Vybez Kartel

Vybz (real name Adidja Palmer), one of six siblings, grew up in the Portmore district Waterford in the parish St Catherine. He attended Calabar High School in Kingston but was expelled. He was keen to finish his education and subsequently continued his education at a Technical College. Due to his Uncle being a DJ Adidja was exposed to a wide range of music from a young age. He would listen to amongst others Country & Western, Sam Cooke and Ninjaman. His cites his own musical heroes as Bounty Killer, Charlie Chaplin, Papa San, Buju Banton, Will Smith and KRS-1. All, he says, have helped him to create his own brand of dancehall.

Vybz Kartel started his journey towards a career in music, when most would be playing marbles in the playground. At the tender age of 10 Vybz began writing his own lyrics, which he went on to show at a weekly talent show called Gong in Kingston’s now defunct Coney Amusement Park. Gong followed the concept of the famous Apollo theatre, New York. Unfortunately Adidja was continuously gonged off! Totally unfazed by his attempt to impress at the talent show Adidja, now 12 years old, went on to record his debut single “Fat Women”. Alvin Reid produced the song on the One Heart label. Adidja used the name Adi Banton, using the surname of one of his heroes Buju Banton. The song failed to garner any real interest but Adidja was undeterred and determined to continue his struggle of making it within the music business.

In 1996 Adidja along with his friends Mr. Lee and Escobar formed a group and called it Vybz Cartel. They took their name from a movie about a gangster called Pablo Escobar and his drug cartel. Unfortunately cracks began to appear in the group due to internal frictions. The group soon split leaving Adidja again to continue alone. Adidja chose to keep the name of the group changing the C to K in Kartel and hence the new artist we know as VYBZ KARTEL was born.

In 1998, Vybz Kartel appeared at the Champions in Action stage show, held in his hometown Portmore. He gave an outstanding performance showing many his raw talent as a DJ in the making. Finally the right doors started to open and welcome him in. It was at this show that Bounty Killer noticed the young artist with a lot of potential.

Vybz Kartel started to create a huge buzz around himself late last year when he was named DJ of the year at Stone Love’s 30th Anniversary dance. He is now a regular performer at the top yearly stage shows in Jamaica, i.e. Fully Loaded, Saddle to The East and Sting where he was called back for an encore in 2002. A major achievement; the audience at this show are known to be very hard to please. Many entertainers have often been booed and bottled off the Sting stage. He has a huge teenage following through appearing on the many bootleg juggling CD’s put out by Cassette Jones and others in Jamaica and abroad. Not one for sitting down and waiting for it to happen - Vybz has been working non stop this year performing at shows in the US, Canada, Caribbean and the UK. Now Vybz Kartel, the DJ with a lust for wordplay is being sought after producers in the New York hip hop arena.

Just recently Max Glazier & the Federation flew to Jamaica to voice him on a CD entitled “Time To Time”. He recently appeared on the high profile Hot 97 stage show before hooking up with Cipher Sounds and Max Glazer again to remix the Pharrell William Frontin’ before flying home to support rap artist 50 Cent at a sell out show in Kingston, Jamaica. There is also collaboration with Juelz Santana of the Diplomats for the Def Jamaica compilation.

Up 2 Di Time – A refreshing, well-crafted debut album from a highly rated and talented DJ in a class by himself. Up 2 Di Time produced predominantly by Donovan “Vendetta” Bennett (Mad Ants, Egyptian and Good To Go) rhythms plus contributions from Steven Lenky Marsden (Diwali), Trevor Baby G James (20 Cent) is laced with hardcore dark dancehall rhythms, hip-hop laced beats and his signature mind boggling lyrics. The album includes some of his biggest hits this year “Sweet to the Belly”, “Why You Doing It” and “Sen On” plus a guest appearance from Canada’s #1 rapper Kardinal Offishall.