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 Party
Vybz Kartel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mi and Shorty rollin' wid di Glock forty
Badman party: fly crazy
Guinness corky mi spliff big like Walkie Talkie
Badman party: mi have di Beretta
Calico, Smith and Wesson di Teckie
Little di mackiesworthy
Badman party: mi have Ginelle Janet
And Shorty
Sound a play gun play
Tune a beat grain a beat
Chronic inna mi brain a dweet
Guinness inna mi vein a dweet
Gal a come! Main a dweet
Feds a come! Lane a dweet
Narrow fly a no plane a dweet
AK from Spain a dweet
Man a tugz pon di street
Desert pon di feet
Desert Eagle inna hand
Spliff tail between di teeth
Fat gal pon di side
Wid di meat underneath and underneath
Mi send di feet of steel you seet
Badman party: no karate
Mi and Shorty rollin' wid di Glock forty
Badman party: fly crazy
Guinness corky mi spliff big like Walkie Talkie
Badman party: mi have di Beretta
Calico, Smith and Wesson di Teckie
Little di mackiesworthy
Badman party: mi have Ginelle Janet
Geneva Rachel and Rochelle and Reva
And Shorty
Everyman hold a woman and brace
Every gal whine pon a killer set pace
Any man weh nah work with it get chase
Broadboard fi di boy weh look inna man face
Moet and Alize by di case
Guinness and Heineken just in case
Moet run out wi start stout off wi face
500 dollar bag of high grade blow gone a space
Badman party: no karate
Mi and Shorty rollin' wid di Glock forty
Badman party: fly crazy
Guinness corky mi spliff big like Walkie Talkie
Badman party: mi have di Beretta
Calico, Smith and Wesson di Teckie
Little di mackiesworthy
Badman party: mi have Ginelle Janet
Geneva Rachel and Rochelle and Reva
And Shorty
Well everything is everything
And everybody hype under liquor
But nah gwaan maddy maddy
Gal a call me and me no hear Addi! Addi!
Dem fi know seh Don Corleone
A one sickhead smaddy
When selector drop out di bass
Mek mi make haste
Replace di pace wid taste
Step up di pace fi wipe dem
Off di face of di earth
Nobody move nobody hurt
Badman party: no karate
Mi and Shorty rollin' wid di Glock forty
Badman party: fly crazy
Guinness corky mi spliff big like Walkie Talkie
Badman party: mi have di Beretta
Calico, Smith and Wesson di Teckie
Little di mackiesworthy
Badman party: mi have Ginelle Janet
Geneva Rachel and Rochelle and Reva
And Shorty
In Vybz Kartel's "Badman Party," the artist describes a party filled with guns, alcohol, and marijuana. Shorty and him are carrying glock and Beretta guns respectively, accompanied by other types of firearms. They are smoking a large Walkie Talkie-like spliff, and drinking Guinness while the music plays in the background. The party is filled with aggressive behavior, as they brag about intimidating people with their guns, and anyone who doesn't go along with the "killer set pace" is chased away. While he talks about the other women at the party, he ends the list by mentioning Shorty, suggesting a romantic relationship between them.
The lyrics of the song offer a snapshot of the Jamaican party culture, where violence is tightly interwoven with pleasure, and where men are expected to be tough, dominant, and unafraid to express their aggression. While the lyrics may be disturbing to some listeners, they provide a window into a specific subculture, where people are struggling with poverty, crime, and other challenging circumstances. The party may seem like an escape from the hardships of life, but at the same time, it perpetuates some of the problems that people face in their daily lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Badman party: no karate
This party is for tough guys, not for fighters who know karate.
Mi and Shorty rollin' wid di Glock forty
Me and my companion Shorty are carrying a Glock forty handgun.
Badman party: fly crazy
This is a wild party for dangerous people.
Guinness corky mi spliff big like Walkie Talkie
My cigarette is so big that it looks like a Walkie Talkie, and I am drinking Guinness beer.
Badman party: mi have di Beretta
I am holding a Beretta handgun at this bad guy party.
Calico, Smith and Wesson di Teckie
I have three guns: a Calico, a Smith and Wesson, and a Teckie.
Little di mackiesworthy
I also have a small gun named Mackiesworthy.
Badman party: mi have Ginelle Janet
I have four women named Ginelle, Janet, Geneva, Rachel, Rochelle, and Reva at this party with me.
And Shorty
Shorty is still with me at the party.
Sound a play gun play
Music is playing about guns and violence at this party.
Tune a beat grain a beat
The music is loud and beats are playing constantly.
Chronic inna mi brain a dweet
I am smoking marijuana and it is affecting my mind.
Guinness inna mi vein a dweet
Drinking Guinness is giving me a certain buzz.
Gal a come! Main a dweet
Girls are coming and I am dancing with them.
Feds a come! Lane a dweet
The police are coming, so I am hiding in the side street.
Narrow fly a no plane a dweet
I am moving around quickly and quickly like an airplane.
AK from Spain a dweet
I have an AK gun that I got from Spain.
Man a tugz pon di street
Men are fighting in the street.
Desert pon di feet
I am wearing a pair of desert boots and walking around.
Desert Eagle inna hand
I am holding a Desert Eagle gun in my hand.
Spliff tail between di teeth
I am smoking a cigarette, with the tail part in between my teeth.
Fat gal pon di side
There is a chubby girl standing next to me.
Wid di meat underneath and underneath
She has a lot of body fat and is plump from top to bottom.
Mi send di feet of steel you seet
I can take on anyone due to my strong feet.
Everyman hold a woman and brace
Every man is holding onto women and pairing up.
Every gal whine pon a killer set pace
All the women are dancing to the beat of the killer music.
Any man weh nah work with it get chase
If you cannot handle this atmosphere, then get out before you get chased.
Broadboard fi di boy weh look inna man face
Anyone who shows cowardice and looks another man in the eye will have to face consequences.
Moet and Alize by di case
We are drinking Moet and Alize in large quantities.
Guinness and Heineken just in case
We also have Guinness and Heineken beer, just in case something happens.
Moet run out wi start stout off wi face
When we run out of Moet, we start drinking stout beer instead.
500 dollar bag of high grade blow gone a space
We spent 500 dollars on a bag of high-quality cocaine and it's almost gone.
Well everything is everything
Everything is functioning efficiently.
And everybody hype under liquor
Everybody is excited and hyper due to the effects of liquor.
But nah gwaan maddy maddy
Despite having fun, we are still cautious.
Gal a call me and me no hear Addi! Addi!
Girls are calling me, but I cannot hear them due to loud music.
Dem fi know seh Don Corleone
Everyone should know that I am like Don Corleone, a smart and powerful man.
A one sickhead smaddy
I am a dangerous and unpredictable individual.
When selector drop out di bass
When the DJ stops the bass from playing,
Mek mi make haste
I will quickly move toward my objective.
Replace di pace wid taste
I will take control and switch things up for the better.
Step up di pace fi wipe dem
I am going to increase my speed to wipe out the competition.
Off di face of the earth
I will completely eliminate them.
Nobody move nobody hurt
If nobody moves, then nobody will get hurt.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ADIDJA PALMER, DONOVAN KEITH BENNETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lloydie Lloyd
3 killer verses back to back!!! Not one of them is weak. And chorus fire as well. A complete tune
Sharna Sterling
Vybz Kartel has always been and forever will be relevant
Sickhead Sumaddy
Den Tune bekommen meine Nachbarn einmal im Jahr auf die Ohren, immer wenn ich meinen Earthday feier...
Bliingahz loyalty is Amuss
Black Kartel dem caan nva stop listen 💯💯👊🏿 2020 and this 🔥🔥.. although i prefer it on 50cent in da club Riddim
Uñåňïmøųś Gâżå
Vybz Kartel is the greatest hands down #freeworlboss dutty stinking babylon
these foxes
Üñäñïmōüs Lüpë 😂yoh deh yah man 👆🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
GAZATHUG CRUCIAL
Üñäñïmōüs Lüpë Deso It De 🙏
Squeezo
underrated song
Hitlab Entertainment
We VIRGO can flow but this CAPRICORN eh he's really good & smooth with the flow he made reggae fusion kool again from the 90's him & Vendetta are some genius.
Ken Blachy
Up-2-Di-Time‼️
Badman party😐