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.
Beautiful Girl
Vybz Kartel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And dem seh
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder (true, true)
You girl(ohh)
Ha hmm, mi just wan hold yuh (eh heh)
Sexy girl, ah girl weh mi love
She do it in the name of beauty, she just
Nuh depend pon man hell no amigo
Inna Benz or inna Beamer
Jump inna plane reach Dominica
Gal ah you are the bomb like Hiroshima
Every ex-boyfriend still in love
Di Teacha ah tell yuh
Mi represent fi di real ghetto girl dem
Hot inna di day every one of dem
And inna di night it's like here we go again
Hands in the air and clap yourself, beautiful and you know that
So dance like everyday ah holiday
From the winter time to the summer yeah
Beautiful gyal yeah, you fi be my girlfriend
Beautiful gyalyeah, you fi be my girlfriend
In control, yuh independent
In control, you pay your own rent
In control, toast to yourself
Toast to yourself, toast to yourself
Mi love, modern girl nuh live behind time
iPod, iPhone, Blackberry 5
Facebook, Twitter, or everything join
(Heh eh) Pretty girl (oh), pretty likkle mind (awhoo)
College girl, Teacha ah tell yuh
Fi study fi di exam, pass test time
Study every star ah night time
Mi Capricorn, you Leo what a love sign
Mi girl dem inna di country
Otherwise known as the rural
Mi love yuh inna singular love yuh inna plural
Love it when you and me gyal
Siddung and puff in di ting weh illegal
Empress your royal imperial
Cah you not about vanity, you nuh material
Ah yuh fi be my girlfriend
Beautiful girl yeah, you fi be mi girlfriend
Beautiful girl yeah, you fi be mi girlfriend
In control, yuh independent
In control, yuh pay yuh own rent
In control, toast to yourself
Miss Lady, Miss Lady
Mi know yuh ready
Miss Lady, Miss Lady
Mi know yuh ready
And yuh body ah tell mi seh, yuh alright
And yuh vehicle a show mi seh, yuh alright
And yuh face nuh show nuh trace of hard life
Can I convince yuh to be all mine?
Gyal inna di mini bus
Weh don't have a car it obvious
Well the style of your face it gorgeous
Mi have enough love fi both of us
Represent fi di ghetto girls enuh
Represent fi di wealthy girls enuh
Adidja Palmer loving yuh (oh)
And Mixpak records loving (awhoo)
Beautiful gyal yeah, you fi be mi girlfriend
Beautiful gyal yeah, you fi be mi girlfriend
In control, yuh independent
In control, yuh pay yuh own rent
In control, toast to yourself
Toast to yourself, toast to yourself
The lyrics to Vybz Kartel's song "Beautiful Girl" speak about the admiration and appreciation for women's beauty all over the world, emphasizing the idea that true beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. The song features the artist expressing his desire for a beautiful girl, who he describes as independent, in control, and paying her own rent. He admires her modernity and praises her intelligence, telling her to study hard for her exams and always grow her beautiful mind.
The song speaks to the power of women and the importance of their independence, showcasing that beauty isn't solely about physical appearance, but also about confidence, intelligence, and ambition. The lyrics also highlight the appreciation for all types of women, including those from rural areas and those who may not have access to the same luxuries as others.
Overall, the song celebrates women's beauty and strength while encouraging them to be independent and confident in themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Beautiful girls all over the world (oh)
There are beautiful girls across the globe.
And dem seh
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder (true, true)
People say that one's beauty is subjective.
You girl(ohh)
Ha hmm, mi just wan hold yuh (eh heh)
Hey, I want to embrace you, girl.
Sexy girl, ah girl weh mi love
This girl is the one I love.
She do it in the name of beauty, she just
She does everything in the name of beauty.
Inna control, like she ah Castro
She's in control of everything like Castro.
Nuh depend pon man hell no amigo
She doesn't depend on a man.
Inna Benz or inna Beamer
Jump inna plane reach Dominica
She can afford a Mercedes or BMW car, and even fly to Dominica.
Gal ah you are the bomb like Hiroshima
You are amazing just like the bomb in Hiroshima.
Every ex-boyfriend still in love
All her ex-boyfriends are still in love with her.
Di Teacha ah tell yuh
Mi represent fi di real ghetto girl dem
As a teacher, I represent the real ghetto girls.
Hot inna di day every one of dem
And inna di night it's like here we go again
Hands in the air and clap yourself, beautiful and you know that
They're hot during the day and even hotter at night. Hands in the air, clap yourself because you're beautiful.
So dance like everyday ah holiday
From the winter time to the summer yeah
Dance like it's a holiday every day, even in the winter and summer.
Beautiful gyal yeah, you fi be my girlfriend
Beautiful gyalyeah, you fi be my girlfriend
In control, yuh independent
In control, you pay your own rent
In control, toast to yourself
Toast to yourself, toast to yourself
You should be my girlfriend. You're independent, you pay your own rent, and you should celebrate yourself.
Mi love, modern girl nuh live behind time
iPod, iPhone, Blackberry 5
Facebook, Twitter, or everything join
(Heh eh) Pretty girl (oh), pretty likkle mind (awhoo)
I love modern girls who keep up with the latest technology like iPods, iPhones, and Blackberry 5. They are also active on social media. You have a pretty face and an intelligent mind.
College girl, Teacha ah tell yuh
Fi study fi di exam, pass test time
Study every star ah night time
Mi Capricorn, you Leo what a love sign
As a teacher, I encourage college girls to study hard and pass their exams. Study every night, even until the stars come up. Our love signs, Capricorn and Leo, are compatible.
Mi girl dem inna di country
Otherwise known as the rural
Mi love yuh inna singular love yuh inna plural
Love it when you and me gyal
Siddung and puff in di ting weh illegal
Empress your royal imperial
My girls are from the country, which is often referred to as rural. I love you both singularly and plurally. I enjoy spending time with you and smoking illegal substances. You are an empress, royal and imperial.
Cah you not about vanity, you nuh material
Ah yuh fi be my girlfriend
You're not about vanity or material possessions. You should be my girlfriend.
Miss Lady, Miss Lady
Mi know yuh ready
Miss Lady, Miss Lady
Mi know yuh ready
And yuh body ah tell mi seh, yuh alright
And yuh vehicle a show mi seh, yuh alright
And yuh face nuh show nuh trace of hard life
Can I convince yuh to be all mine?
Miss Lady, I know you're ready. Your body, vehicle and face tell me you're doing fine. Can I convince you to be mine?
Gyal inna di mini bus
Weh don't have a car it obvious
Well the style of your face it gorgeous
Mi have enough love fi both of us
Represent fi di ghetto girls enuh
Represent fi di wealthy girls enuh
Adidja Palmer loving yuh (oh)
And Mixpak records loving (awhoo)
You may ride in a mini bus instead of a car, but it's obvious that your face is gorgeous. I have enough love for both of us even if we don't have much money. I represent both ghetto and wealthy girls. Adidja Palmer and Mixpak records love you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Adidja Palmer, Andrew Hershey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Raurn
this album is so underrated
Brocco 420 TV
Tru
MrLegendarygeek
Actually it's Kartel worst album in my opinion : generic, boring riddims, Teacha lacking lyrical inspiration and rhymes, no surprise in it
The only really good tune is Ghetto Youth and the acoustic version released for the 10th year anniversary was a very positive release
Brocco 420 TV
@MrLegendarygeek bro that's ur opinion
MrLegendarygeek
@Brocco 420 TV but I'm allowed to express it still
Damion Atherton
2023 and this song is still rocking my world.
Crest Den
Happy 10 years anniversary Kingston Story #VybzKartel #dreskull dis album sick dawg 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Rossi Courvosi
🤸
Optimal Wholesale
This song is like one of the great hits the God produces
Uñåňïmøųś Gâżå
MI COME FROM JAMAICA
2019 still hot love this song yah, I don't have a favorite on this album 'cause all are, the album is simply a MASTERPIECE 🙌🔥💯👌😎
#FREEWORLBOSS