators including Billboard Hot 100-charting dancehall star Byron Messia, Jamaican producer DJ Frass (who helped produce Morgan Heritage’s 2016 Grammy-winning Strictly Roots album) and Caribbean Music Award-nominated dancehall artist SQUASH, Donn’s forthcoming LP promises to cater to every wing of his fan base, from the emotional gangster to the ladies in the fetes.
“I want to connect with my audience and garner more fans who never knew about me,” he says. “I want to cater to everyone; not all the fans dem love di vulgar music, some like the smoother, more calm and collected songs. So, I do a little bit of everything. The numbers will come after.”
Below, Billboard’s Caribbean Up-And-Comer of the Month for August 2026 talks Vybz Kartel’s impact, his Golden Child debut album and why Rihanna is his biggest dream collaborator.
How would you describe your sound? How has it evolved over the past couple of years?
People have always called my songs “highway music,” but I’m starting to express my boldness more. I say whatever is on my mind, and I don’t hold nothing back — that’s what separates me from other artists. People can feel that, and they connect more with that expressive side of me rather than me being straightforward.
When it comes to being bold and expressive in your lyrics, who are the artists that inspire you the most to push yourself in that kind of way?
Vybz Kartel, Alkaline, Masicka and Squash.
What does a typical studio session look like for you?
Liquor. The energy of the people in the environment has to be high. If anyone has down energy in the session, it’s going to throw me off. No sleeping! Something to smoke. Water. Maybe some noodles.
We got The Golden Child coming up soon. When did you start working on this album?
Last year. I never rushed it. I recorded a bunch of songs between this year and last. Some songs were swapped out, and some were even started two years ago, but they meant something to me and had to be on the album. This album will cater to all of my fans and showcase the different sides of Malie.
Why did the album get pushed back?
It was supposed to be released in July, but the label decided to move it to September 4, which gives us more time to push it up in everybody’s face and promote this in the realest way. And I’ve had constant shows, which keeps me busy and gives me less time to do promotional runs.
What was the first song you knew was going to be on the album for sure?
“Golden Child” with Squash. The title has a sentimental meaning to me, because I believe it represents the struggles I’ve faced on the journey I’ve been on. I’ve been tested because I’m one of the greats. And great man always get a fight, right? Nothing comes easy, and that’s good.
Are you planning to do a proper tour for this album? Any music videos coming for the new records?
We have six music videos shot already: “Holiday,” “The Golden Child” with Squash, “Live Life,” “SWFT (She Wah Fk Tonight),” “Club Lit” featuring Jabo Jan, who’s one of my artists. We went to Punta Cana to shoot that one, Santa Domingo for “Live Life” and Jamaica for “Golden Child.” We tried to spread our wings and go all over because I wanted different scenery for different songs on the album.
What do you remember about putting “V6” together? Did it feel like it was going to be a massive hit from the jump?
I recorded, engineered and voiced “V6” myself. I was kind of at a low point in my life.
I was getting a lot of backlash on the internet, and I had some stuff going on with the law. We were getting a lot of pressure after Sting [2022]; fighting happened, police got involved, it was almost a breaking point. I locked in with my manager, and he told me somebody had a riddim they want me to record on. I was in the house by myself in the living room, my baby mom was pregnant in the other room, and I just felt the vibe.
The song was written before I [cut my vocals]. The day before, I was on tour from Portmore to Ocho Rios, and while we were driving, I started to sing “V6 pon di toll road,” and I dropped it in my notes app. When we reach back at Portmore, I recorded it and didn’t think much of it. Even after it was finished, I had the song sitting for a while; people in the country were like, “Yo, you’re not planning to release this song?” Everybody was pressuring me for it.
When did you know that it was blowing up in a different kind of way?
When I saw people from all races and traditions using the song on TikTok.
Did you feel pressure to quickly follow it up with another hit?
No, but that’s mostly because of my self-confidence. When I made “V6,” it was effortless, and I wasn’t expecting it to hit. Seeing that I could do something like that doesn’t [leave room] for pressure in my brain because I have limitless potential. I don’t know [the full extent of] what I can do.
What are your favorite memories from creating The Grand Rising? What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned from that album cycle?
I learned that songs you don’t [plan on releasing] can be the biggest hits. Obviously, “7:00PM” was the hit, but everybody expected “Don Julio” to be the hit. “7:00PM” was the underdog. Now, I don’t underestimate any of my songs. The possibilities are endless when it comes to music.
Do you prefer freestyling or writing?
I do a little bit of both, but it depends on the type of sound I’m going for. Some songs need deep thought to properly construct the message, and others are just vibes.
You took home best new dancehall artist at the Caribbean Music Awards in 2025. And you’re nominated for the dancehall impact award this year. What does that kind of recognition mean to you?
I didn’t even know that I won! I wasn’t really following up on [the awards]. They sent me an invitation and all that, but they didn’t tell me if I won or not in that e-mail. I wasn’t really posting about it, so I got in my own head like, Nobody nuh vote for me; if my fans don’t see it matter to me, it won’t matter to them. But, surprisingly, people voted behind my back, and I won! I actually just collected the trophy they mailed over to the VP Records offices.
What do you remember about the very first time you performed on stage? How did that compare to your Brooklyn Navy Yard performance in May?
They had similar feelings. The first time I performed, nobody actually knew that I was an artist. I was 11 years old at a stage show, and it was not a place for children. The stage show was right beside my house, so I was practically living there already. I was also living with my grandparents then, and they were asleep by 7:00 or 8:00 p.m. The stage show started at 9:00 p.m., and I already had my clothes ready.
I run up on stage and tell them to play the riddim I had been practicing from early in the day. I’m anxious! When they see me run out as an 11-year-old, the whole place shake. Who this 11-year-old? We see this likkle bwoy, and we never know he can sing! Everybody was shocked, and since then people have always told me to keep going. Even though I started singing this type of music as a child, which can be inappropriate, it turned out to be a good thing, because I can provide for my family.
Who are some of your dream collaborators?
Rihanna is my favorite female artist, so let’s leave it at her for now. I won’t be able to name anyone else; I’ll just be stuck on her.
