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.
Love Dem
Vybz Kartel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby,
You know you are my (set mi free)
First (set mi free)
Baby madda (set mi free)
But you see afta you (set mi free)
Mi a talk di truth
Gyal a run dung di Gaza Youth
Love dem
Tenda touch dem
Different gyal everyday
Love dem
Tenda touch dem
Mi have gyal everyway
But you are mi baby yeah ay
Shorty catch mi last night
Wid a fat brown gyal a stand pipe
And
She fling up afta me with a knife
Mi hug har up and seh
That's all right cah
You know you are the love of mi life
Nuh worry cah you are mi wife but
Mi haffi have new gyal every night
She hear bout Kim and a ask me why
Mi neva mean to
You haffi believe me
Anotha girl
Gonna have a baby
You know you are mi everything
Mi nuh need no otha
But a bag a gyal a run dung di Gaza Youth
Weh you expect mi fi do
Love dem
Tenda touch dem
Different gyal everyday
Love dem
Tenda touch dem
Mi have gyal everyway
But you are mi baby yeah ay
Di first youth sofi a bring
Dat a mi baby madda a Brooklyn
She tell mi seh if me get a next youth
She a chuck inna di river an she cya swim
Nuh badda wid di suicide thing
Siddung yah soh mek mi tell you a thing
Mi swear fi love yuh till time end
But Alysha pregnant again
Mi neva mean to
You haffi believe me
Anotha girl
Gonna have a baby
You know you are mi everything
Mi nuh need no otha
But a bag a gyal a run dung di Gaza Youth
Weh you expect mi fi do
Love dem
Tenda touch dem
Different gyal everyday
Love dem
Tenda touch dem
Mi have gyal everyway
But you are mi baby yeah, ay
This song by Vybz Kartel, "Love Dem/Gallis Anthem," is an ode to the "Gaza Youth" and their lifestyle of having multiple sexual partners. The lyrics are essentially a confession from Kartel to his partner, who is also the mother of his child, about his infidelity and his inability to be faithful to her. He acknowledges that he loves her but at the same time, he cannot resist the temptation of having different girls every day. He explains that it is simply the way of life for the young men in Gaza and he cannot change it, even though he wants to be faithful to his baby mama.
Throughout the song, Kartel seems to be torn between his desire for multiple girls and the love he has for his baby mama. He even talks about a time when he was caught by his partner with another girl, but he assured her that she was still his true love. However, he confesses that he cannot help but have a new girl every night, and that he is not the only one, as many young men in the Gaza follow the same lifestyle. In the end, he admits that his love for his partner is true, but he cannot change who he is or how he lives his life.
One interesting fact about the song is that it became very popular in Jamaica and across the Caribbean, leading to some controversy due to its explicit sexual content. Despite this, it has remained a favorite among fans, and even other musicians have covered the song. Another interesting fact is that "Gallis Anthem" became somewhat of a cultural phenomenon, often being used as a slang term for someone who sleeps around with multiple partners. The song's popularity helped to cement Vybz Kartel's position as one of the most prominent dancehall artists of his time, even as he faced legal troubles and imprisonment.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby,
You know you are my (set mi free)
First (set mi free)
Baby madda (set mi free)
But you see afta you (set mi free)
Mi a talk di truth
Gyal a run dung di Gaza Youth
Weh you expect mi fi do
Baby, you are the most important person to me and I will do anything for you but after you, I have a lot of romantic partners because there are many girls who like me. What do you expect me to do?
Love dem
Tenda touch dem
Different gyal everyday
Love dem
Tenda touch dem
Mi have gyal everyway
But you are mi baby yeah ay
I love all my romantic partners and I like to touch them. I have a different girl every day but you are the one I really care about the most.
Shorty catch mi last night
Wid a fat brown gyal a stand pipe
And
She fling up afta me with a knife
Mi hug har up and seh
That's all right cah
You know you are the love of mi life
Nuh worry cah you are mi wife but
Mi haffi have new gyal every night
She hear bout Kim and a ask me why
My girlfriend caught me last night with another girl by the standpipe. The other girl got angry and tried to attack me with a knife but I hugged her and said it was okay. You are the love of my life, don't worry because you are my wife, but I need to have a new girl every night. She heard about Kim and asked me why.
Mi neva mean to
You haffi believe me
Anotha girl
Gonna have a baby
You know you are mi everything
Mi nuh need no otha
But a bag a gyal a run dung di Gaza Youth
Weh you expect mi fi do
I did not mean to have another girl pregnant, but you have to trust me. Another girl is going to have a baby but you are everything to me, I do not need anyone else. However, there are many girls who like me in the Gaza Youth and what do you expect me to do?
Di first youth sofi a bring
Dat a mi baby madda a Brooklyn
She tell mi seh if me get a next youth
She a chuck inna di river an she cya swim
Nuh badda wid di suicide thing
Siddung yah soh mek mi tell you a thing
Mi swear fi love yuh till time end
But Alysha pregnant again
The first child you gave me was born in Brooklyn but if I have another child, my baby mother threatened to throw it into the river even though she can't swim. Let's not talk about suicide. I promise to love you forever, but Alysha is pregnant again.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Written by: ADIDJAH PALMER, RICARDO GARDNER, STEPHEN MCGREGOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ineedspacegirl8415
[Intro:]
Galis anthem
Baby you no u a mi (set mi free)
First (set mi free)
Baby mother (set me free)
Set mi free
But yuh si afta u
Set me free
Mi a talk the truth
Gal a run down the gaza yute weh yuh expect mi fi do
[Chorus:]
Love dem, tenda touch dem
Different gal everyday
Love dem tenda touch dem
Mi ave gal every weh but u a mi baby yeaaa!
[Verse 1:]
Shawty ketch mi last night
With a fat brown gal a stand pipe
& She swing off me witha knife
T mi hug har up an seh that's alright
Yuh no u a di love a mi life
Nuh worry cause u a mi wife
But mi affi have a new gal every night
She hear bout kim and a ask me why
[Hook:]
Me neva mean to
U haffi believe me
Another girl gonna have a baby
You know you a mi everything
Mi nuh need anotha
But a bagga gal a run down the gaza yute
Weh yuh expect mi fi do
[Chorus:]
Love dem, tenda touch dem
Different gal everyday
Love dem tenda touch dem
Mi ave gal every weh but u a mi baby yeaaa!
[Verse 2:]
Di fuss yute sophia bring
Dat a mi baby mother a Brooklyn
She tell me seh if me get a next yute she a chuck inna di river and she can't swim
Nuh bother with the suicide thing
Sidung yah suh mek me tell you a ting
Mi swear fi love you till time end
But taneshaprgnant again
[Hook:]
Me neva mean to
U haffi believe me
Another girl gonna have a baby
You know you a mi everything
Mi nuh need anotha
But a bagga gal a run down the gaza yute
Weh yuh expect mi fi do
[Chorus:]
Love dem, tenda touch dem
Different gal everyday
Love dem tenda touch dem
Mi ave gal every weh but u a mi baby yeaaa!
@estherexil5523
Vybz has the craziest way of saying some fucked up shit so sweetly lol.. bring this man back.
@gazadon8425
tell Meade saint you need some water the thirst real
@tellmeadesaint1674
high level bring fe ur mudar 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
@evangelistkae6920
esther exil for real lol I'm listening to these words in 2017 like really?!?! "Mi neva mean to"
@anthonyleopold4771
esther exil u black too
@isaihprience1200
esther exil colin
@heavenbless4797
Who here 2024
@user-qr2dt4xj5r
April 2024
@gazakid2002
Blessed diva bring me here shorty an lava live. Shorty really jam wit a iceprick
@rosegolds9644
me too ahaha 🔥