Elephant Man

Jamaican dancehall artist Oneal Bryan may be better known by his alias, Elephant Man, but his explosive character and manic antics have earned him another nickname: Energy God. Born in 1975 in Kingston, Bryan was exposed to dancehall culture at an early age and joined the Scare Dem Crew after Bounty Killer heard the youth singing outside of Shabba Ranks’ studio. After one album the crew disbanded, and Bryan went on to forge a solo career with hip-hop infused into his heavy riddims. This melding of influences was exemplified by his 2001 breakout hit, “Log On,” from the album of the same title. Let’s Get Physical (2008) was released on Sean Combs’ Bad Boy Records, and its lead single, “Five-O,” featured Wyclef Jean, just one in a slew of high-profile hip-hop and R&B collaborators sprinkled across the record. His 2022 release, Di Best, maintains his signature balance of traditional dancehall and modern hip-hop sensibilities.