Vybz Kartel (born Adidja Palmer, Jan. 7, 1976) is a Jamaican dancehall deej… Read Full Bio ↴Vybz Kartel (born Adidja Palmer, Jan. 7, 1976) is a Jamaican dancehall deejay.

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.

Badman Nah
Vybz Kartel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Badman nah look ooman
Book ooman, jook ooman
Den fly from room door and
Foot ooman fi 'pon puckuman
Plus man weh nyam ooman
Weh him do man?
You ever yet cook ooman?!
Badman buss it up 'pon a man

Weh hug up another man
Coulda daddy or brother man
Adam and Eve bond must stan
But Adam and Steve never inna shotta plan
Ghetto youth mek money
Tek money stash money
Inna bank book cash money
More money more trouble
More Moet more bubble
More weed more juggle
More Feds more trouble
More gal more sex
More car more flex
More phone more message inna tex
More shotta frien more Uzi and Tecks
Kartel flex mek bwoy get vex

Badman nah check fi hide
Badman nah check fi dead
Badman nah check fi run
Badman nah check fi beg
Badman nah check fi buss
Badman nah check fi stray
Badman nah check fi laugh
Badman nah check fi play

Everyday man dress
Inna Gucci and Guess
Crush cotton weh nuh press
Grand US nuttin less
Mek mi tell you somethin else
Mi nuh wear nuttin else
Than straight name brand
Costco you pain man
Gal love original but ooman a ginal
Clothes can't hold you gal
If you nuh sexual
Yuh haffi know how fi love her
Cock her up push her and
Shove her ever deh above her, dis who?
Bwoy dis mi crew
Man circle dem ends
Mek teflon nyam two
One, two, three, four
Portmore rise more forty-four
Dan any other man crew
Vybz Kartel a di War Angel
But di hostel blood run like pastel
Dis man from Boston head buss
Like gas pan wi nuh clash man
We crash man

Badman nah check fi hide
Badman nah check fi dead
Badman nah check fi run
Badman nah check fi beg
Badman nah check fi buss
Badman nah check fi stray
Badman nah check fi laugh
Badman nah check fi play

You know we roll inna Benz
Wid cruise control 'pon di ends
R1 and R6 are ready
Fi go 'pon gal patrol
Evidence how man a live large
Half of it have never been told
Part of it is that our chump change
Too big fi hold inna billfold
My youth don't touch my ice
You wi ketch cold
Mi nuh wear South Pole
Yow a just Gucci link
Armani Xchange, hundred gran a chump change
Me see things, tru Moschino shades
F*** fucky gal, soon ketch AIDS
Not even di sea, create so much waves
Front row seats fi watch
Di cubs and di braves
Our version bigga dan King James
Wi gal catalog full of so many names
Girls weh dem only dream
'Bout a gimme brains
Dem tongue stick on 'pon

Mi cocky like Hanes,
Up to di time

Overall Meaning

In the song "Badman Nah" by Vybz Kartel, the artist talks about what it means to be a badman. In the first verse, he lists off things that badmen don't do, such as looking for women or cooking for them. Instead, they focus on protecting their territories and engaging in violence against others. He also references the Adam and Eve story to suggest that while heteronormativity may be the norm, it is not the only way to exist in his world.

In the second verse, Kartel emphasizes the importance of material possessions and status symbols. He boasts about his designer clothing and expensive cars, and suggests that he is sexually desired because of his wealth. He also talks about his crew, suggesting that they are violent and feared by others. The chorus repeats the idea that badmen don't engage in actions associated with weakness, such as hiding, running away, or begging.

One notable aspect of the song is its focus on hypermasculinity, violence, and materialism. Vybz Kartel creates a character who embodies these traits and suggests that it is the ideal way to live for those who want to be perceived as powerful. Another interesting fact is that Vybz Kartel is a controversial figure who has been convicted of murder, which makes some of the lyrics in this song even more striking.

Line by Line Meaning

Badman nah look ooman
A criminal who is focused on his work and not interested in women.

Book ooman, jook ooman
Take advantage of women sexually.

Den fly from room door and
Women leave quickly afterward.

Foot ooman fi 'pon puckuman
Insult men who engage in homosexual activity.

Plus man weh nyam ooman
Angry with men who use women for their sexual desire.

Weh him do man?
Questioning such men's masculinity.

You ever yet cook ooman?!
Cooking of women is crossing a line too far.

Badman buss it up 'pon a man
Assault a man who is romantically involved with another man.

Weh hug up another man
Referring to the man from the previous line.

Coulda daddy or brother man
Not mattering whether they are related or not.

Adam and Eve bond must stan
Believing that the tradition of man and woman must remain the same.

But Adam and Steve never inna shotta plan
Referring to homosexuality as a taboo for his lifestyle.

Ghetto youth mek money
Encouraging the youth to earn money.

Tek money stash money
Save and secure money earned from work.

Inna bank book cash money
Store earnings in a bank account.

More money more trouble
Difficulty comes with success.

More Moet more bubble
Greater success leads to more celebration.

More weed more juggle
More work comes with greater wealth.

More Feds more trouble
The more enterprise, the more government scrutiny.

More gal more sex
More women, more sex.

More car more flex
More cars lead to greater life enjoyment.

More phone more message inna tex
The more phones the more communication via texting.

More shotta frien more Uzi and Tecks
More criminal friends lead to more weapons.

Kartel flex mek bwoy get vex
Vybz Kartel's success makes others envy him.

Badman nah check fi hide
A criminal does not hide from any situation.

Badman nah check fi dead
Death is not the outcome a criminal is worried about.

Badman nah check fi run
Running away from confrontation is not an option.

Badman nah check fi beg
Criminals do not beg for anything.

Badman nah check fi buss
Criminal activity is not undertaken without purpose.

Badman nah check fi stray
A criminal has focus and direction.

Badman nah check fi laugh
Criminals do not act carefree or have fun.

Badman nah check fi play
Criminals do not engage in or entertain idle pursuits.

Everyday man dress
Men are always wearing clothing.

Inna Gucci and Guess
Wearing expensive, designer clothing brands.

Crush cotton weh nuh press
Wearing casual, comfortable clothing.

Grand US nuttin less
Only high-quality clothing.

Mek mi tell you somethin else
Allow me to share more information.

Mi nuh wear nuttin else
Only wears high-quality clothing, nothing less will do.

Than straight name brand
Only wears clothing from high-end brands.

Costco you pain man
Purchasing cheap clothing is unacceptable.

Gal love original but ooman a ginal
Women prefer a unique man, not someone who uses women excessively.

Clothes can't hold you gal
Only expensive clothing will not attract women.

If you nuh sexual
Men must be sexually active to attract women.

Yuh haffi know how fi love her
Knowing how to love a woman is essential.

Cock her up push her and
Mastery of sexual activity is important.

Shove her ever deh above her, dis who?
Hard to decipher, possibly indicating his reputation.

Bwoy dis mi crew
Warning males not to challenge his circle of friends.

Man circle dem ends
Peer group is highly influential.

Mek teflon nyam two
Unknown reference, could mean nothing.

One, two, three, four
Possible reference to counting money earned.

Portmore rise more forty-four
Referring to his birthplace and saying it has an active crew.

Dan any other man crew
Implying superiority over other male groups.

Vybz Kartel a di War Angel
Giving himself a title and recognizing his power.

But di hostel blood run like pastel
Adding humor and boasting about his own toughness.

Dis man from Boston head buss
Implying he was responsible for a violent incident in Boston.

Like gas pan wi nuh clash man
Aggressive and does not shirk from confrontation.

We crash man
Criminals fight and clash with people.

You know we roll inna Benz
Travels in expensive cars and implies a well-funded criminal enterprise.

Wid cruise control 'pon di ends
Driving with ease and no fear.

R1 and R6 are ready
Motorcycles and the riders in his group are ready for action.

Fi go 'pon gal patrol
Unknown reference, possibly about monitoring women.

Evidence how man a live large
Displaying wealth and success is proof of living large.

Half of it have never been told
Only some of his success has been revealed publicly.

Part of it is that our chump change
Even small amounts of money are hugely significant to his organization.

Too big fi hold inna billfold
Money is so large that even a wallet cannot contain it.

My youth don't touch my ice
Jewelry and other possessions must be respected and not stolen from him.

You wi ketch cold
Punishment for messing with his possessions.

Mi nuh wear South Pole
Refusing to wear anything less than expensive clothing.

Yow a just Gucci link
Only wears clothing from Gucci, nothing else will suffice.

Armani Xchange, hundred gran a chump change
Money is not a problem and the cost of clothing is insignificant.

Me see things, tru Moschino shades
Implying that he has discerning taste in fashion and what he wears.

F*** fucky gal, soon ketch AIDS
Implies that having sex with too many women can lead to disease.

Not even di sea, create so much waves
His success and power is felt far and wide.

Front row seats fi watch
Others are fascinated and watching his success.

Di cubs and di braves
Sports teams, possibly many actors and musicians support him.

Our version bigga dan King James
Implying that his version is superior to the King's.

Wi gal catalog full of so many names
Referring to the number of women they have intimate relationships with.

Girls weh dem only dream
Women who have never had the opportunity to be with him.

'Bout a gimme brains
Implying that women are thinking about providing sexual favors.

Dem tongue stick on 'pon
Women are really interested in him and his prowess.

Mi cocky like Hanes
Penis is always ready to perform.

Up to di time
He is always current and successful.

Lyrics © Ultra Tunes, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ADIDJA PALMER, DONOVAN KEITH BENNETT, NIGEL STAFF

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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