He was born at Kingston's Victoria Jubilee Hospital, and was one of six children. Originally from Waterhouse, Kingston, he was raised in the Waterford district in the community Portmore, Jamaica. 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.
He was exposed to a wide variety of music from a tender age by two uncles who were themselves aspiring musicians. Every weekend he was 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 10 his favorites included artists as diverse as Ninja Man, Papa San, Charlie Chaplin, Will Smith and KRS-1, all of whose lyrics he would study word-for-word, performing them later for friends.
He decided he wanted to be a deejay and began writing his own lyrics when he was 11. Eager to flaunt his skills, Adidja and his friends frequented the weekly Gong Talent Show at the Coney Amusement Park on the outskirts of Kingston. To their chagrin, they were always gonged off when 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 on neighborhood sound systems Soul Signal and Electric Force.
In 1993, Adidja 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 a role model, Buju Banton. He recorded several more tracks for local producers, perfecting his craft.
In 1996 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.
Vybz Kartel's new role as Killer's protege 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)."
He came into his own with early hits like "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, including "New Millennium (Mad Antz Riddim)," "Why (Krazy Riddim)" and "Why Again (Good To Go Riddim)." This unprecedented debut led to Vybz Kartel being crowned 2002 Deejay of the Year at Stone Love's 30th anniversary, a feat unmatched by any new artist in dancehall.
Kartel has--aside from incredible rhymes and subtle, clever pop culture references--a unique lyrical flow all his own. It is to be noted that Kartel rarely does dance "chunes" along the lines of Elephant man or Beenie Man. Nevertheless, 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 2003 reggae charts, outsold only by Elephant Man, and has released two albums this year for UK label Greensleeves. He was featured twice on the Def Jamaica project, and nominated for Source, VIBE and UK MOBO awards. His MOBO nominations, along with those of Beenie Man, Elephant Man and Sizzla, were subsequently 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 seen play on MTV. His underground following is so large that a bootleg version of, in his own words, "a very, very low budget film" made in 2001 has begun circulating. He has two albums, several mixtapes and a prolific library of singles.
In 2005, Vybz and Bountkiller fell out after Vybz preformed a song with Di Angel, Beenie's former girl, "Yuh Know Yuh Baby Father." Vybz walked out of the Alliance. Aidonia also left, because he took Vybz side, falling out with Busy Signal and making the song "Adid A Mi Daddy Who Wa Vex Wan Vex." It was said Vybz took side with Beenie by showing up at his wedding. Vybz said Beenie was his artist and would not and that's as far as it went. Afterwards, he and Movado which led to throwing of words through songs like "Movado di Failla," "Them Start War and Dead" and "Them a Pu@#* Pon di Battle." But this mis happas only made Mr.Palmer express his war side.
Vybz is the head of the territorial gangland in Portmore known as the Gaza and Mavado is the same for the Gully. Due to their feud a physical war arose between people in the two areas. Fans loyal to each artist have taken part as well. Their fan base in the youths has been seen, as entire schools claiming to be Gully or Gaza supporters have been known not just in Jamaica but in other Caribbean countries such as Trinidad to break out into physical war resulting in stabbings and street fights.
Following the 2009 Summit of the Americas the Jamaican government called a meetings between Vybz Kartel and Mavado calling on them to end the war. Since its conclusion both artists have turned away from war songs and focused on different topics, Kartel on women and Mavado on uplifting the people, although both still make songs of all types.
Following differences with record label Greensleeves, Vybz Kartel changed his name to Addi Di Teacha near the end of 2006. All new material he produces will be released under this name. Greensleeves will continue to release his older, unreleased material under the name Vybz Kartel.
He now owns the label Portmore Empire, founded in 2007, on which releases new deejays' music. To clear up why this was done he had an interview with Antony Miller. "If I had join Moffia House, I would be taking side which I said I would not do," he said.
He owns a rum called STREET VYBZ as well as a condom line called DAGGERING.
Recently, he collaborated with artists like D.I. aka Daniel and Di Angel--Beenie man's former wife. But that's another story...
In 2011 Kartel has recently come under fire for bleaching his skin, something that is frowned upon in Jamaican culture and even Kartel spoken against it in past songs. He has come under even more fire for his rumored involvement in devil worship with a satanic group known as the Illuminati, which is known to have other popular musicains such as Jay-Z, Kanye West, Rihanna.
Bad Like We
Vybz Kartel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But a Portmore mi come from (Waterford)
Ask di peopleβ dem wehβ live there
If miβ nuh bloodclaat gunman
None a dem pussyβ deh no bad like we
When bullet from di tec spray
Dem froth up like pepsi
(suck unnu mumma)
Man wi murda them to bomboclaat
None a dem pussy deh no bad like we
When bullet from di tec spray
Froth up like pepsi
Man wi murda them to bloodclaat
(shot inna yuh face)
Man wi murda them to bomboclaat
Mi hear di pussy dem a chat
But mi wi wipe mi foot inna
Dem face like a mat
Walk pon dem nose bridge till
Flat bridge nuh so flat
Copper bullet a fly thru yuh New Yankee hat
Nyam bullet like carrot yuh
Madda fuckin Parrot
Mi a talk like dem all dead pon di spot
And him nyam by maggot before
Nobody seh wah dat
All yuh see dem a chat di wull a dem a rat
Fraid yuh fuck a just act them ah act
Them just a buy gun mi buy
My gun them long time
Rifles deh unkind so machines gun and 9s
Barrel load a buy
Most guns weh come a walk a
Reach alone a bloodclaat mine
Nuclear tell warfare mek di
Drive mi cyaa steer
Tek di wheel wind down di window
Push di rifle cross air
Mi sparks here and sparks there
Deev'n witness nah stare
Jehovah witness get kill go tell
Yuh pastor boss blaire
When mi clap Kalashnikov di alter
Pop di cross tear
Gun wid engine like trailor 27 rass gear
Wull di fool dem pon dem ends
A bun spliff a floss there
Mi roll up like a wrizzla leff
Body slump back pon chair
Dem want war pussy ago dead inna di war
Strictly dead body war
Gyal di deh yeah mi stabbing har
Thugs inna mi army nuffa dan
Di pit's of Calabar
Rifle sing like Shalamar (so)
None a dem pussy deh no bad like we (no)
The lyrics to Vybz Kartel's song Bad Like We paint a picture of the struggles and injustices faced by the people of the ghetto in Jamaica. The song starts with a reference to police locking up a taxi driver who was just trying to hustle and provide for his family. The singer points out that this is why people are dying in the streets like dogs. It's a survivor mentality that is rife throughout the community. The singer implores the officer to have mercy on the "coaster driver dem" who are just trying to make ends meet and feed their families. The situation is clearly tough and the singer says "suh bloodclaat hard," indicating the difficulty of the circumstances they face.
The lyrics go on to criticize the government and those in power for not doing enough to help the poor. The singer accuses them of ignoring the plight of the people and not doing anything to help them. The line "tek ghetto people dem fi cartoon" means that the government is not taking the struggles of the people seriously and treating them like they are just characters in a cartoon. The singer laments that instead of spending time trying to stop the playing of music that the government deems offensive, they should be focused on building houses for the poor who are still living in cramped quarters. In the meantime, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The singer also calls out the injustice of white-collar criminals getting away with their crimes while ordinary people suffer. They also criticize the government for raising toll rates and not caring about the plight of the poor.
Overall, Bad Like We is a powerful message about poverty, injustice, and government neglect. It highlights the daily struggles and dangers faced by the people of the ghetto. It's a powerful call to action for those in power to do something to help those who are struggling.
Line by Line Meaning
Stephen ah di genius
Stephen is the genius
Me cyaa believe
I can't believe
Police lock up di taxi man
Police arrested the taxi driver
Weh a hustle fi him family
Who hustles for his family
That's why people ah dead like dog
That's why people are dying like dogs
Officer!
Officer!
Ah survivor ting
It's a survival thing
Beg yuh ah bligh fi di coaster driver dem
Please spare the coaster drivers
Memba dem ah have dem pickney fi feed
Remember they have their children to feed
At that time
At that time
Suh bloodclaat hard
So very hard
Yuh tek ghetto people dem fi cartoon
You treat ghetto people like cartoons
Time weh yuh spend ah try fi ban chune
Time you spend trying to ban music
Spend da time deh fi build poor people house
Spend that time building houses for poor people
Cah nuff ah we still ah kotch up inna one room
Because many of us are still living cramped in one room
Wah happen to di nurse ah public hospital
What happened to the nurse in the public hospital
Weh government ah treat like dem ah likkle gyal
That the government treats like a little girl
Mash up cashplus through ah poor people ting
Ruined Cash Plus through targeting the poor
And yuh nah sentence white-collar criminal
And you won't sentence white-collar criminals
Chicken back rate and pickney fi feed
Chicken backs are expensive and children need to be fed
School fee raise and me yute wah fi read
School fees are rising and my child wants to read
Import product fi mash up di farmer
Imported products destroy the farmers
Me ah seh every farmer guh plant weed
I'm saying every farmer should grow weed
People ah work hard fi four grand a week
People are working hard for four thousand dollars a week
Yute left school nah have nuh job fi seek
Youths who left school have no jobs to seek
Me nuh see nuh factory ah build
I don't see any factories being built
But a new prison open last week
But a new prison opened last week
Poor people
Poor people
Dem nuh like we
They don't like us
No dem nuh like we
No, they don't like us
We mek money abroad
We make money abroad
Dem extradite we
They extradite us
Cah dem nuh like we
Because they don't like us
Without di taxi man dem
Without the taxi drivers
Stop fight we
Stop fighting us
Dem raise di toll more, over portmore
They raised the tolls more over Portmore
Sabatoge me
Sabotage me
Dat mean dem nuh like we (like we)
That means they don't like us
Me granny follow up di system
My grandmother followed the system
Dem treat her like garbage
They treated her like garbage
Father work fi 25 years
Father worked for 25 years
Just fi pay off di mortgage
Just to pay off the mortgage
Ghetto yute life don't mean nuttin to dem
Ghetto youth's lives mean nothing to them
Five ah day ah di average
Five a day is the average
Dem ah work we like slave
They work us like slaves
Minimum wage ah di bondage (bondage)
Minimum wage is bondage
Then poverty is such ah heavy load
Then poverty is such a heavy load
Wah happen to di people dem weh ah sweep road
What happened to the people who sweep the roads
Why dem fight rasta man inna di street
Why do they fight Rastafarian men in the streets
And use rasta image pon tourist board
And use Rastafarian image on tourist boards
Memba me know di pen is mighty than di sword
Remember, I know the pen is mightier than the sword
Low di taxi man dem cah yuh nah fix di road
Leave the taxi drivers alone since you won't fix the roads
From yuh ban di Rompin Shop
From you banned the Rompin Shop
Yuh haffi ban carnival
You have to ban carnival
Pon tv yeah
On TV, yes
Every episode
Every episode
Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@intensitymediaJm
2023 and am listening this masterpiece over and over.
@jamaicalandwelove6343
2022 still listening the greatest to ever do it
@romariogivans1718
Listening Vybz Kartel and strolling throught comments is my favorite hobby #gazazation
@munstaflick2185
rite thing u deh say meh bredda nuf respect to d worldboss!!!
@tharealgeemoney1445
2022-2023 still listening π§ that's y him still underrated bare lyrics π₯π₯π₯6οΈβ£π―
@kenkendrick2759
STILL LISTENING TO THIS MASTERPIECE IN 2022
@shawncollins1786
Flames
@deondisigma978
Real thing big tune
@anthonyoneil7241
Still lesson in 2024
@tniuqsieman
So now i guess kartel is the baddest dancehall artist ever