Dancehall deejay and lyricist Vybz Kartel is, perhaps, one of the most talked about entertainers on the Jamaican music scene. With sharp wits, easy humour and even sharper lyrics, Kartel has carved his way into the business from humble beginnings. Often embroiled in controversial situations, court cases, feuds, visa problems and attacks for his violent and lewd lyrical content, Vybz Kartel is also one of the most elusive entertainers in Jamaica.
How elusive can Vybz Kartel be?
The STAR got a taste when we scheduled to meet Kartel by the studio of producer, Not Nice, to conduct a five-part interview. After waiting for five hours, Kartel remained a no-show. After days of calling and texting, reporter Krista Henry finally spoke to an apologetic Kartel on the telephone. Here is the first of five instalments with Vybz Kartel as he speaks candidly, and often humorously, about his beginnings, influences, religion, women and clashes.
Also known as Adidja Palmer, Kartel was born in Kingston, the third child for his mother and the second for his father. He is originally from the Waterhouse Community, in Kingston, but he has moved to Portmore.
KH: What were you like growing up? Did you grow up in Portmore?
VK: "I grew up in Portmore, Waterford, Gaza. Kartel was an outspoken child, always have sumting to seh, always very energetic."
KH: Was music something you were always interested in?
VK: "Yeah man! We grow up inna music. Mi fadda used to have a likkle juke box wid beer record, mi madda's brothers used to deejay a mi yaad."
KH: On a sound system?
VK: "No man just round di yaad, round di sound."
KH: Where did you go to school?
VK: "Waterford Infant, Waterford Primary, Calabar High and Tutorial College."
KH: Is it true that you got kicked out of school?
VK: "That's why I went to Tutorial, mi get expel, for being unruly. I 'was' unruly. Mi go Technical and get subjects: English, geo, history and literature."
KH: What subject was your favourite?
VK: "Mi love reading and writing history mostly or literature."
KH: OK, what did you do after leaving Tutorial?
VK: "Just lef school and start tek music seriously. Mi just used to deh at every studio, stage show and event. It's not like I lef school and did barbering (laughs)."
KH: What about allegations that you used to be a jerk chicken man?
(In the clash of lyrical swords between deejays Mavado and Kartel, Mavado has accused Kartel of once selling jerk chicken for a living)
VK: "B———-t! Ask anyone from Waterhouse. A just di barber seh dat to get back at me."
KH: Where did you record your first song?
VK: "Di first song was at Penthouse Studio for Alvin Reid, a song call Fat Woman. Nobody did know mi then, only mi madda. Afta dat mi start work on mi craft."
(This was in Kartel's early teens under the name Adi Banton, the song was a tribute to Buju Banton, a musical idol of the deejay)
KH: Does anyone know this song?
VK: "No sah! Di song wasn't released 'cause di vocals wasn't all dat at di time."
KH: When did you really start becoming an artiste?
VK: "I was born an artiste, yuh mean when mi start become professional and dats when mi start lock Portmore, dat was even before Vybz Kartel, which was the three of us as a crew. Yuh had Rettis Crew wid Shaun Storm, Dosa Medicine and his crew doing his ting. Portmore is like a country in itself. It's huge and wi lock that long time, so is like mi reach quote and quote stardom from long time."
KH: The early Vybz Kartel was actually three people, what happened to dat? (This consisted of Mr Lee and a singer called Escobar).
VK: "Yuh done know each level you go up and not everyone has di same skill to go to each level, so wi disban di group and mi get di name."
KH: Why did you get to keep the name?
VK: "I invented di name. Like every other name controversy despite what anyone haffi seh."
KH: How did you meet Bounty?
VK: "Mi second manager Rohan Butler introduce me to Bounty in 2000 and mi start write for him."
KH: You started to link from there?
VK: "Yeah! We did a song together Gal Clown and Girls Like Mine."
(Vybz Kartel soon became known as Bounty Killer's musical prodigy, becoming a ghost writer for Bounty Killer, Elephant Man and the Scare Dem Crew.)
KH: Would you say your career started to kick off in Kingston from there?
VK: "Yeah man! In 2000 wi lock down Irie FM."
"Becoming Vybz Kartel of di Portmore Empire yuh done know that's more of a family unit but at the same time a musical unit."
KH: How influential was Bounty to your career?
VK: "In my initial stages 'bout 90 per cent and den afta dat Vybz Kartel was always Vybz Kartel from day one. When I meet him as a young artiste is not like mi come wid nuting. I had tons of energy to offer, tons of lyrics, I had the energy and the resources I just needed the avenue, that was Bounty Killer."
KH: Why did you leave the Alliance?
(In 2006 Kartel left the Bounty Killer-led Alliance, in order to start a new journey. He subsequently changed his name to Addi Di Teacha, although most still refer to him as Vybz Kartel.)
VK: "You kno seh Vybz Kartel must become his own big man, just like wid life you grow up, you get a job and you move on, you don't stay in di house otherwise yuh a idler."
KH: Are you still friends with anyone from the Alliance?
VK: "Vybz Kartel nuh beg fren."
KH: Would you ever think about rejoining the Alliance?
VK: "Why would I want to go backwards in life? Mi grandmodda would say that's for cruffs."
KH: After leaving Alliance did persons say to you that you were ungrateful to Bounty Killer for leaving?
VK: "Inna di early stages dem would seh that. Dem couldn't seh it to my face cause that would be disrespectful."
KH: What did you say to the naysayers?
VK: "There's always two sides to a story."
KH: Would you ever consider clashing Bounty on stage?
VK: "Vybz Kartel fears no one."
KH: Do you think he could defeat you?
VK: "Vybz Kartel is undefeatable."
KH: So if you were at an event and saw Bounty would you greet him?
VK: "I only greet females."
KH: What do you think was the turning point in your career?
VK: "Becoming Vybz Kartel of di Portmore Empire yuh done know that's more of a family unit but at the same time a musical unit."
(Shortly after leaving the Alliance, Kartel formed his Portmore Empire in early 2007, with himself at the helm. The Empire consists of persons primarily hailing from Portmore who Kartel considers to be talented.)
KH: Lyrically is there anyone you consider to be as good as you?
VK: "Blak Ryno (laughs)."
(Kartel's latest prodigy)
KH: You are regarded as an excellent lyricist, do you think this is from street smarts or from school, or both?
VK: "From both. But mi pay more attention to school. A lot of people have lyrics and don't know how to express it cause they don't have the academic knowledge."
KH: Do you read a lot?
VK: "Every day, every second, every minute. Mi read everything and believe me, mi mean everything."
KH: What was the last book you read?
(Sounds of him going to get the book)
VK: "Boy mi not even done it yet, it's called Egyptian Philosopher, a one Rasta yute mi buy it from."
KH: Do you watch a lot of TV?
VK: "Not really yuh know. Mi more into di computer ting. Yuh can get a lot more information on the Internet."
KH: What inspires you?
VK: "People, life, events."
KH: Do you write your lyrics down or does it come from the top of your head?
VK: "Top of my head for the last two years, before dat mi used to write some stuff down but mi dash dat weh."
KH: Do you think the current crop of deejays has raised the standard, that they are on your level?
VK: "Well music is not always bout lyrics but mi nuh see no one raise di standard lyrically. Noboddy don't do it. Ryno here have him own style, otherwise all of dem use my style and don't pay mi homage. Dem use ego and hype, but when dem go to bed dem haffi seh a likkle prayer to di teacha."
KH: A lot of people think you're a lyrical genius but say your brain is wasted on gun and girl songs. Is this true?
VK: "Yuh haffi look on di track record. If it's working, would I change the formula?"
KH: Would you consider making a CD of conscious songs?
VK: "Yeah man, soon, as a matter of fact we have one wid Not Nice now called 'Pon Di Gaza', which is not released as yet."
KH: Alright, Sting with Ninja Man. How did that clash start?
(In December 2003, on Sting's 20th Anniversary, Ninja Man was roughed up onstage by friends of Vybz Kartel after physical contact between the two battling deejays. The night ended in a hail of bottles and the two were brought to court where they were charged with disorderly conduct and assault occasioning bodily harm. Both were later freed of the charges.)
VK: "You know seh a Ninja Man did really a boost di clash wid Alliance and you know I was a member at di time. Me being an authentic Jamaican, I couldn't turn down the challenge. He was the challenger."
KH: "Did you feel threatened after?"
VK: "Never."
KH: "Was it planned?"
VK: "We don't have to plan or rehearse. We're natural."
KH: "So who started the fight?"
VK: "Well, you would have to check www.youtube.com, the world can see it there (laughs)."
KH: "In clashing, a lot of harsh words are exchanged. Do you take it personally?"
VK: "Me? No man! Dats why dem waan clash mi, but mi just laugh and kill dem. Tek it to dem wid a smile."
KH: "Sting 2008, do you think you and Mavado will turn out like you and Ninja into a physical confrontation?"
VK: "No man. We don't get physical wid baby boys, only grown men. It isn't my standard to hit a child."
(Mavado and Kartel have been feuding on and off since Kartel left the Alliance. The confrontation has reached beyond words with both artistes' entourage inciting violence on different occasions. A peace conference was held last year under the guidance of DCP Mark Shields and RETV's CEO Kimani Robinson where the feuding stopped for a while. The two however are at it again.)
KH: "What are your thoughts on Mavado?"
VK: "I don't think about Mavado."
KH: "Is it personal or musical?"
VK: "It couldn't be personal. I don't get personal wid man."
KH: "Do you think you need to clash and defeat a top deejay onstage to cement your place in Jamaican music?"
VK: "No. Vybz Kartel don't have to clash anyone to cement my place. Vybz Kartel is one of di baddest deejays ever. Mi a talk 'bout in Jamaican history, I'm not being conceited or hype, I mean baddest deejays ever. Even those who don't like mi have to say that I'm one of the baddest in history."
(Despite being 'one of the baddest deejays in history', Kartel has not been able to develop on his large American fan base. Currently the artiste is without a visa to travel to the United States, this many believe, has restricted his career.)
KH: As for your visa issues, what's happening with that?
VK: "Any case that is before a council and is under their jurisdiction I can not disclose of it."
KH: Do you think not being able to travel to America hasn't allowed you to reach farther in your career?
VK: "Yeah, in that market, but nowhere else. Wherever there are more than one Jamaican gathering, Vybz Kartel is being played. I always have an ethnic market worldwide."
(A market that includes Kartel's Empire, the artiste brings his aspiring deejays/family on tours such as the one they all did in Guyana recently)
KH: How did you choose persons to be a part of your Portmore Empire?
VK: "In the initial stages I didn't choose anyone. We were just always a group, even when I was in Alliance, I always used to roll with them as a unit, then when I left Alliance, we all on the same stage. Is nutting new, it just has a name."
KH: Who are the members of the Portmore Empire?
VK: Shaun Storm, Blak Ryno, Lisa Hype, Jah Vinci and Dosa Medicine."
KH: Do you think they are talented?
VK: "I don't think so, I know and it has been proven."
(Kartel's Portmore Empire hasn't always been a cohesive unit as seen with former Portmore member Deva Bratt. Deva Bratt was taken into custody early this year in connection with an alleged carnal abuse case against a 14-year-old. The artiste was released in November, before his release Deva was supposedly kicked out of the Empire by Kartel.)
KH: What really happened between you and Deva?
VK: "Deva Brat, we don't discuss (accused) rapers."
