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.

God Bless
Vybz Kartel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

See me a seh, Far Life Record
Lock di world, yawd and abroad

Who God bless, no man curse
Give thanks fi life and fi
Pass through di worse, yea
Big up every hustler a South London
Big up every hustler weh deh a Brixton

Weh yuh tell dem some coward?

Yuh badmind fi di money weh mi earning
Dem bwoy deh nuh real, dem a serpent
Dutty heart cyah wash wid detergent
But who God bless, nuh man nuh curse, yea

Full a self confidence
Yow mi never have doubt
So mi hustle fimmi own
Mi nuh look nuh handout
My mother house bigger dan a
Football field and mi
Son dem a live star life so mi proud
How yuh fi deh a foreign a hustle ina di snow
And a send money come gi gyal fi buy house?
After yuh mek gyal tek yuh money old
Clown yuh a pree my own

Yuh badmind fi di money weh mi earning
Dem bwoy deh nuh real, dem a serpent
Dutty heart cyah wash wid detergent
But who God bless, nuh man nuh curse, yea

Ghetto yute set a plan
From mi a likkle baby, we have ambition
Put in di work, hustle fi di money yah man
Watch yuh self cuz di
Streets colder dan London
Affi diligent, affi full a strength
Don't trust nobody, just trust yourself
Turn yuh back if yuh fi
Look ina dem eyes, see it fi yuh self

Yuh badmind fi di money weh mi earning
Dem bwoy deh nuh real, dem a serpent
Dutty heart cyah wash wid detergent
But who God bless, nuh man nuh curse, yea
Yuh badmind fi di money weh mi earning
Dem bwoy deh nuh real, dem a serpent
Dutty heart cyah wash wid detergent
But who God bless, nuh man nuh curse, yea

Yuh badmind fi di money weh mi earning
Dem bwoy deh nuh real, dem a serpent
Dutty heart cyah wash wid detergent
But who God bless, nuh man nuh curse, yea
Yuh badmind fi di money weh mi earning
Dem bwoy deh nuh real, dem a serpent

Dutty heart cyah wash wid detergent
But who God bless, nuh man nuh curse, yea

Overall Meaning

In the song "God Bless" by Vybz Kartel, the artist expresses gratitude for the blessings in his life and declares that no one can curse those whom God has blessed. He acknowledges the support of his record label, Far Life Record, and asserts that his influence transcends geographical boundaries, reaching both locally and internationally.

The lyrics also touch upon themes of envy and deception. Vybz Kartel addresses those who are envious of his financial success and accuses them of being fake, likening them to serpents. He dismisses their negative thoughts and emphasizes that the blessings he has received are unshakable, highlighting the power of God's favor.

The song also reflects Vybz Kartel's self-confidence and determination. He describes his unwavering belief in himself, declaring that he has never doubted his abilities and relies on his own hustle rather than seeking handouts. He takes pride in his accomplishments, boasting about his mother's large house and his children's privileged lifestyles.

Vybz Kartel's lyrics emphasize the importance of taking control of one's fate. He encourages listeners, particularly those in the ghetto, to make plans, work hard, and pursue their goals. He emphasizes the need to be diligent and strong, cautioning against trusting others and advising individuals to rely on themselves. The streets are depicted as harsh and colder than London, highlighting the challenges faced by those striving for success.

Overall, "God Bless" by Vybz Kartel celebrates the blessings and success the artist has experienced while addressing the negativity and envy that can come with it. The lyrics convey a message of empowerment, urging listeners to believe in themselves and work hard to overcome obstacles.

Line by Line Meaning

See me a seh, Far Life Record
I am representing Far Life Record, making a statement of my affiliation.

Lock di world, yawd and abroad
I have captivated the attention of both the local and international music scene.

Who God bless, no man curse
Those who receive blessings from God cannot be harmed or brought down by others.

Give thanks fi life and fi Pass through di worse, yea
Expressing gratitude for life and the ability to overcome hardships.

Big up every hustler a South London
Respect and acknowledge all hardworking individuals in South London.

Big up every hustler weh deh a Brixton
Respect and acknowledge all hardworking individuals in Brixton.

Weh yuh tell dem some coward?
What will you say to those who are envious and lacking courage?

Yuh badmind fi di money weh mi earning
You have ill feelings towards the wealth I am acquiring.

Dem bwoy deh nuh real, dem a serpent
Those guys are not genuine, they are deceitful and cunning.

Dutty heart cyah wash wid detergent
A corrupted heart cannot be cleansed with ordinary means.

But who God bless, nuh man nuh curse, yea
Those who are blessed by God cannot be cursed by anyone.

Full a self confidence
I have a strong belief in myself.

Yow mi never have doubt
I never doubt myself or my abilities.

So mi hustle fimmi own
I work hard and rely on myself.

Mi nuh look nuh handout
I don't depend on others for assistance.

My mother house bigger dan a Football field
My mother's house is spacious and grand.

And mi son dem a live star life so mi proud
I feel proud seeing my sons living a luxurious lifestyle.

How yuh fi deh a foreign a hustle ina di snow
How can you be in a foreign country, working hard in freezing conditions?

And a send money come gi gyal fi buy house?
And yet you are sending money to women to buy houses?

After yuh mek gyal tek yuh money old
After you allow women to use up your money.

Clown yuh a pree my own
You are foolishly envying my possessions.

Ghetto yute set a plan
Young individuals from the ghetto have devised a strategy.

From mi a likkle baby, we have ambition
Since I was a young child, we have had aspirations.

Put in di work, hustle fi di money yah man
We work hard, striving for financial success.

Watch yuh self cuz di Streets colder dan London
Be cautious because the streets can be even harsher than London.

Affi diligent, affi full a strength
We need to be diligent and strong.

Don't trust nobody, just trust yourself
Do not trust anyone, only rely on yourself.

Turn yuh back if yuh fi Look ina dem eyes, see it fi yuh self
Avoid looking into someone's eyes if you want to see the truth.