Vybz Kartel
Vybz Kartel | |
---|---|
Birth name | Adidja Azim Palmer |
Born | [1] Portmore, Jamaica | 7 January 1976
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1993–present |
Labels |
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Adidja Azim Palmer (born 7 January 1976),[2][3][4] better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican reggae dancehall recording artist, record producer, entrepreneur and convicted murderer.[5] Among his various nicknames, he is referred to as Worl' Boss or Teacha.[6] As summarized by Rolling Stone, he "attained folk-hero status in Jamaica with provocative lyrics, and a mischievous public persona", and "few have captivated [the dancehall] audience – or offended the sensibilities of its detractors – as consistently and thoroughly as Kartel."[6]
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, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Digga D and Unknown T, he has also been credited as an inspiration for the dancehall-infused work of a number of Western artists, including Drake, who has cited Kartel as being one of his "biggest inspirations".[6][7]
In 2014, Kartel was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his associate Clive "Lizard" Williams. He will be eligible for parole once he has served a minimum of 35 years in prison.[5] Despite being imprisoned, Kartel continues to release new music prolifically, having released over 50 new songs in 2016 alone.[6] His hit song "Fever" was certified gold in June 2020.[8]
Life and career
1993–2008: Rise to prominence
Palmer 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", an homage to Buju Banton.[9] Palmer was later part of the three-member group "Vybz Cartel", keeping the name for himself after the group split up. While still a member of the group, he claims to have written nearly 30 songs, including "Gal Clown".[10] He eventually became a protege of Bounty Killer.
Kartel rose to prominence in 2003 after having a string of hit songs in Jamaica. The year culminated in a pre-planned on-stage clash with Ninjaman at the annual dancehall festival Sting, held 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.[11] While Kartel's manager initially blamed Ninjaman,[11] Kartel himself quickly apologised to Ninjaman and festival organizers for the fracas.[12] Four days after the incident, the two artists appeared before the press to announce a settlement of their differences and to end any animosity.[13]
From the beginning through the midst of his ongoing career, Kartel released a number of albums through the UK-based label Greensleeves Records, 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.[14] After splitting with Bounty Killer-led Alliance in 2006, Kartel joined the Portmore Empire, a group of dancehall DJs and singers from his Portmore neighbourhood that he signed to his newly founded Adidjahiem/Notnice Records. The members included Popcaan,[15] and Tommy Lee.
In 2008, Corey Todd, an American businessman, 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.[16][17] 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.[18]
2009–2013: Crossover and imprisonment
In 2009 his song featuring Jamaican deejay Spice, "Romping Shop", debuted on the Billboard Top 100 Singles chart,[19] and "Dollar Sign" was in regular rotation on urban radio stations in the US.[20] 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.[21] "Clarks" was also featured on the TV series So You Think You Can Dance Canada,[22] and on a CNN segment on dancehall dance.[23] 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.[24] 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.[25][26][27]
MTV's Vice Guide to Dancehall featured Kartel at his weekly dance party, Street Vybz Thursday.[28] 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 charges in September 2011.[29]
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 of Jamaican businessman Barrington Burton, conspiracy and illegal possession of a firearm.[30] 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.[31]
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.[32] 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.[33] 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.[34]
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.[35] 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.[36][37][38] The 65-day trial was said to have been the longest in Jamaica's history.[39] On 3 April 2014, Kartel was sentenced to life imprisonment. Justice Lennox Campbell said he would be eligible for parole after serving 35 years.[40][41]
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.[42]
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.[6]
Kartel re-teamed with Kingston Story producer Dre Skull for the single "Real Bad Gal" in 2017. Two of his seven children have continued his musical legacy as sons 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”).[43] 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.[44]
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.[45] On 26 June 2020, Kartel released his fifteenth studio album, Of Dons & Divas.[46] He also appeared on Busta Rhymes' 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.[47] 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.[48]
Personal life
Vybz Kartel's first child was born on 18 April 2003, when he was 27 years old. He subsequently had two other children with the child’s mother, his longtime girlfriend Tanesha 'Shorty' Johnson. Kartel also has six more children from other relationships.[49] 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.[50]
Skin whitening
Kartel has come under controversy over perceived skin whitening, or "bleaching", leading him to claim the use of "cake soap" to lighten his skin.[51][52] The Blue Power Group, Jamaican manufacturer of the popular cake soap (or "blue soap"), has refuted claims it changes skin color.[53] 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.[25]
Controversies
Kartel's 2004 UK MOBO award nomination was withdrawn amidst controversy over homophobic content of his lyrics.[54] 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."[6] In September 2011, the National Communications Network of Guyana banned Vybz Kartel from the airwaves—the first such action against a specific artist.[55] 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's 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.[56] In a police-overseen press conference in March 2007, both Mavado and Vybz Kartel publicly announced an end to hostilities and apologized to fans.[57]
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".[58][59]
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.[60][61]
On 8 December 2009, Kartel and Mavado met with Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding in an attempt to end the feud, which had by that time fueled mob attacks in some of the inner-city neighbourhoods of Kingston.[62] 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[63] Christopher "Dudus" Coke.[56] After the truce in December 2009, the two artists were scheduled to perform a unity concert in March 2010 in Barbados, which was later cancelled by Barbadian Prime Minister David Thompson.[64]
Awards
- 2003
- Stone Love's 30th Anniversary
- DJ of the Year 2005
- Stone Love's 30th Anniversary
- 2008
- CUMA (Caribbean Urban Music Awards)
- 2009
- 2010
- EME Awards[66]
Nominations
Discography
Albums
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions[68] |
---|---|---|
US Reggae | ||
Up 2 Di Time [69] |
|
– |
Timeless |
|
|
More Up 2 Di Time [70] |
|
– |
J.M.T. [71] |
|
– |
The Teacher's Back |
|
– |
Most Wanted [72] |
|
– |
Pon Di Gaza 2.0 [73] |
|
– |
Kingston Story (with Dre Skull) |
|
7 |
The Voice of the Jamaican Ghetto - Incarcerated But Not Silenced |
|
6 |
Kartel Forever: Trilogy |
|
11 |
Reggae Love Songs |
|
- |
Viking (Vybz Is King) |
|
3[74] |
King of the Dancehall |
|
2 |
To Tanesha [45] |
|
- |
Of Dons & Divas [76] |
|
6 |
Born Fi Dis (Prelude) |
|
- |
"–" indicates album did not chart or was not released in the country |
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[77]
Riddim Albums
Vybz Kartel has featured on more than 900 riddims/rhythms from various producers worldwide throughout his career.[78]
Singles
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US R&B | ||||||
"Tekk Buddy" | 2004 | 111[79] | More Up 2 Di Time | |||
"Picture This" | 121[80] | |||||
"Ramping Shop" (featuring Spice) | 2009 | 76[81] | Pon di Gaza 2.0 | |||
"Life Sweet" | – | |||||
"Go Fi Dem Anyweh" | – | |||||
"Last Man Standing" | – | |||||
"Clarks Again" | 2010 | – | Single only | |||
"Know Bout Me" | – | |||||
"Like Xmas" | – | |||||
"All Out" | 2011 | – | ||||
"Step Up Inna Life" | – | |||||
"Tell You Say" | – | |||||
"Sex & the City" | – | |||||
"Slew Dem Like David" | – | |||||
"Go Go Wine" | – | Kingston Story | ||||
"Yuh Love" | – | |||||
"Summertime" | – | Colouring Book | ||||
"Party Me Say (Me Nice)" | 2012 | – | Mentally Free | |||
"Reparation" (featuring Gaza Slim) | – | |||||
"Street Vybz Girl" | – | |||||
"Good Father"/"Mi Sorry" | – | Single only | ||||
"Right Now" (featuring Stylish) | – | |||||
"Dweet We a Dweet (Do It)" | – | |||||
"Lip Gloss (Cover Girl)" | – | |||||
"The Cure (Fi Badmind)" (featuring Rvssian) | – | |||||
"Looking Glass" | – | |||||
"Party Vibes" | – | |||||
"Informer" (featuring Tommy Lee) | – | |||||
"Betray Di Gaza Boss" (featuring Tommy Lee) | – | Unstoppable | ||||
"Daddy Devil" | – | Gaza Man Crazy EP | ||||
"Love U Baby" | 2013 | – | Unstoppable | |||
"Back to Life" | – | Kartel Forever Trilogy | ||||
"Look Pon We" | – | |||||
"Ghetto Life" | – | |||||
"Summer Time" | – | |||||
"Bubble Hard" | – | |||||
"Me A Pree" | – | |||||
"Dancehall Hero" | – | |||||
"Badman Sittin" | – | Single only | ||||
"Wickedest Ride" (with Gaza Slim) |
2014 | — | Duet | |||
"Make Up" | — | Reggae Love Songs | ||||
"Fever" | 2016 | – | King of the Dancehall | |||
"Can't be the same" (featuring Squash) | 2019 | – | Single only | |||
"—" denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory. |
As featured artist
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Reggae Digital | UK | ||||||
"Been Around the World" (Zena featuring Vybz Kartel) | 2003 | – | 44[83] | Non-album single | |||
"Pon de Floor" (Major Lazer and Afrojack featuring Vybz Kartel) | 2010 | 7[84] | – | Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do | |||
"No Roof" (Kalash featuring Vybz Kartel) | 2017 | – | – | Mwaka Moon | |||
"Girlfriend" (Busta Rhymes featuring Vybz Kartel and Tory Lanez) | – | – | Non-album single | ||||
"Royalty"[85] (XXXTentacion featuring Ky-Mani Marley, Stefflon Don, and Vybz Kartel) |
2019 | – | – | Bad Vibes Forever | |||
"—" denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory.. |
Guest appearances
Year | Title | Album | Artist |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)" (featuring Vybz Kartel) | Music of the Sun | Rihanna |
2005 | "Bad Man" (featuring Vybz Kartel and M.I.A.) | The Cookbook | Missy Elliott |
2006 | "Descarada (Dance)" (featuring Vybz Kartel) | El Mariel | Pitbull |
2007 | "Colors 2007" (Reggae Remix) (featuring Vybz Kartel and Kardinal Offishall) | Sean Kingston | Sean Kingston |
2009 | "Herbs Promotion" (featuring Demarco and Vybz Kartel) | Contagious | Tarrus Riley |
2009 | "Pon De Floor" (featuring Vybz Kartel) | Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do | Major Lazer |
2012 | "Wine & Go Down" (featuring Vybz Kartel) | Year of the Dragon | Busta Rhymes |
2017 | "No Roof" (featuring Vybz Kartel) | Mwaka Moon | Kalash |
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- ^ "Most Wanted - Album by Vybz Kartel on Apple Music". Apple Music Store (U.S.). Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ Kartel releases Pon Di Gaza 2.0 Archived 24 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Jamaica Star. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
- ^ Jackson, Kevin (2015) "New Vybz on billboard Archived 26 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine", Jamaica Observer, 24 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015
- ^ "New album from Kartel Archived 21 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine", Jamaica Observer, 15 April 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2016
- ^ "Vybz Kartel's New Album 'Of Dons & Divas' Is Out Now". DancehallMag. 26 June 2020. Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Vybz Kartel - True Religion". Apple Music. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^ "Vybz Kartel". Riddim World. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
- ^ Peaked at #11 on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, a chart of 25 spots below the 100-spot Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart. Source
- ^ Peaked at #21 on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, a chart of 25 spots below the 100-spot Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart. Source
- ^ https://www.billboard.com/artist/vybz-kartel/chart-history/
- ^ "British certifications – Vybz Kartel". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 12 February 2023. Type Vybz Kartel in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ "Zena and Vybz Kartel - Been Around The World - Music Charts". Acharts.us. Archived from the original on 5 April 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
- ^ "Archived copy". Billboard. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
{{cite magazine}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)[0]=is_bmdb_track_id%3A400719&f[1]=itm_field_chart_id%3A1105&refine=1 - ^ Saponara, Michael (19 July 2019). "XXXTentacion's Estate Releases Dancehall-Inspired 'Royalty': Listen". Billboard. Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
- 1976 births
- Living people
- Jamaican dancehall musicians
- Jamaican people convicted of murder
- Jamaican prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
- Jamaican rappers
- Jamaican reggae musicians
- Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica
- People convicted of murder by Jamaica
- Reggae fusion artists
- Greensleeves Records artists
- People from Portmore, Jamaica