Adidja Azim Palmer (born 7 January 1976), better known as Vybz Kartel, is a
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
n
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
and
dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...
recording artist, composer, record producer, and entrepreneur. Among his various nicknames, he is referred to as "Worl' Boss".
As summarized by ''Rolling Stone'', he "attained folk-hero status in
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
with provocative lyrics, and a mischievous public persona", and "few have captivated
he dancehall
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
audience – or offended the sensibilities of its detractors – as consistently and thoroughly as Kartel."
Kartel's singles include "Romping Shop" (2009), "Dancehall Hero" (2010), and "Summer Time" (2011). Having collaborated with a number of hip hop and R&B artists such as
Major Lazer
Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. It originates from Kingston, Jamaica, and was founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after t ...
,
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
,
Jay Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
,
Digga D
Rhys Angelo Emile Herbert (born 29 June 2000), known professionally as Digga D, is a British rapper and director. He had multiple singles that have been placed in the UK Singles Chart; his mixtape albums '' Double Tap Diaries'' and '' Made In ...
, and
Unknown T
Daniel Lena (born 17 August 1999), known professionally as Unknown T, is a British professional musician. His post release album “Rise Above Hate” (2020) was a major hit on the UK music scene, the album reaching the top of the charts in the ...
, he has also been credited as an inspiration for the dancehall-infused work of a number of Western artists, including
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
, who has cited Kartel as being one of his "biggest inspirations".
In 2014, Kartel was sentenced to
life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for ...
for the
murder
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...
of his associate Clive "Lizard" Williams. He will be eligible for
parole
Parole (also known as provisional release or supervised release) is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by certain behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated parole officers, or ...
once he has served a minimum of 35 years in prison. Despite being imprisoned, Kartel continues to release new music prolifically, releasing over 50 new songs in 2016 alone.
His hit song "Fever" was certified Gold in June 2020.
Life and career
1993–2008: Rise to prominence
Vybz Kartel started his career as a teenager, in 1993 with his first recording "Love Fat Woman", which he released on Alvin Reid's label "One Heart" using the moniker "Adi Banton" as homage to
Buju Banton
Mark Anthony Myrie (born 15 July 1973),Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books, professionally known by his stage name Buju Banton, is a Jamaican reggae dancehall musician. He is considered to be one of the most ...
. Palmer was later part of the three-member group "Vybz Cartel", keeping the name after the group split up, and became a protege of
Bounty Killer
Rodney Basil Price (born 12 June 1972), known as Bounty Killer, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay. AllMusic describes him as "one of the most aggressive dancehall stars of the '90s, a street-tough rude boy with an unrepentant flair ...
. With this group, he claims to have written nearly 30 songs with them, including the song "Gal Clown".
Kartel rose to prominence in 2003 after a string of hits in Jamaica. The year culminated in a pre-planned on-stage clash with
Ninjaman
Desmond John Ballentine (born January 24, 1966), better known as Ninjaman, and sometimes as Don Gorgon is a Jamaican dancehall deejay and actor, known for his controversial and pro-gun lyrics and his stuttering and melodramatic style. In 2017, he ...
at the annual dancehall festival Sting in Kartel's hometown of
Portmore. The clash turned violent when Kartel's crewmembers, as well as Kartel himself, threw punches and assaulted Ninjaman onstage.
[Mills, Claude]
Terror at Sting
. ''Jamaica Gleaner''. 28 December 2003; retrieved 26 December 2014. While Kartel's manager initially blamed Ninjaman,
[ Kartel himself quickly apologised to Ninjaman and Sting organizers for the fracas. Four days after the incident, the two artists appeared before the press to announce a settlement of their differences and to end any animosity.
From the beginning to midst of his ongoing career, Kartel released a number of albums through the UK based label ]Greensleeves Records
Greensleeves Records & Publishing, shortened to ''Greensleeves Records'', is a record label specializing in dancehall and reggae music. The company was founded by Chris Cracknell and Chris Sedgwick. Based in Britain, Greensleeves Records star ...
, such as ''Up 2 Di Time'', ''More Up 2 Di Time'', and ''J.M.T.''. He established his own label Adidjahiem/Notnice Records with his business partner and producer Ainsley "Notnice" Morris. After splitting with Bounty Killer-led Alliance
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
in 2006, Kartel joined the Portmore Empire, a group of dancehall DJs and singers from his Portmore neighborhood that he signed to his newly founded Adidjahiem/Notnice Records. The members included Popcaan
Andrae Hugh Sutherland (born 19 July 1988), known professionally as Popcaan, is a Jamaican singer.
In 2008, Popcaan joined Vybz Kartel's Gaza Music Empire. In 2010, he released his breakthrough international hit "Clarks" with Kartel, an ode t ...
, Deva Bratt (founder), Gaza Slim, Shawn Storm, Sheba, Gaza Indu, Tommy Lee
Thomas Lee Bass (born October 3, 1962) is an American musician and founding member of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap metal band Methods of Mayhem and has pursued solo musical ...
, Singing Maxwell, Singa Blinga, Lenny Mattic, Lisa Hype, Gaza Kim, Blak Ryno, Jah Vinci, Dosa Medicine and Merital Family.
In 2008, Corey Todd, an American business man, signed Vybz Kartel to an endorsement deal for Vybz Rum. The relationship between Todd and Kartel developed into a business partnership. Together they launched Daggerin Condom and Street Vybz Rum. Todd then purchased Jamaica's most popular dancehall nightclub Asylum, which became the home to their weekly event called Street Vybz Thursday.
Street Vybz Rum production was stopped in 2011 because of a disagreement between Kartel and Todd. However, the collaboration resumed in 2012 as the two settled their differences, and despite Kartel's ongoing incarceration.
2009–2013: Crossover and imprisonment
In 2009 his song featuring Jamaican deejay Spice
A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices a ...
, "Romping Shop", debuted on the ''Billboard'' Top 100 Singles chart, and "Dollar Sign" was in regular rotation on urban radio stations in the US.
His 2010 single "Clarks" was one of his biggest international successes, remaining in the top three reggae singles and gaining the most radio plays in North America for 40 weeks. "Clarks" was also featured on the TV series ''So You Think You Can Dance Canada'', and on a CNN segment on dancehall dance. When his singles "Clarks", "Clarks 2 (Clarks Again)" and "Clarks 3 (Wear Weh Yuh Have)" in 2010, its sales numbers and prices in Jamaica increased considerably. In 2011, he released his own shoe line, named Addi's, as well as his own line of "cake soap", a type of soap primarily used for clothes. Cake soap is less commonly utilised for skincare, to treat skin conditions such as acne. However, Kartel's brand was intended for the purpose of skin lightening or bleaching.[Henry, Krista]
Kartel to start own shoe brand
. ''Jamaica Star''; retrieved 25 December 2014.
MTV's ''Vice Guide to Dancehall'' featured Kartel at his weekly dance party, Street Vybz Thursday. Vybz Kartel has also hosted his own reality television show "Teacha's Pet" on CVM Jamaica broadcast channel, the first reality television show hosted by a dancehall artist in Jamaica. The premise of "Teacha's Pet" found 20 women living in a Kingston house vying for the artist's affection; the show's lascivious content elicited condemnation of its sponsor, telecommunications company LIME. The show came to a halt with the artist's arrest on murder
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...
charges in September 2011.
Charges and conviction
On 29 September 2011, Kartel was arrested by police for cannabis possession. Jamaica's Major Investigation Taskforce (MIT) later charged him with the murder
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...
of Jamaican businessman Barrington Burton, conspiracy
A conspiracy, also known as a plot, is a secret plan or agreement between persons (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder or treason, especially with political motivation, while keeping their agree ...
and illegal possession of a firearm
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions).
The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...
. While in prison in 2012, his book ''The Voice Of The Jamaican Ghetto: Incarcerated but not Silenced'', co-written with business associate Michael Dawson, was published.
Though Kartel was granted bail for the Burton murder on 23 March 2012, for JMD$3,000,000, he remained in prison in connection with a second murder, of Clive 'Lizard' Williams, of Waterford, St Catherine. He was charged, along with two others including Vanessa "Gaza Slim" Saddler, with perverting the course of justice, after Saddler allegedly claimed that Williams had robbed her in order to mislead the police into believing that he was still alive.[Mundle, Tanesha (2012)]
Nov 12 trial date for Kartel
", ''Jamaica Observer
''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica. The publication is owned by Butch Stewart, who chartered the paper in January 1993 as a competitor to Jamaica's oldest daily paper, ''The Gleaner''. Its founding editor i ...
'', 30 August 2012; retrieved 1 September 2012. Kartel's trial was originally scheduled for 21 January 2013, but had to be postponed due to a lack of jurors, and was rescheduled for 11 July.
On 24 July, a jury found Kartel not guilty of the charge of murder of Barrington Burton. However, Kartel remained in custody pending the second murder case. His trial for the murder of Clive Williams started on 18 November 2013, and on 13 March 2014, he was found guilty by an eleven-member jury (10-1) of the murder of 27-year-old Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams. The 65-day trial was said to have been the longest in Jamaica's history. On 3 April 2014, Kartel was sentenced to life imprisonment. Justice Lennox Campbell said he would be eligible for parole after serving 35 years.
2014–present: Music from prison
Since his incarceration in 2011, Vybz Kartel has been releasing new music prolifically. Jamaican prison officials have denied allowing him recording privileges, and Kartel has refused to state the exact source of the recordings, whose lyrical content includes current events.
In 2016, while in prison, Kartel released his most internationally successful album, ''King of the Dancehall'', which peaked at number 2 on the US ''Billboard'' Reggae Charts. The album included the single "Fever" which topped various local music charts and became his most successful on streaming websites.
Kartel re-teamed with ''Kingston Story'' producer Dre Skull
Mixpak Records is a Brooklyn-based independent record label, founded in 2009 by record producer Dre Skull. The label operates across a range of genres, from dancehall to underground club music, Experimental music, experimental electronic, rap an ...
for the single "Real Bad Gal" in 2017. Two of his seven children, have continued his musical legacy, as Jaheim, also known as Little Vybz, and Akheel Raheim Palmer, also known as Little Addi, have been releasing music since 2014 as a duo known as PG 13 (also known as Kartel Sons). In 2019, both were featured on the "Fully Gaza" riddim, on separate songs, with Likkle Vybz teaming with father Vybz on the title track "Fully Gaza", while Likkle Addi performs solo on "Dolla Sign" which interpolates portions of the chorus from his father's single of the same name, on the Goodlife riddim, from 2009.
In January 2020, Kartel released a 10 track album, "To Tanesha", which was dedicated to his ex-girlfriend and mother of his three children, Tanesha Johnson. They co-produced the album with their respective record labels: Short Boss Muzik and Vybz Kartel Muzik. On 26 June 2020, Kartel released his fifteenth studio album, ''Of Dons & Divas''. He also appeared on Busta Rhymes
Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...
' 2020 album '' Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God''.
Exactly six years later on 3 April 2020, a three-member panel of judges in the Jamaican Court of Appeal reaffirmed Kartel's conviction. On 17 April 2020, the Court of Appeal reduced Kartel's parole eligibility to 32 years and 6 months, citing Justice Campbell's failure to consider time the singer had spent in jail while awaiting trial in 2014. Kartel will now be eligible for parole in 2046.
Personal life
Vybz Kartel's first child was born on 18 April 2003, when he was 27 years old. This child, along with two other children, he had with longtime girlfriend Tanesha 'Shorty' Johnson. Kartel also has six more children from other relationships. On 17 May 2020, it was revealed that Kartel's 15-year-old son was expecting a child with an 18-year-old woman, making Vybz a grandfather for the first time.
Skin whitening
Kartel has come under controversy over perceived skin whitening
Skin whitening, also known as skin lightening and skin bleaching, is the practice of using chemical substances in an attempt to lighten the skin or provide an even skin color by reducing the melanin concentration in the skin. Several chemicals ha ...
, or "bleaching", leading him to claim the use of "cake soap" to lighten his skin.[Hunter, Nadisha]
Rub it out
. ''Jamaica Gleaner''. 29 December 2010; retrieved 25 December 2014.[Farah]
Vybz Kartel under fire for skin bleaching
. ''The Tribune (Bahamas)''. 2 February 2011; retrieved 26 December 2014. The Blue Power Group, Jamaican manufacturer of the popular cake soap (or "blue soap"), has refuted claims it changes skin color. Kartel stated the soap used to lighten his skin was his own company brand, which he intended to release on the local market and to overseas clients.[
]
Controversies
Kartel's 2004 UK MOBO award nomination was withdrawn amidst controversy over homophobic content of his lyrics. As described by Rolling Stone, Kartel is "credited with helping to erode Jamaica’s long-held taboo against oral sex by singing about blow jobs."
In September 2011, the National Communications Network of Guyana
Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...
banned Vybz Kartel from the airwaves—the first such action against a specific artist. NCN spokesman Martin Goolsarran said his music contained "obscene lyrics" and brought "nothing positive" to the entertainment industry, on Wednesday, 21 September after a week of internal debate. He said NCN was reviewing the lyrics of other musicians and could ban them as well.
Feud with Mavado
A public feud between Kartel and former collaborator Mavado arose towards the end of 2006, stemming from Vybz' much publicised departure from the dancehall conglomerate group The Alliance. The feud resulted in numerous diss tracks released, in which each artist dissed the other and their associates over popular dancehall rhythms.[Dreisinger, Baz]
Reggae's Civil War Why Mavado and Vybz Kartel might be the Biggie and Tupac of Dancehall
. ''Village Voice'', 2 March 2010; accessed 26 December 2014. In a police-overseen press conference in March 2007, both Mavado and Vybz Kartel publicly announced an end to hostilities and apologized to fans.
However, by the summer of 2008, tensions flared with a renewal of "diss tracks" from each artist, and a lyrical clash between the two at Sting 2008 left mixed views as to the "winner".
Most of 2009 saw a continuation of the public feud, which dominated Jamaican media and, to a certain extent, Jamaican culture, with the two artists' factions, ''Gaza'' (Kartel) and ''Gully'' (Mavado), being adopted by Jamaican youth, in some cases leading to street violence.
On 8 December 2009, Kartel and Mavado met with Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding
Orette Bruce Golding (born 5 December 1947) is a former Jamaican politician who served as eighth Prime Minister of Jamaica from 11 September 2007 to 23 October 2011. He is a member of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), which he led from 2005 to h ...
in an attempt to end the feud, which had by that time fueled mob attacks in some of the inner-city
The term ''inner city'' has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Sociologists sometim ...
neighbourhoods of Kingston. The two had performed together on-stage the previous night in a sign of goodwill at the West Kingston Jamboree, a concert promoted by drug lord
A drug lord, drug baron, kingpin or narcotrafficker is a high-ranking crime boss who controls a sizable network of people involved in the illegal drug trade. Such figures are often difficult to bring to justice, as they are normally not directly ...
Christopher "Dudus" Coke.[ After the truce in December 2009, the two artists were scheduled to perform a unity concert in March 2010 in ]Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...
, which was later cancelled by Barbadian Prime Minister David Thompson.
Awards
* 2003
** Stone Love's 30th Anniversary
*** DJ of the Year 2005
* 2008
** CUMA (Caribbean Urban Music Awards)
* 2009
** EME Awards
*** Male DJ of the Year
*** Lyricist/Songwriter of the Year
*** Song of the Year (Romping Shop ft. Spice
A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices a ...
)
* 2010
** EME Awards
Nominations
* Source
Source may refer to:
Research
* Historical document
* Historical source
* Source (intelligence) or sub source, typically a confidential provider of non open-source intelligence
* Source (journalism), a person, publication, publishing institute o ...
* VIBE
''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...
* UK MOBO
The MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin, also known as the MOBOs) are an annual British music award presentation honouring achievements in " music of black origin", including hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and ...
awards
Discography
Albums
Extended plays
* 2009: ''GAZA''
* 2010: ''Raw - EP''
* 2011: ''The Gaza Don''
* 2011: ''Colouring Book''
* 2012: ''Stronger We Get''
* 2012: ''Amsterdam''
* 2012: ''Mentally Free''
* 2013: ''Time To Be Free''
* 2021: ''X-Rated''
* 2022: ''True Religion''
Riddim Albums
Vybz Kartel has featured on more than 900 riddims/rhythms from various producers worldwide throughout his career.
Singles
As featured artist
Guest appearances
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kartel, Vybz
1976 births
Living people
Jamaican dancehall musicians
Jamaican people convicted of murder
Jamaican prisoners and detainees
Jamaican rappers
Jamaican reggae musicians
Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica
People convicted of murder by Jamaica
Prisoners and detainees of Jamaica
Reggae fusion artists
Greensleeves Records artists