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.
Jamaica
Vybz Kartel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dre Skull
Kartel
Dancehall
Forever
Mi come from Jamaica
Mi come from Jamaica
Mi come from Jamaica, awoah
Portmore, city, Kingston
City
City, Kingston
Thugs in the street
Looking for food fi eat
Ninety degrees heat
Jamaica still sweet
Music grinding
Pretty ladies whining
(Oh Teacha' look at me whining)
(Look, look, look at me whining)
Mi come from Jamaica
Mi come from Jamaica
Mi come from Jamaica
Mi come from Jamaica
Police man pushing the Hearse
Mi grandmada going to church
The visitors, di tourist nuh notice
But ah Kingston ah de place weh you fi notice
Home of Teacha'
Yo Dre Skull
Mi say Dancehall
Forever
Mi come from Jamaica
Mi come from Jamaica
Mi come from Jamaica
Mi come from Jamaica
Hahaha, sick dawg, mi haffi go light mi spliff now
Don't? Awoah
In Vybz Kartel's song "Jamaica," the dancehall artist proudly declares his roots in his homeland. The repetition of "Mi come from Jamaica" reinforces his connection to his birthplace. Portmore, a city in Kingston, serves as the backdrop for the song, with Kartel highlighting the struggles faced by residents. The lyrics draw attention to the poverty and heat, but also to the beauty of the island nation, emphasizing that "Jamaica still sweet."
The chorus is a celebration of Kingston's music scene and its beautiful women, with Kartel expressing his joy in being a part of it. The verses offer social commentary, reflecting on the reality of Kingston's streets, including the presence of violence and the importance of religion. For example, he notes a police officer pushing a hearse while his grandmother is on her way to church. Overall, the song is an anthem for Jamaica and its people, highlighting the challenges they face while emphasizing the unique beauty of their home.
Line by Line Meaning
Ready not nice
Be prepared for the realities of the world, it's not always going to be easy.
Dre Skull
The producer of this track.
Kartel
The artist and performer of this song.
Dancehall
A genre of music originating from Jamaica with a fast tempo and upbeat rhythm often associated with parties and dancing.
Forever
This is an homage to the music genre he is proud to be associated with.
Mi come from Jamaica
I am from the island nation of Jamaica, and I am proud of my heritage.
Portmore, city, Kingston
These are three notable places in Jamaica that are integral parts of the island's history.
City
A shortened way of saying Kingston, the capital city of Jamaica.
Thugs in the street
There are people living in poverty, struggling to survive and turn to violence to survive.
Looking for food fi eat
People are so hungry they turn to committing acts of violence just to try to get sustenance.
Ninety degrees heat
It is incredibly hot in Jamaica at times, it's not just paradise, it has its flaws and drawbacks.
Jamaica still sweet
Despite the struggles and problems, Jamaica has a sweetness and a beauty that is hard to deny.
Music grinding
The rhythm and intensity of the music scene can be felt every day on the streets of Jamaica.
Pretty ladies whining
Women are dancing seductively and having fun to the music all over Jamaica, it is a cultural thing but also considered exotic and a tourist attraction.
(Oh Teacha' look at me whining)
A possible reference to the artist himself or someone well-known in the music scene.
(Look, look, look at me whining)
This line is a callout to the people around him, telling them to look at this beautiful dance happening around them.
Police man pushing the Hearse
Describing a relatively common occurrence on the streets of Jamaica, even death is an everyday reality.
Mi grandmada going to church
A nod to the religious beliefs that are integral to the Jamaican culture.
The visitors, di tourist nuh notice
It's easy for tourists who have never lived in Jamaica to miss the everyday realities of life on the island.
But ah Kingston ah de place weh you fi notice
Kingston is the big city of Jamaica, with everything on display, and really the heart of the culture.
Home of Teacha'
Jamaica is the home of the artist Vybz Kartel, who is also known as Teacha'.
Yo Dre Skull
The artist is calling out to the producer Dre Skull.
Hahaha, sick dawg, mi haffi go light mi spliff now
The artist is laughing and says they need to light a marijuana cigarette.
Don't? Awoah
This line is unclear without more context, it could be interpreted in a couple of different ways.
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Andrew Hershey, Adidja Palmer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@1king579
2024 who a wait pon the freedom π’
@CompellingJ
Omg yasssss Iβm going to Jamaica π―π²
@birdperson2854
He should walk out to thisππ
@Brocco420TV
Mi come from Kenyaπ°πͺ But because of Kartel ..Me rep Jamaica!!!!!!!!!! #Freeworlbossssssssssssss #GazaFiLifeEnuh!!!!!!
@marshabarnaby1330
Mi come from Jamaica. Specifically tower hill in Kingston. He always sing about tower hill... I love the song way him sing. Say mi make yo pum pum happy. He always come to my community because he use to live in water house... Free the boss. Him born the 7th a January and me the 6...!! Dwl
@shemaranderson6904
The greatest legend come from Jamaica.
@djryzmatic876
Very Underrated Song π
@ridewithslim7198
Good job only the real know about this one π―π―
@movements5139
@@ridewithslim7198dat is it fada dunce
@unanimusgaza105
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 ππ₯π―ππ
#FREEWORLBOSS