Skillibeng says he feels safer flashing diamonds in Jamaica than the US

Skillibeng said he feels more comfortable flashing diamonds in Jamaica than in parts of the United States, framing the difference as a matter of place, recognition and how a dancehall star moves in public. The St. Thomas-born artist made the comments during a recent appearance on HOT 97’s Mornings With Mero, the weekday program hosted by The Kid Mero and Dani Mallick that airs from 6 to 10 a.m. EST.

For Skillibeng, the question was not just whether he can wear jewelry, but where visibility feels natural. He said he is in the streets every day at home and feels more locked in there, even as he acknowledged that wealth and attention always carry risk. In the United States, he said he has to be more selective about where he moves with his jewelry visible. That contrast put a familiar dancehall reality in focus: the chain is not only an accessory, but part status symbol, part branding, part performance.

He also spoke about the social side of that visibility. Asked whether he gives money to children while moving around Jamaica, Skillibeng said that comes with the position he is in. The comment underscored how artists in Jamaica are often read through a wider community lens, where success is expected to show up in public and be redistributed in small, visible ways. In dancehall, the jewelry, the car, the street presence and the hand-to-hand generosity all feed the persona.

The comparison also landed against the backdrop of different kinds of risk in Jamaica and the US. The Jamaica Constabulary Force maintains public crime statistics that track murders and other serious offenses, while the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s 2024 crime release says violent crime occurred, on average, every 25.9 seconds in the United States last year. Skillibeng’s point was not a simple safety-versus-danger argument. It was about scale, familiarity and the social structure of home, where he said he is recognized and understood.

His comments also carried extra weight because of what he said happened in June 2024 at Norman Manley International Airport, where he alleged that US$100,000 worth of jewelry was stolen from his luggage. The airport operator told him to file a police report, and Jamaica media later reported that NMIA said it had not received a formal complaint when it responded publicly. That episode sharpened the tension in his remarks: even in Jamaica, visible wealth can become vulnerable when it is in motion.

Skillibeng also said he has no plan to relocate permanently to the US, adding another layer to the picture he drew in the interview. With UK silver certifications on Crocodile Teeth and Jump confirming his international reach, he remains an artist who earns abroad but stays rooted at home. The diamonds, in his telling, still make the most sense where the streets know his name.