Vybz Kartel

Vybz Kartel is the performance name of Adidja Palmer, a Jamaican dancehall deejay born in 1976 in Kingston, Jamaica. He is originally from Waterhouse in Kingston and grows up in the Waterford district of Portmore, Jamaica. He is one of six children. He is associated with dancehall and reggae and is released on Yung Merciinary Music.

Early life and education

Palmer attends Calabar High School in Kingston but is expelled as a teenager. He then completes his studies at a tutorial technical school. From an early age he is exposed to a wide range of music by two uncles who are aspiring musicians, listening at weekends to records ranging from Sam Cooke and country and western ballads to Ninja Man. He studies lyrics closely and, by the age of 10, is taking in artists such as Ninja Man, Papa San, Charlie Chaplin, Will Smith and KRS-One. He starts writing his own lyrics at 11.

He frequents the Gong Talent Show at the Coney Amusement Park near Kingston with friends, but is repeatedly booed off. He then focuses on performing in his own community of Waterford and practises on local sound systems including Soul Signal and Electric Force.

Early recordings and rise

In 1993 he records his first single, Love Fat Woman, for Alvin Reid’s One Heart label under the name Adi Banton, which he takes in tribute to Buju Banton. He records several more tracks for local producers and continues developing his style. In 1996 he forms a trio with two friends, Mr. Lee and a singer called Escobar. After watching a film about Pablo Escobar and his cartel, he gives the group the name Vibes Cartel, which later becomes Vybz Kartel.

He rises to wider attention after becoming associated with Bounty Killer, first as a ghostwriter for Bounty Killer, Elephant Man and other members of the Scare Dem Crew. He then records collaborations with Bounty Killer including Gal Clown and Girls Like Mine (Liquid Riddim).

Singles, collaborations and career growth

He establishes himself with a run of early singles including 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 records a number of successful songs with Wayne Marshall, among them New Millennium (Mad Antz Riddim), Why (Krazy Riddim) and Why Again (Good To Go Riddim).

His work is noted for sharp lyrics, pop culture references and a distinctive flow. He is described as rarely focusing on dance-oriented songs in the style of some of his contemporaries. He also appears on the Def Jamaica project and works with a range of international hip-hop and pop artists.

Recognition, releases and aliases

After this early run of releases, he is named 2002 Deejay of the Year at Stone Love’s 30th anniversary. He also has strong sales on the 2003 reggae charts. He releases two albums for the UK label Greensleeves, along with several mixtapes and a large number of singles.

He receives nominations for Source, VIBE and UK MOBO awards, though the MOBO nominations are later withdrawn. He also has a video for New Millennium/Why with Wayne Marshall that receives play on MTV. His underground following is described as large, and a bootleg version of a low-budget film made in 2001 circulates.

After differences with Greensleeves, he changes his name to Addi Di Teacha near the end of 2006 for new material, while older unreleased recordings continue to appear under the Vybz Kartel name. He later founds Portmore Empire in 2007, a label used for releasing music by new deejays. He also owns STREET VYBZ rum and the DAGGERING condom line.

Later associations

His name becomes closely linked with Portmore’s Gaza area, while Mavado is associated with the Gully, and their rivalry shapes a period of lyrical conflict in Jamaican dancehall. Their feud spreads beyond music through fan allegiance, and the Jamaican government later calls them together after the 2009 Summit of the Americas to urge an end to the conflict. After that, both move away from war songs and toward different subject matter, though they continue to record across a range of topics.

Public controversies

In 2011 he draws criticism for bleaching his skin, an act that attracts attention because it is frowned upon in Jamaican culture and because he has previously spoken against it in songs. He is also the subject of rumours about devil worship and the Illuminati.