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.
Last Man Standing
Vybz Kartel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Di bwoy run like a wounded dog
Bruk Usain record
Don't run barber bwoy don't run
Di bwoy dress up like police
And a run like thief
Don't run barber bwoy don't run
We a di last man standing
Rifle shot move di gully banking
Gwaan a yuh barber shop an trim
Next year nuh do nuh more damn sting!
We a di last man standing
A bare big matic Gaza man bring
Me nuh coward like bounty or him
Log on pon youtube watch di damn film
Mr.hype barber bwoy embarrass him fans
Me can't believe him run wid him Bands
Him sing one tune two time when teacha
Run out wid a million songs
Gaza shub out di casket
So 2009 nuh mek nuh more plans
Shoot mi shoot him in front a adams
Shot bite him like mad ants
Weh yuh dress up inna police suit for
Mi never see nuh police man go war
Mi run out inna full camouflage,
Knapsack full a clip 2 bloodclaat S.L.R
U bring 2000 man go sting
And a just shorty mi bring
But wen u see a bare things
U run like Usain a Beijing
Dat mean!
We a di last man standing
Rifle shot move di gully banking
Gwaan a yuh barber shop an trim
Next year nuh do nuh more damn sting!
We a di last man standing
A bare big matic Gaza man bring
Me nuh coward like bounty or him
Log on pon youtube watch di damn film
When mi run out pon jam world Gaza
Bwoy confuse tun fool get mawga
All a tell mi seh fi kill di barber
Di bwoy stama when him see Mr.Palmer
Mi get a k from Vogga from de la vega
Weh mek Chiney man skin black like neigga
Mi know where yuh live
Cause donia a yuh next door neighbour
A mi di whole a dem pussy afraida
Wen barber run out wid him fake gun
Who ah rail up like fans a stadium
Di ten bus load a frend weh him bring
But everybody weh pay come
Tell mi seh dem a punk a wa do killa gay son
Blood a run like usain a stadium
Ratchet inna neck me a shub it way dung
Uhm everybody lay down
We a di last man standing
Rifle shot move di gully banking
Gwaan a yuh barber shop an trim
Next year nuh do nuh more damn sting!
We a di last man standing
A bare big matic Gaza man bring
Me nuh coward like bounty or him
Log on pon youtube watch di damn film
Di bwoy run like a wounded dog
Bruk Usain record
Don't run barber bwoy don't run
Di bwoy dress up like police
And a run like thief
Don't run barber bwoy don't run
Big yard
We a di last man standing
Rifle shot move di gully banking
Gwaan a yuh barber shop an trim
Next year nuh do nuh more damn sting!
We a di last man standing
A bare big matic Gaza man bring
Me nuh coward like bounty or him
Log on pon youtube watch di damn film
The song "Last Man Standing" by Vybz Kartel is a confrontational and aggressive track that speaks of the artist’s prowess and dominance over his enemies. The song starts off with a mocking tone directed towards a cowardly opponent who is portrayed as an unfit and wounded dog, unable to outrun the artist’s "Rifle shot". The song is filled with references to the artist’s superiority and power, which is evident in the lines "We a di last man standing" and "A bare big matic Gaza man bring".
The second verse of the song speaks to the competition in the dancehall scene and how the artist isn't afraid to stand out and fight. He praises himself as being braver than the likes of Bounty Killer, a seasoned dancehall artist who he perceives as being cowardly. This verse makes reference to a specific performance by the artist where he stands out as the best in the game "Log on pon youtube watch di damn film". The song is riddled with derogatory slurs and references to violence, painting a picture of Kartel's dominant persona that is celebrated in Jamaica's music scene.
Line by Line Meaning
Di bwoy run like a wounded dog
The person ran away in fear and desperation
Bruk Usain record
The person ran very fast, even beating Usain Bolt's record
Don't run barber bwoy don't run
The singer is taunting the person, telling them not to run because they cannot escape
Di bwoy dress up like police
The person is disguised as a police officer or law enforcement agent
And a run like thief
The person is running away like a criminal, indicating their guilt or fear of being caught
Big yard
The singer is from a large, influential group or location
We a di last man standing
The singer is part of a group that is determined to be the last ones remaining or victorious
Rifle shot move di gully banking
Gunfire was heard in the area, causing people to flee and take cover
Gwaan a yuh barber shop an trim
The singer is inviting the person to go to their barber shop and get a haircut
Next year nuh do nuh more damn sting!
The singer is saying that the person should not participate in a certain event or competition next year
A bare big matic Gaza man bring
The singer's group is heavily armed with powerful guns and weapons
Me nuh coward like bounty or him
The singer is comparing themselves to other artists and saying they are not afraid to stand up to anyone or anything
Log on pon youtube watch di damn film
The singer is urging people to watch a video or footage of what happened
Mr.hype barber bwoy embarrass him fans
The person being referred to, who is a barber, embarrassed his own fans with his actions
Me can't believe him run wid him Bands
The singer is surprised that the person ran away with their friends or team
Him sing one tune two time when teacha
The person being referred to only made one song, while the singer has made many more than that
Run out wid a million songs
The singer has more songs and is more successful than the person being referred to
Gaza shub out di casket
The singer's group caused someone's death and had them buried in a coffin
So 2009 nuh mek nuh more plans
The year 2009 was a significant one for the singer and they do not plan on making any more plans or changes
Shoot mi shoot him in front a adams
The singer shot someone in front of a certain location or person
Shot bite him like mad ants
The person who was shot was very badly injured or hurt
Weh yuh dress up inna police suit for
The singer is questioning why the person was wearing a police uniform or disguise
Mi never see nuh police man go war
Police are not typically involved in violent conflicts or wars
Mi run out inna full camouflage,
The singer was ready for battle and wore full camouflage gear
Knapsack full a clip 2 bloodclaat S.L.R
The singer had a backpack full of loaded rifles and ammunition
U bring 2000 man go sting
The person brought a large group of people to a certain event or competition
And a just shorty mi bring
The singer only brought one person to the event, but they were skilled and brave enough to fight
But wen u see a bare things
When the person saw all of the weapons and violent intentions of the singer's group
U run like Usain a Beijing
The person ran away very fast, like Usain Bolt in the Olympics
Dat mean!
This means that the singer's group is victorious and the other person has been defeated
When mi run out pon jam world Gaza
The singer went to a certain location or event called Jam World Gaza
Bwoy confuse tun fool get mawga
The person was very confused and foolish and ended up getting hurt or killed
All a tell mi seh fi kill di barber
Many people were urging the singer to kill the barber
Di bwoy stama when him see Mr.Palmer
The person stuttered or panicked when they saw Mr. Palmer, who is likely a well-known figure or leader
Mi get a k from Vogga from de la vega
The singer received a certain weapon from someone named Vogga or from a certain location
Weh mek Chiney man skin black like neigga
The singer is questioning why a Chinese person's skin would be black like a black person
Mi know where yuh live
The singer knows where the person lives
Cause donia a yuh next door neighbour
Donia, who is likely a person or location, is the person's next door neighbor
A mi di whole a dem pussy afraida
The singer is not afraid of anyone and is fearless
Wen barber run out wid him fake gun
The barber ran away with a fake gun, indicating that they were not prepared for violent conflict
Who ah rail up like fans a stadium
The people who were angry or fighting were very passionate and vocal, like fans at a stadium
Di ten bus load a frend weh him bring
The person brought many friends in ten buses to the event
But everybody weh pay come
The people who paid to come to the event were brave and fought alongside the singer's group
Tell mi seh dem a punk a wa do killa gay son
The singer heard that certain people were being cowardly or disrespectful to someone named Killa's gay son
Blood a run like usain a stadium
There was a lot of bloodshed and violence in the area, like a sports stadium
Ratchet inna neck me a shub it way dung
The singer used a weapon called a ratchet and pushed it down into someone's neck
Uhm everybody lay down
Everyone stopped fighting or moving and lay down on the ground
Lyrics © Ultra Tunes, BMG Rights Management
Written by: ADIDJA PALMER, AINSLEY MORRIS, AINSLEY SHOMARI MORRIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@grimkenya9434
If you are still listening to this hit 2024 you are a legend. After celebrating AddijaHeim palmer's Birthday 👊👊👊💪💪💪
@Bloodmoney45
🔥🔥🔥
@sherryjeffers3590
Everyday me listen!! Gaza me say!!
@Noname-nn2hm
Vybz kartel is a legend. My favourite bashment song will forever be send fi mi army.
@sherryjeffers3590
@@Noname-nn2hm me no gah no favorite..me love all
@anthillmoshe2424
Hit dem up
No Vaseline
Lastman standing
@HashimThaDream
This was the moment that Kartel took the dancehall CROWN 👑
@vikingrolloishot1789
Facts
@birdperson2854
Truee👊🏽
@winstonalex3992
Correct