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.
Cosanostra
Vybz Kartel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yo, War Teacha
Weh Ratty and Shotty?
Dem deh pon di borderline and a kick of, enuh, dada
Alright, forward inna dah room yah
Show you a ting
Grab it, attach it, thugs no carry briefcase
.45 against your jeans' waist
Go over Gaza through di lane
Ask fi Steve but a no Steve place
If a group a man approach you put
Five, five shot inna each face
But no matter weh you do avoid a police chase
No lead di Feds to my place, mek dem log on, it's not MySpace
Dem is a threat to di life that I taste
Imagine di sentence I face
In this game of high stakes
Power struggle my trace, if you sink you slide weh
Y'ah hear me too, me a roll, enuh
Pass dah .45 deh, pull di door deh
Look, you see some Russian rifle weh me did hide weh
Mek we tek it to dem like inna di old days
Real pliers fi pop out toenails
12 gauge di real not old nails
War-dot-come a di home page
Rise di rifle with di telescope
Me and you a'par like double tennis team pon tennis court
Mount a coke dem stashes more keys than weh inna Beres throat
We need it roll out (roll out)
Dah move yah sold out (sold out)
Mandela did toll out
A Cosanostra, man a eat tears, kill fi money
And when we pass through people dead
A Cosanostra, man a eat tears, kill fi money
We put one cutlass inna dem head
A Cosanostra, man a eat tears, kill fi money
And when we pass through people dead
A Cosanostra, man a eat tears, kill fi money
We put one cutlass inna dem head
The bwoy name Steve a di target, me and him used to go school
A nuh badman a troublemaker, him have a bigger bredda
Rasta like Freddy McGregor, gangster but a party nigga
Swear him bad like Schwarzenegger
True him ship a couple keys dem
Gwan like dem a di real brave nigga
Look out fi di real grave digger
Me king figure pon squeezing trigger
Crime rate jump, weh we leading inna (baow)
Me reach pon di ends, me see four a dem
Back turn, lean pon a Benz
And a gwan like thugs
Me can kill dem now but me nah lef' di drum
Dem nuh know you, so walk up to dem
Put five inna Steve Miller, two inna him friend
Stop, di bwoy dem smell di rat
By me look a man beat off twenty shot
Me answer back, mi six pants a clap
Two people drop, who inna vehicle trap
Me run down pon di bwoy den buss him head
Pull di trunk, coke worsen it, open it
By di trunk pull, me hear di siren
Me n'ave nuh wait a wait
Everybody dead and blood a run like ink in Papermate
Steve, alone nuh deh deh, me a go catch him at a later date
Grab di drugs, nuh done di box, lef' box
A Cosanostra, man a eat tears, kill fi money
And when we pass through people dead
A Cosanostra, man a eat tears, kill fi money
We put one cutlass inna dem head
A Cosanostra, man a eat tears, kill fi money
And when we pass through people dead
A Cosanostra, man a eat tears, kill fi money
We put one cutlass inna dem head
Me a go weh so me back turn, wrong ting
Betta me did not turn, shot from outta nowhere
Look 'round, Steve there
Me drop di box, grab di Glock, clap him back
It happen that di strappin' drop, me drop mi strap
Me dash it weh, take a 9 from off a one a di corpse
Blood soak mi Clarks, me beat it like a child fi get di marks
Steve life loss
Inna him face coppa through di glass
When me look mi second drop and block di shot from Stephen out him back
Cops arrive, me drop di gun, me drop mi stash
Walk away quickly like a junkie leave a junkie shot
Me lose di coke, me lose di money
Mi friend unda police gather at di hospital
Me a buss him out though, God know ask di guard
A Cosanostra, man a eat tears, kill fi money
And when we pass through people dead
A Cosanostra, man a eat tears, kill fi money
We put one cutlass inna dem head
A Cosanostra, man a eat tears, kill fi money
And when we pass through people dead
A Cosanostra, man a eat tears, kill fi money
We put one cutlass inna dem head
In Vybz Kartel's song "Cosanostra," the lyrics expose a dark and violent world where the singer is involved in the criminal underground. The song describes a scenario where the singer, along with his associates, engages in acts of violence and murder for financial gain. They carry Glock pistols and .45s, ready to use them against anyone who poses a threat to their operations or crosses their path.
The lyrics also suggest a level of authority and power in this criminal world, with references to the "Gaza," a notorious Jamaican neighborhood associated with crime and violence. The singer warns against involving the police, as they are a threat to his way of life and freedom. The song delves into the high stakes and dangers involved in this power struggle, with a sense of pride and determination portrayed by the singer.
Throughout the song, the lyrics paint a picture of ruthless actions, with references to cutting off heads and the use of brutality to instill fear and maintain control. The singer mentions a target named Steve, whom he has known since their school days. Despite Steve's tough persona, the singer boasts of his own assertiveness and willingness to engage in violence. The lyrics then describe a confrontation where the singer takes down Steve and others, leaving a trail of bloodshed.
In summary, "Cosanostra" by Vybz Kartel depicts a dark world of crime and violence, where the singer navigates power struggles, betrayal, and deadly confrontations in pursuit of financial gain and dominance.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo, Jeffery Hype
Yo, Jeffery Hype
Yo, War Teacha
Yo, War Teacher
Weh Ratty and Shotty?
Where are Ratty and Shotty?
Dem deh pon di borderline and a kick of, enuh, dada
They are on the borderline and causing trouble
Alright, forward inna dah room yah
Alright, come into this room
Show you a ting
I'll show you something
Grab it, attach it, thugs no carry briefcase
Take it, secure it, thugs don't carry briefcases
Put di Glock against yuh ankle
Put the Glock against your ankle
.45 against your jeans' waist
.45 against the waist of your jeans
Go over Gaza through di lane
Go over Gaza through the lane
Ask fi Steve but a no Steve place
Ask for Steve but it's not Steve's place
If a group a man approach you put
If a group of men approach you, put
Five, five shot inna each face
Five, five shots in each face
But no matter weh you do avoid a police chase
But no matter what you do, avoid a police chase
No lead di Feds to my place, mek dem log on, it's not MySpace
Don't lead the Feds to my place, make them log on, it's not MySpace
Dem is a threat to di life that I taste
They are a threat to the life that I experience
Imagine di sentence I face
Imagine the sentence I face
In this game of high stakes
In this game of high stakes
Power struggle my trace, if you sink you slide weh
Power struggle follows my steps, if you sink you slide away
Y'ah hear me too, me a roll, enuh
You hear me too, I'm rolling, you know
Pass dah .45 deh, pull di door deh
Pass that .45 there, pull the door there
Look, you see some Russian rifle weh me did hide weh
Look, you see some Russian rifle that I hid away
Mek we tek it to dem like inna di old days
Let's take it to them like in the old days
Real pliers fi pop out toenails
Real pliers for popping out toenails
12 gauge di real not old nails
12 gauge that's the real deal, not old nails
War-dot-come a di home page
War-dot-com is the homepage
Rise di rifle with di telescope
Raise the rifle with the telescope
Me and you a'par like double tennis team pon tennis court
You and I are partners like a double tennis team on a tennis court
Mount a coke dem stashes more keys than weh inna Beres throat
They stash more keys of cocaine than what's in Beres' throat
We need it roll out (roll out)
We need it to roll out (roll out)
Dah move yah sold out (sold out)
This move is sold out (sold out)
Mandela did toll out
Mandela was betrayed
A Cosanostra, man a eat tears, kill fi money
We are the Cosanostra, we trade tears for money
And when we pass through people dead
And when we pass through, people die
We put one cutlass inna dem head
We put a cutlass in their head
The bwoy name Steve a di target, me and him used to go school
The guy named Steve is the target, we used to go to school together
A nuh badman a troublemaker, him have a bigger bredda
He's not a gangster, he's a troublemaker, he has a bigger brother
Rasta like Freddy McGregor, gangster but a party nigga
He's a Rasta like Freddy McGregor, a gangster but a party guy
Swear him bad like Schwarzenegger
He claims to be as bad as Schwarzenegger
True him ship a couple keys dem
Because he transported a couple of keys
Gwan like dem a di real brave nigga
Acting like they are the real brave guys
Look out fi di real grave digger
Watch out for the real grave digger
Me king figure pon squeezing trigger
I'm the king figure when it comes to squeezing triggers
Crime rate jump, weh we leading inna (baow)
Crime rate is rising, and we are leading in it (boom)
Me reach pon di ends, me see four a dem
I reached the ends, and I saw four of them
Back turn, lean pon a Benz
They had their backs turned, and were leaning on a Benz
And a gwan like thugs
And acting like tough guys
Me can kill dem now but me nah lef' di drum
I can kill them now, but I won't leave the drum
Dem nuh know you, so walk up to dem
They don't know you, so walk up to them
Put five inna Steve Miller, two inna him friend
Put five in Steve Miller, two in his friend
Stop, di bwoy dem smell di rat
Stop, the guys are suspicious
By me look a man beat off twenty shot
Suddenly, a man fired off twenty shots
Me answer back, mi six pants a clap
I responded, my six pants are clapping (gunshots)
Two people drop, who inna vehicle trap
Two people dropped, who fell into the vehicle trap
Me run down pon di bwoy den buss him head
I chased down the guy and shot him in the head
Pull di trunk, coke worsen it, open it
I opened the trunk, the cocaine distorted it
By di trunk pull, me hear di siren
When I pulled the trunk, I heard the siren
Me n'ave nuh wait a wait
I have no time to wait
Everybody dead and blood a run like ink in Papermate
Everybody is dead and blood is running like ink in a Papermate pen
Steve, alone nuh deh deh, me a go catch him at a later date
Steve, alone is not there, I'll catch him at a later date
Grab di drugs, nuh done di box, lef' box
Grab the drugs, don't finish the box, leave some
Me a go weh so me back turn, wrong ting
I'm going away, so I turn my back, bad move
Betta me did not turn, shot from outta nowhere
I should've stayed and not turned, shot from out of nowhere
Look 'round, Steve there
Look around, Steve is there
Me drop di box, grab di Glock, clap him back
I dropped the box, grabbed the Glock, shot him back
It happen that di strappin' drop, me drop mi strap
Unfortunately, the weapon dropped, I dropped my weapon
Me dash it weh, take a 9 from off a one a di corpse
I threw it away, took a 9 mm from one of the corpses
Blood soak mi Clarks, me beat it like a child fi get di marks
My Clarks shoes are soaked in blood, I beat it like a child to get the marks
Steve life loss
Steve lost his life
Inna him face coppa through di glass
A bullet hit his face through the glass
When me look mi second drop and block di shot from Stephen out him back
As I looked, my second shot hit Stephen in the back
Cops arrive, me drop di gun, me drop mi stash
Cops arrived, I dropped the gun, I dropped my stash
Walk away quickly like a junkie leave a junkie shot
Walk away quickly like a junkie leaving behind a junkie shot
Me lose di coke, me lose di money
I lost the cocaine, I lost the money
Mi friend unda police gather at di hospital
My friend is in the custody of the police at the hospital
Me a buss him out though, God know ask di guard
I'll save him though, God knows, ask the guard
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Adidja Azim Palmer, Stephen David McGregor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@StreetfrassMusic
Here's a throwback from Vybz Kartel "The Teacher's Back" Album ^^
@shockerthedan670
mad album, love the one with Ricky trooper
@nuegenfarming1425
All at them new artist yah wah put Inna wah bag and dash weh. This man is a lyrics machine, he was telling us a story in this track. Here 2023 and still a seh Gaza
@wesleycurrie6860
Facts
@MAFIA_YG
No jks 😂😂
@chineryd3055
Who A Di Best ??? Kartel
@keniabernardez4903
big up vybz kartel the best one no one cant be like him
@zecomafia1957
🔥🔥🔥 2024 and still a play it...lyrics n barz...
@gazaman2878
Right now!!!
@malevolentblack118
Tell all the so called lyricists fi pree this and bow down to the king