Vybz Kartel

Vybz Kartel is a Jamaican dancehall musician.

Childhood and musical influences

Vybz Kartel was born Adidja Palmer, one of six siblings, at Kingston's Jubilee Hospital. Originally from Waterhouse, Kingston, he was raised in the Waterford district of the community of Portmore. Adidja attended Calabar High School in Kingston but was expelled as a teenager. Determined to continue his education, he completed his studies at a tutorial technical school. The young Adidja was exposed to a wide variety of music from a tender age by two uncles who happened to be aspiring musicians themselves. Every weekend he would be treated to new musical offerings on his uncle's old component set, ranging from Sam Cooke to country and western ballads to Ninja Man, who became one of his musical heroes. At the age of 10 his favourites included artists as diverse as Ninja Man, Papa San, Charlie Chaplin, Will Smith and KRS-1, all of whose lyrics he would write down and study word-for-word, performing them later for the entertainment of friends. Deciding he wanted to be a deejay, he began writing his own lyrics at the age of 11.

Early career

Eager to show off his skills, Adidja and his friends often frequented the weekly Gong Talent Show at the now defunct Coney Amusement Park on the outskirts of Kingston, but to their chagrin were always gonged off whenever they got a chance to perform. Undeterred by his weekly failure to impress the talent show audience, Adidja decided to hone his skills and concentrate on winning over his own community of Waterford until he was ready for bigger things. With that goal in mind, on weekends he would practise his art on neighbourhood sound systems Soul Signal and Electric Force. In 1993, the young Adidja, now in his early teens, recorded his first single Love Fat Woman for Alvin Reid's One Heart Label under the name Adi Banton, a name he chose in tribute to Buju Banton, another of his role models. He recorded several more tracks for local producers, perfecting his craft until 1996, when he and two friends, Mr Lee and a singer called Escobar, decided to form a group. One night, after watching a movie about Pablo Escobar and his infamous cartel, Adidja came up with a name for his trio: Vibes Cartel.

Rise to fame

Introduction to mentor

Unfortunately, the group soon dissolved due to internal friction and conflict between Mr Lee and Escobar and others in the community, but Adidja chose to retain the collective name of the group for himself as a one-man force, changing only the spelling. Under his new moniker Vybz Kartel, he began to build up an underground fan base over the next few months, culminating in a monumental 1998 performance at the stage show Champions In Action, catching the attention of many industry insiders as an up-and-coming heavyweight. Shortly thereafter, he was introduced to reigning king of dancehall Bounty Killer by his manager Rohan Butler, and an immediate mentor-protege alliance was formed. Vybz Kartel had always counted Bounty Killer as one of his greatest influences since his brilliant 1994 debut, but the 1998 meeting took his respect for the self-styled Warlord to another level. He started writing lyrics for Bounty Killer, leading to a string of hits for the Killer including High Grade Forever, Warlord Rule The World and Gal Clown among others.

Career route

Vybz Kartel's new role as Killer's protege (a spot once held by prodigal prodigy Baby Cham) caught the attention of the public and led to a meteoric career rise, first as a ghost-writer for Bounty, Elephant Man and other members of the Scare Dem Crew, followed by collaborations with Bounty Killer such as Gal Clown and Girls Like Mine (Liquid Riddim), then finally coming into his own with early hits such as Gun Clown, Guns Like Mine (Trafalga Riddim), Badman (Panty Raid Riddim), Bus Mi Gun Like Nuttn, Most High (Mexican Riddim) and War Organizer (Clappas Riddim). He also had a string of successful collaborations with Wayne Marshall, such as New Millenium (Mad Antz Riddim), Why (Krazy Riddim) and Why Again (Good To Go Riddim). This unprecedented and impressive debut led to Vybz Kartel being crowned Deejay Of The Year at Stone Love's 30th Anniversary, 2002, a feat unmatched by any new artist in dancehall's history.

From the outset, Vybz Kartel was more of a 'badman' deejay than a pop artist, most likely owing to his influence from hardcore legends Bounty Killer and Ninja Man. In his early career he mostly concentrated on unapologetically hardcore, undiluted songs extolling the virtues of guns, sex and ganja, but his biggest hit was yet to come. He had success with more mainstream, club-oriented singles such as Big Man (Engine Riddim), Pussy Jaw (Mad Antz Riddim), Sweet To The Belly (Egyptian Riddim) and Bruk Buddy (G-String Riddim), but in late 2003 his single Tekk Buddy on the Tunda Klap Riddim proved to be the one which catapulted his career into the stratosphere. The single stayed on the charts for months and spent weeks at the number 1 position, and finally brought Vybz Kartel to the attention of those who hadn't yet become aware of his burgeoning stardom. His newfound mainstream success, coupled with his hardcore street credibility, critical acclaim and widely-hailed lyrical ability set the stage for the inevitable; a showdown with another artist to prove his worth. What was surprising to many was the unlikely challenger: Vybz Kartel's longtime idol Ninja Man.

Sting 2003

A challenge is issued

In summer 2003, Bounty Killer and a group of young artists whose careers he had helped jumpstart came together as a loosely-knit group self-styled the Alliance. This group consisted of former Bounty proteges Elephant Man, Kiprich and Wayne Marshall, longtime Bounty collaborators such as Angel Doolas and new artists Vybz Kartel, Jagwa and Predator. The presence of Elephant Man and Vybz Kartel in the Alliance carried a great deal of industry clout, which was resented by some artists. The group was seen by some as a cartel seeking to gain control of dancehall through dictating which 'riddims' got popular by choosing only to work with certain producers and determining which stage shows and concerts did well by contractually performing as a group. Ninja Man expressed his displeasure through a series of media outlets and appearances threatening to undermine the Alliance by targeting each of its members in turn. To Bounty Killer, who regarded Ninja Man as his professional mentor and his 'deejay father', this came as a betrayal. The matter was expected to be resolved at the infamous annual Sting stage show, held every Boxing Day (December 26th) and regarded as hardcore reggae's most important stage show, notorious for onstage clashes between rival dancehall deejays (Super Cat vs Ninja Man, Bounty Killer vs Beenie Man, Bounty Killer vs Merciless to name a few). In the weeks leading up to the event, Bounty Killer let his disappointment at his one time mentor become known publicly and expressed no reservations at having himself or one of his camp accept Ninja Man's challenge. Vybz Kartel accepted the challenge and the stage was set for a lyrical showdown.

Onstage incident

In the early morning hours of December 27, 2003, Vybz Kartel took the stage at Sting prepared for musical battle. After performing a string of his hugest hits from earlier in the year Kartel launched into a musical assault of his most deadly 'badman chunes', designed to get the crowd firmly in his corner. Working his hometown advantage to the hilt (Sting is held at the Jamworld Entertainment Complex, within walking distance of Waterford) Kartel threw down the gauntlet and challenged his opponent to battle. Ninja Man accepted the challenge and came onstage, greeted by water-filled plastic bottles hurled from the strongly partisan crowd. Unfazed, Ninja Man attempted a lyrical counterstrike of his own, but was cut short by another verbal barrage from Kartel. Ninja Man, who seemed to have lost his composure by then, shoved Kartel, who struck back several times in retaliation. This was the first onstage physical altercation in Sting's 20 year history.

Aftermath

The fallout from Sting 2003 seemed to help Kartel's career rather than hurt it. Kartel's beatdown of Ninja Man, both lyrical and physical, added immeasurably to his street credibility among hardcore fans. At the same time his raunchy, X-rated lyrics in Tekk Buddy and other sexually explicit songs to follow won over a large following of female admirers, who ignored his less-than-appealing physical demeanor in favour of his seductive wordplay and naughty rhymes on Tekk Buddy sequels such as Picture Me And You (Blackout Riddim), When Gal Want Buddy (Good To Gone Riddim), Buddy Nuh Done (Aollo Aollo Riddim), Likkle Lady (Chrome Riddim) and Pussy Haffi Good (Highty Tighty Riddim). His arrest and subsequent three day stint in jail following Sting only helped to give him new subject material (When Shotta Guh A Jail, Chrome Riddim), as did rumours that he had been killed in a driveby shooting the day after Sting (More Life, Thrilla Riddim). When conservative media protested the 'slackness' of his lyrics, he responded by releasing even rawer songs (More Pussy Fi Mi Buddy, Arriba Riddim). By early 2004, Kartel had become reggae royalty, the crown prince of dancehall... but another showdown was yet to come.

Feud with Assassin and Spragga Benz

Rumours of war

Although he made peace with Ninja Man and apologized to the public for his actions onstage, in the early months of 2004, there were rumours of simmering tensions between Vybz Kartel and another talented young deejay called Assassin, fuelled by a Kartel single called Badda Dan Dem (Kasablanca Riddim), which seemed to be a counteraction to a 2003 Assassin hit called We A Bad From (Lime Cay Riddim). Both artists, who had had a friendly working relationship in the previous year, repeatedly dismissed the rumours as unfounded. Nevertheless, the release of an Assassin/Ninja Man collaboration, Real Badman (Bad Flu Riddim), which seemed to counteract Vybz Kartel's own single of the same name [Real Badman (Blackout Riddim) penned in preparation for his Sting showdown with Ninja Man] only served to add grist to the rumour mill. Adding more substance to the buzz about a rift between the two deejays was the fact that Assassin's We A Bad From seemed at least partly plagiarized from Kartel's 2002 hit Most High, and talk was that Kartel wrote We A Bad From as a subtle comeback.

War of words

Vybz Kartel - Most High (Mexican Riddim; 2002):
"Mi war from acient to modern-I
An mi a war before Eve an Adam-I
Come up to now wid bin Laden an Saddam-I
Bullet wi spin yu head like one a di turntable dem pon Adonai...
..Bwoy seh dem bad but we badder'n
Weh dem deh when wi a kill from ancient to modern...
...Wi a war from before Adam an Eve parents fuck an get dem
From before Faada God gi powa to Melchizedek dem
Dem time deh mi a use slingshot, out bwoy like cigarette dem..."

Assassin - We A Bad From (LIme Cay Riddim; 2003):
"Well, some bwoy a bad from last week, some bwoy a bad from day before yesterday, some bwoy a bad since last night, an mi nuh know, some bwoy get up a bad since morning, check di warning
We a bad from desert clarks an diamond socks...
...From bed spring a mek slingshot...
...Before Daredevil an Hulk an Batman an Robin an Flash...
...Let's get sumn straight now, we a bwoy weh a bad long time
Some bwoy tun bait now a talk bout dem use to bad one time
Real badman bad all di while, some bwoy bad sometime
Some bad since dem eat breakfast, some jus bad since lunchtime..."

Vybz Kartel - Real Badman (Cool Face Riddim; 2003):
"Man a real badman, bus fibreglass an blue steel badman
Beat likkle yute yu a baby badman
Beat gyal alone yu a lady badman (Ninja Man was once charged for domestic abuse of his child and girlfriend)
Dem bwoy deh a peppa light badman, blink once a year
Man a gangsta from when bellfoot pants a wear
Before diamond socks appear
Mi nuh haffi bun 3 key a coke an drink 2 box a beer
Mi bad naturally, mi nuh rehearse or prepare..."

Assassin and Ninja Man - Real Badman (Bad Flu Riddim; 2004):
"Some man a seh dem a coppa an blue steel badman, wi find out seh dem a rice an tun cornmeal badman...
..Feel seh yu large tru yu deh pon a one gun charge..." (Kartel was charged with illegal gun possession after his Sting arrest)

Vybz Kartel - Badda Dan Dem (Kasablanca Riddim; 2004):
"Mi nuh care whe yu bad from, or di endz whe yu trod from
Gunshot mek yu fall like di bridge ova London
When it kick yu like Van Damme
Diss mi outta East an mi buck yu ova Boston
Head a buss like gas pan
Bullet wid gunpowda, nuh Lasco, nuh 'lass man
Diss Kartel an Panton
Push yu head up inna yu madda pussy like tampon
Yeh, big up Buju Banton
When bwoy a kick like Jackie Chan ova Hong Kong
Our gun guh suh 'pam pam'
Mi a bad from before X-man an Green Lantern
Before Snoop live a Compton
Suh nuh true bwoy hear Kartel do him gyal song
Wi nuh easy fi walk pon
Teflon, black blunt, carbon..."

The rivalry escalates

This war of words escalated with Assassin's Do It If Yu Bad (Dancehall Rock Riddim) and Kartel's Badman Nuh Throw Wud (Dancehall Rock Riddim) until Assassin's mentor Spragga Benz (who played the same role to Assassin that Bounty Killer played to Vybz Kartel) made his entry into the fray with We Ready (Dancehall Rock Riddim). With Spragga Benz's involvement, both parties could no longer pretend that there was no dissension between the two camps, and open hostility ensued. Spragga Benz took the feud to another level with We Done See It (Steps Riddim), in which he made a scathing commentary on Vybz Kartel's popular 'gyal chunes', alleging that certain lines from Kartel's biggest hits made for the female demographic could be interpreted as a fascination with oral, anal, and homosexual sex (three practices considered strongly taboo in traditional Jamaican culture). Kartel responded with Fagga Correction, and made it clear that any future reconciliation was unlikely between himself and the two deejays with whom he had once collaborated. Although the feud between Kartel and Assassin was said to have been more of a friendly rivalry in the beginning, Spragga's involvement intensified the conflict, and the bad blood between Bounty Killer's Alliance and Spragga Benz's Red Square may well intensify over the course of 2005.

Accomplishments, future potential and discography

Vybz Kartel's future as a superstar and potential crossover success seems assured. He has already had several high-profile collaborations with international hip-hop and pop stars and is being touted as the next big thing in dancehall. In terms of singles sold, he has had the second-best year on the reggae charts for 2003 (outsold only by Elephant Man) and has released two albums this year for UK label Greensleeves. He was also featured twice on the Def Jamaica project, and nominated for Source, VIBE and UK MOBO awards (although his MOBO nominations, along with those of Beenie Man, Elephant Man and Sizzla were withdrawn over concerns of homophobia, a common issue with dancehall reggae in general). His video for New Millennium/Why with Wayne Marshall, though decidedly low-budget, has already been played on MTV, and his underground following is so large that a bootleg version of, in his own words "a very, very low budget film" that was made in 2001 has begun circulating. He has two albums, several mixtapes and a very prolific library of singles, some of which are mentioned in the extremely abbreviated discography below:

Albums

Up 2 Di Time (Greensleeves; 2003)

Timeless (Greensleeves; 2004)

Up 2 Di Time (More Up 2 Di Time Edition) (Greensleeves; 2004)

Mixtapes

Unnamed (Cash Money; 2002)

Time Minister (Cassette Jones)

www.up2ditime.com (Cassette Jones)

Seven Wise Virgins (Cassette Jones)

From Time To Time (Federation; 2003)

Just A Matter Of Time (Cassette Jones)

Time Nevertheless (Cassette Jones)

Timeless (Federation; 2004)

Dancehall Mix 2K4 (Swamp King; 2004)

Compilations

Girls Like Mine (Best Of Vybz) (2002)

Toe 2 Toe Vol. 6 w/ Elephant Man (Jet Star; 2003)

International Collaborations

Been Around The World w/ Zena (Virgin; 2004)

Dangerous w/ Cormega (Koch; 2004)

Everybody Gangsta w/ Kardinal Offishall (MCA; 2004)

Frontin' (Dancehall Remix) w/ Jay-Z, Pharrell Williams & Wayne Marshall (Def Jam; 2004)

Kartel & Kardinal w/ Kardinal Offishall (Greensleeves; 2004)

Move Your Body w/ Nina Sky ft. Jabba (Universal; 2004)

Straight Off The Top w/ Juelz Santana, Jim Jones & Wayne Marshall (Def Jam; 2004)

Movies

Thug Life (2001)

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