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.
Higher Altitude
Vybz Kartel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Corleone, Baby G an Kartel, higher dan before)
(Knock knock knockin' on heavens door)
That's right, Babylon nah nuh coke out if dem get one a this
(Hey, mi nuh know 'bout yuh) Lawd a mercy
(But mi know bout mi)
When I smoke, I get so high (High Altitude)
Can yuh look and see the red in my eyes
In my eyes, my eyes
Hey, weh di weed (Mek mi billy)
Spliff tea (Mi a killy)
Inna blunt (Mi a filly)
Inna roll (Dis philly)
Mi have blain (Inna mi pocket)
Rizzla (Inna mi jacket)
Spliff big like a rocket inna mission NASA bracket
(Lighta nuh tack it weh mi push inna di racket)
I'm higher dan di attic a nuh shot like a matic
(Police mi nah drop it inna rubbish inna trash it a foot a time mash it world war is a tappy)
A nuh Dada a nuh Wayne a nuh Richie a nuh Prophet
(But a same so mi love chronic don't stop draffy)
Big man weh mi stoppin (Di weed muss happy)
(Tek money cop it champagne me a pop it)
Don have internet mek mi lock tappy
(Flight inna plane Portmore mi a drop in)
Bling Dawg have a straight mi gi fi draw stocky inna sheet mi a tacky God alone cyan stop mi
(Smoke out)
Yuh see mi
When I smoke, I get so high (High Altitude)
It makes mi feel like I wanna fly (Christly)
Can yuh look an see the red in my eyes
In my eyes, my eyes
Hey, weed inna rizzla an inna philly blunts
Mek mi head happy an a do di Willie Bounce
Wonda if mi fi cool fi couple months
(Yuh modda yuh nuh have lock jaw inna yuh mouts)
(My spliff taller than big lady guns)
My spliff bigga than one dozen kette drums
(A regula mi bounce to di bank fi di funds fi go buy can draffy mek she love fi mi lungs)
Mi nah guh tek nuh drugs, I seh pounds
Mi weed haffi bad like inna city slums
(Di center have Christine I'm speakin in tongues)
An a seh wi a go fall like Jerri Cucker loans
(Neva style weed man as idlers an bum)
Bout wi fi kill man fi all weed growers
(Bad to wi shot dem one million mega hones when dem see di unity weed man amongst, cross)
Miser reval
When I smoke, I get so high (High Altitude)
It makes mi feel like I wanna fly (Christly)
Can yuh look an see the red in my eyes
In my eyes, my eyes
Yo, yuh know it's Don Corleone, 5 Star General, Baby G
Di Vybz to di Kartel, High Altitude
(Mi nuh know bout yuh, but mi know bout mi)
When I smoke, I get so high (High Altitude)
It makes mi feel like I wanna fly (Christly)
Can yuh look and see the red in my eyes
In my eyes, my eyes
The lyrics of Vybz Kartel feat. Bounty Killer's song "Higher Altitude" explore the euphoria and psychedelic effects of smoking marijuana. The opening lines set the scene for the song, with the artists sitting on a cloud, smoking at a high altitude, and knocking on heaven's door. The chorus of the song emphasizes the feeling of being elevated and euphoric, almost like flying, that smoking marijuana can bring. The artists then go on to describe the different ways in which they smoke the drug, with references to rolling it in a blunt or a Rizla paper and smoking in a philly. The lyrics also touch upon the social stigma attached to smoking marijuana, with a mention of Babylon, a term used to describe authorities, who are always on the lookout for those who smoke marijuana.
As the song progresses, the lyrics take a more aggressive tone, with references to gun violence, drug trafficking, and shootouts. However, the artists use these lines to emphasize their love for smoking marijuana and denounce those who try to stop them. They assert their identity as "weed man" and their unity in the face of adversity. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the intoxicating high that marijuana can bring.
Overall, the song provides an interesting insight into the world of marijuana culture, with references to different ways of smoking and exploring the euphoria and altered states of consciousness that marijuana can bring.
Line by Line Meaning
High altitude, smokin' proud, sittin' on a cloud
Feeling on top of the world while smoking and sitting on a cloud.
(Corleone, Baby G an Kartel, higher dan before)
Acknowledging themselves as the best while writing this song.
(Knock knock knockin' on heavens door)
Their music is getting more popular and might be heard even in heaven.
That's right, Babylon nah nuh coke out if dem get one a this
No matter what, they will not give up their weed to Babylon.
(Hey, mi nuh know 'bout yuh) Lawd a mercy
They don't care what others think; they will still smoke their weed.
(But mi know bout mi)
They know themselves and what they want; they won't change for anyone.
When I smoke, I get so high (High Altitude)
Weed gives them a high feeling.
It makes mi feel like I wanna fly (Christly)
They feel like they can fly high after smoking weed.
Can yuh look and see the red in my eyes
Their eyes turn red due to smoking weed.
Hey, weh di weed (Mek mi billy)
Asking where the weed is and preparing to smoke (roll it into a blunt).
Spliff tea (Mi a killy)
Smoking through the day until they drop (killy).
Inna blunt (Mi a filly)
Rolling the weed in a blunt until it's full (filly).
Inna roll (Dis philly)
Using a Philly cigar to roll their weed.
Mi have blain (Inna mi pocket)
They have some weed in their pocket.
Rizzla (Inna mi jacket)
They have a paper to roll weed in their jacket pocket.
Spliff big like a rocket inna mission NASA bracket
Their spliff is big enough to resemble a rocket in a NASA mission.
(Lighta nuh tack it weh mi push inna di racket)
Lighter won't be retained; they will push it in the racket.
I'm higher dan di attic a nuh shot like a matic
They feel higher than ever before and don't need a gun to feel that way.
(Police mi nah drop it inna rubbish inna trash it a foot a time mash it world war is a tappy)
They won't discard their weed as it's dear to them, even if there's a war going on.
A nuh Dada a nuh Wayne a nuh Richie a nuh Prophet (But a same so mi love chronic don't stop draffy)
They don't care about who the person (Dada, Wayne, Richie, or Prophet) is; they love smoking chronic weed no matter what.
Big man weh mi stoppin (Di weed muss happy)
People who stop by them must be happy since they have weed.
(Tek money cop it champagne me a pop it)
They will use the money to buy weed and champagne to celebrate.
Don have internet mek mi lock tappy
They don't care about the internet as long as they have weed.
(Flight inna plane Portmore mi a drop in)
Flying to Portmore to buy some weed.
Bling Dawg have a straight mi gi fi draw stocky inna sheet mi a tacky God alone cyan stop mi
Bling Dawg gave them straight weed, which they rolled into a blunt and smoked; no one can stop them from smoking.
(Smoke out)
Smoking weed as much as they want.
Yuh see mi
Do you see me?
Hey, weed inna rizzla an inna philly blunts
Smoking weed wrapped in Rizla paper/blunt wrappers.
Mek mi head happy an a do di Willie Bounce
Smoking weed makes them happy and dance the Willie Bounce.
Wonda if mi fi cool fi couple months
Thinking if they should stop smoking for a while.
(Yuh modda yuh nuh have lock jaw inna yuh mouts)
Telling others not to worry about their smoking habits.
(My spliff taller than big lady guns)
Their spliff is taller than big lady guns, indicating it's quite big.
My spliff bigga than one dozen kette drums
Their spliff is bigger than a dozen kette drums.
(A regula mi bounce to di bank fi di funds fi go buy can draffy mek she love fi mi lungs)
They keep going to the bank to withdraw funds to buy weed, which makes their girlfriend love smoking too.
Mi nah guh tek nuh drugs, I seh pounds
They won't take any other drugs; just weed in pounds.
Mi weed haffi bad like inna city slums
Their weed has to be good, just like in the city slums.
(Di center have Christine I'm speakin in tongues)
They're so high that they can speak in tongues, like Christine in the church.
An a seh wi a go fall like Jerri Cucker loans
Saying they will fall like Jerri Cucker loans due to their smoking habits.
(Neva style weed man as idlers an bum)
Don't stereotype weed smokers as just idlers and bums.
Bout wi fi kill man fi all weed growers
Suggesting they would become killers if someone messes with their weed grower.
(Bad to wi shot dem one million mega hones when dem see di unity weed man amongst, cross)
They will kill anyone who goes against weed smokers, likely as part of unity among them.
Miser reval
Reverse the misery.
Yo, yuh know it's Don Corleone, 5 Star General, Baby G
Proudly introducing themselves as Don Corleone, 5-star general, and Baby G.
Di Vybz to di Kartel, High Altitude
They give vibes and Kartel in High Altitude.
(Mi nuh know bout yuh, but mi know bout mi)
Saying they don't know anything about others but themselves and their weed smoking habits.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: ADIDJA PALMER, DONOVAN KEITH BENNETT, RODNEY PRICE, TREVOR JAMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Naipaul66
[Intro: Bounty Killer & (Vybz Kartel)]
High altitude, smokin proud, sittin on a cloud
(Corleone, Baby G an Kartel, higher dan before)
(Knock knock knockin on heaven's door)
Thats right, Babylon nah nuh coke out if dem get one a this
(Hey, mi nuh know bout yuh) Lawd a mercy
(But mi know bout mi)
[Chorus: (Baby G)]
When I smoke, I get so high (High Altitude)
It makes mi feel like I wanna fly {Christly}
When yuh look and see the red in my eyes
In my eyes, my eyes
[Verse 1: Vybz Kartel & (Bounty Killer)]
Hey, weh di weed (Mek mi billy)
Spliff tea (Mi a killy)
Inna blunt (Mi a filly)
Inna roll (Dis philly)
Mi have blend (Inna mi pocket)
Rizzla (Inna mi jacket)
Spliff big like a rocket inna Mr. NASA bracket
(Lighta nuh tack it weh mi push inna di racket)
An higher dan di attic a nuh shot like a matic
(Police mi nah drop it inna rubbish inna trash it a foot a time mash it world war is a tappy)
A nuh Dada a nuh Wayne a nuh Richie a nuh Prophet
(But a same so mi love chronic dont stop draffy)
Big man weh mi stoppin (Di weed bus happy)
(Tek money cop it champagne me a pop it)
Don have internet mek mi laptop it
(Flight inna plane Portmore mi a drop in)
Bling Dawg have a straight vehicle fi drop top it, inna sheet mi a lack it God alone cyan stop mi
(Smoke out)
Yuh see mi
[Chorus: (Baby G)]
When I smoke, I get so high (Smoke like a muffler)
It makes mi feel like I wanna fly {All hustler}
Can yuh look an see the red in my eyes
In my eyes, my eyes
[Verse 2: Vybz Kartel & (Bounty Killer)]
Hey, weed inna rizzla an inna philly blunts
Mek mi head happy an a do di Willie Bounce
Wonda if mi fi cool fi couple months
(Yuh modda yuh nuh have lock jaw inna yuh mumphs)
(My spliff taller than Bin Ladin guns)
My spliff bigga than one dozen kette drums
(A regula mi bounce to di bank fi di funds fi go buy ganja fi mek it love fi mi lungs)
Mi nah guh tek nuh drugs, a suh come
Mi weed haffi bad like inna city slums
(Di center have Christian Jerico column
(Dem a style weed man as idlers an bum)
Bout wi fi kill man fi all weed growers
(Bounty wi shot dem one million mega hones when dem see di unity weed man a bounce, cross)
[Chorus: (Baby G)]
When I smoke, I get so high (High Altitude)
It makes mi feel like I wanna fly {Christly}
Can yuh look an see the red in my eyes
In my eyes, my eyes
[Interlude: Bounty Killer & (Vybz Kartel)]
Yo, yuh know its Don Corleone, 5 Star General, Baby G
Di Vybz to di Kartel, High Altitude
(Mi nuh know bout yuh, but mi know bout mi)
[Chorus: (Baby G)]
When I smoke, I get so high (High Altitude)
It makes mi feel like I wanna fly {Christly}
Can yuh look and see the red in my eyes
In my eyes, my eyes
@othelliusmaximus
Its crazy to think that today's kids will never know this era of Vybz Kartel
@raiigaza
So fucked up .... The Baddest Artist Of Any Era Of Any Time .....
@fullygazacampbell9568
Facts
@itsmegavi3599
I'm 14 and I know this word for word because my mom play these longtime dancehall music almost everyday.
@ShareTheSecret
Teach dem
@therealanalyst2019
they out here comparing kartel with alkaline 🤣😂
@veejones1545
Kids these days will still know that Vybz Kartel is DANCEHALL 👑 KING
@trackuniverse9121
King fu unda yuh breve 😂
@veejones1545
@@trackuniverse9121 you have no idea.
@imrhannephew1892
Easily.