Adidja Azim Palmer (born 7 January 1976),[2][3][4] better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican reggae
dancehall musician, singer, composer, record producer and entrepreneur. Among his various nicknames,
he is referred to as "Worl' Boss"[5] and has been recognized as one of the genre's most prolific and
skilled lyricists credited with further popularizing dancehall.[5]
Kartel's singles have achieved cultural ubiquity across the Caribbean, including "Romping Shop" (2009),
"Dancehall Hero" (2010) and "Summer Time" (2011). Having collaborated with a number of
internationally prominent hip hop and R&B artists such as Major Lazer, Rihanna and Jay Z, 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".[5][6]
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.[7] Despite
being imprisoned, Kartel continues to release new music prolifically, releasing over 50 new songs in
2016 alone.[5]
Contents
• 1 Family
• 2 Career
o 2.1 1993–2002: Early career
o 2.2 2003–2008: Rise to prominence
o 2.3 2009–present: King of the Dancehall
• 3 Arrest and imprisonment
o 3.1 Charges
o 3.2 Trial
o 3.3 Conviction
o 3.4 Appeal
• 4 Controversies
o 4.1 Skin whitening
o 4.2 Airwave ban
o 4.3 Feud with Mavado
• 5 Awards
o 5.1 Nominations
• 6 Discography
o 6.1 Albums
o 6.2 Extended plays
o 6.3 Riddim Albums
o 6.4 Singles
6.4.1 As featured artist
o 6.5 Guest appearances
• 7 References
Family
Vybz Kartel first child Jaheim Palmer aka Likkle Vybz was born in April 18, 2003 when Vybz Kartel was 27
years old, he is the first of three children he had with longtime common-law wife Tanesha 'Shorty'
Johnson, the others are Akheel Raheim Palmer, also known as Little Addi (born December 22nd 2004)
and Aiko Palmer also known as World Boss Jr. Vybz Kartel has 4 more children from other relationships.
[8]
On Sunday May 17 2020 it was revealed that Vybz Kartel's 15 year old son Little Addi (Akheel Raheim
Palmer) had a child on the way with an 18 year old girl.[9]
Career
1993–2002: Early career
Vybz Kartel started his career as a teenager[10] in 1993 with his first recording "Love Fat Woman",
released on Alvin Reid's label "One Heart", using the moniker "Adi Banton", as homage to Buju Banton.
[11] 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, for whom he claims to have written nearly 30 songs,
including "Gal Clown".[12]
2003–2008: Rise to prominence
Vybz 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 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.[13] While Kartel's manager initially blamed Ninjaman,[13]
Kartel himself quickly apologised to Ninjaman and Sting organizers for the fracas.[14] Four days after the
incident, the two artists appeared before the press to announce a settlement of their differences and to
end any animosity.[15]
From the beginning to 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.[16] After splitting with Bounty Killer-led Alliance 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, Deva Bratt (founder),[17] Gaza Slim,
Shawn Storm, Sheba, Gaza Indu, Tommy Lee, Singing Maxwell, Singa Blinga, Lenny Mattic, Lisa Hype,[18]
Gaza Kim,[19] Blak Ryno,[20] Jah Vinci, Dosa Medicine and Merital Family.[21]
In 2008, Corey Todd an American business man signed Vybz Kartel to an endorsement deal for Vybz
Rum. The relationship between Corey todd and Vybz Kartel developed into a business partnership.
Together they launched Daggerin Condom and Street Vybz Rum. Corey Todd then purchased Jamaica's
most popular dancehall nightclub Asylum. which became the home to their weekly event called Street
Vybz Thursday, at the Building.[22] .[23] Street Vybz Rum production was stopped in 2011 because of a
disagreement between him and Corey Todd. However, the collaboration resumed in 2012 as the two
settled their differences, and despite Kartel's ongoing incarceration.[24]
2009–present: King of the Dancehall
In 2009 his song featuring female Jamaican deejay Spice, "Romping Shop", debuted on the Billboard Top
100 Singles chart,[25] and "Dollar Sign" was in regular rotation on urban radio stations in the US.[26]
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.[27] "Clarks" was also featured
on the TV series So You Think You Can Dance Canada,[28] and on a CNN segment on dancehall dance.
[29] When his singles "Clarks", "Clarks 2 (Clarks Again)" and "Clarks 3 (Wear Weh Yuh Have)" featured
the British shoe brand Clarks in 2010, its sales numbers and prices in Jamaica increased considerably.
[30] 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.[31][32][33]
MTV's Vice Guide to Dancehall featured Kartel at his weekly dance party, Street Vybz Thursday.[34] 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.[35]
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.[5]
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 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).[36] 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.[37][38]
In January 2020, Kartel released a 10 track album, "To Tanesha", which was dedicated to his common-
law wife 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. [39]
In April 2020, Kartel announced the title of his forthcoming fifteenth studio album, Of Dons & Divas. [40]
