Capella Grey
Gyalis, the 2021 hit single by New York-based rapper Capella Grey, is certified platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales and streaming equivalent of 1,000,000 units.
The certification was issued on November 4.
Capella Grey, whose parents are Jamaican, released the dancehall-flavoured track in early 2021. After it began to gain traction within the urban space, Capitol Records signed the rapper.
Gyalis peaked at 10 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, number 38 on the Hot 100, 65 in the United Kingdom, and six on the US Rhythmic chart.
In an interview with the Jamaica Observer, Capella Grey — whose real name is Curtis Jackson — spoke about his Jamaican heritage.
“I was born and raised in America but my whole family is from Jamaica. I grew up listening to so much music from the island that inspiration runs deep into my music. The flows, cadences, and melodies from the Caribbean put into any genre makes the music sound sweeter,” he said.
He said he didn’t expect that the song would’ve taken off the way it did.
“I know I loved the song after making it, so I knew it was going to move somebody out there, somewhere. I’m just grateful it [has] been getting the response it has,” he said.
Capella Grey said his music is a combination of his Jamaican heritage, hip hop, and rhythm and blues.
“It was a combination of different events that inspired the song but the song was just the mood for the day. I produced it and dropped it at the beginning of January last year,” said Capella Grey.
Since Gyalis took off, several entertainers have done remixes, including rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, as well as Jamaican acts Kranium and Jada Kingdom.
“Artistes from all over have been tapping in and either coming to the studio in NYC to link and record it, or they’ll just record over the instrumental and put it out. Either way, it’s dope that so many people want to put their own take on the Gyalis record,” he said.
The official remix of Gyalis features Chris Brown and Popcaan.