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.
Mr Officer
Vybz Kartel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mi ah drive in from grange hill
With a pound of di marijuana
Police pull me over, step to mi car
Officer wah yuh want
Him she wah dat mi smell pon uh
Wah dat green sumtin deh, ah nuh calaloo
Mi light up mi weed and seh
Squaddy mi nah stop bun my ganja
So come put on di handcuff dem
Memba' mi must get bail
Carry mi go jail ah in deh di high grade sell
Mr. officer low mi with di ganja
Mr. officer ah gun yuh fi look fa
Mr. officer nuh harass the gaza
Mr. officer? mi rememba
The first weed weh mi ah bun
When round mi ah 10
Mi haffi light it again and out it again
It's like a band ah play a riddim inna my head
It mek di place get dizzy and mi eye red
Instantly mi hungry nuh bloodclat
Mi haffi fuck up some crackers and a dry bread
With 2 bun wid ah bulla and ah fry egg
An when di kitchen empty mi go ah my bed
Mi tun big man use one light one
Any man try coke fi go try dead
Squaddy charge me and go bow shabba fi di weed
And seh to court we invited
But di judge advocate fi di herb
She dash out di case it's indited
And she love di smell when it lighted
And she style the police as a lightshead
Squaddy mi nah stop bun my ganja
So come put on di handcuff dem
Memba mi must get bail
Carry mi go jail ah in deh di high grade sell
Mr. officer low mi with di ganja
Mr. officer ah gun yuh fi look fa
Mr. officer nuh harass the gaza
Mr. officer? yo not nice
Mi haffi put it inna my triple? scale
After ah nuh cocaine is ah weed sale
? ah where dah goo draw yah come from
General degree ah tell mi she ah down a Greenville
Him bring di farme fi link mr. palmer
Dem sell it inna whole sale and inna retail eehe
What a pretty weed in every detail
Mi mek ah trailor load a money from a week sale
Mi weed too ? hold a fresh hold a dress
And see bout di swim round weh high state
Mi step inna di court lawyer pon di left
Lawyer pon di right what ah nice ting
If mi fi go jail fi di weed mi ah smoke
I wouldn't be ther first inna my scheme
But from the looks weh mi see di judge by scheme
Mi know dis softer dan ice cream
Squaddy mi nah stop bun my ganja
So come put on di handcuff dem
Member' mi must get bail
Carry mi go jail ah in deh di high grade sell
Mr. officer low mi with di ganja
Mr. officer ah gun yuh fi look fa
Mr. officer nuh harass the gaza
Mr. officer?
In the song "Mr. Officer," Vybz Kartel tells the story of being pulled over by the police while driving with a pound of marijuana. The officer accuses him of smelling of marijuana and proceeds to threaten him with jail time. Vybz Kartel responds defiantly, refusing to stop smoking his weed and declaring that he must be released on bail. Despite the accusations, he portrays himself as a responsible and successful businessman, making a livelihood off selling and distributing weed. He also recounts his first memory of smoking weed at a young age and describes the feelings of being high, including hunger and dizziness.
The lyrics of "Mr. Officer" express a common theme in Jamaican dancehall music - a resistance against authority and a defense of the use of marijuana as a cultural symbol. Kartel illustrates the unfairness and hypocrisy of the police's treatment of weed users and claims that they are being targeted unfairly. Through his lyrics, he highlights how marijuana has been a part of Jamaican culture and economy for generations, and declares that it should not be illegal.
Line by Line Meaning
Bookey, feds dem ah move spookey
The police are acting suspiciously.
Mi ah drive in from grange hill
I am driving back from Grange Hill.
With a pound of di marijuana
I am carrying a pound of marijuana.
Police pull me over, step to mi car
The police stop me and approach my car.
Officer wah yuh want
What do you want, officer?
Him she wah dat mi smell pon uh
The officer wants to know what I am smoking.
Wah dat green sumtin deh, ah nuh calaloo
That green thing I'm smoking is not calaloo (a type of vegetable).
Yuh must go ah jail bwoy, what yuh gonna do
You're going to jail, what are you going to do about it?
Mi light up mi weed and seh
I light up my weed and say...
Squaddy mi nah stop bun my ganja
Officer, I will not stop smoking my weed.
So come put on di handcuff dem
Go ahead and put on the handcuffs then.
Memba' mi must get bail
Remember, I must get bail.
Carry mi go jail ah in deh di high grade sell
Take me to jail where I can sell my high-grade weed.
Mr. officer low mi with di ganja
Officer, don't take away my ganja.
Mr. officer ah gun yuh fi look fa
Officer, you should be looking for criminals with guns.
Mr. officer nuh harass the gaza
Officer, stop harassing the Gaza (Kartel's crew).
Mr. officer? mi rememba
Officer, I remember...
The first weed weh mi ah bun
The first weed that I ever smoked...
When round mi ah 10
When I was around 10 years old.
Mi haffi light it again and out it again
I had to keep lighting it and puffing on it.
It's like a band ah play a riddim inna my head
It's like there's a band playing a beat in my head.
It mek di place get dizzy and mi eye red
It makes everything dizzy and my eyes red.
Instantly mi hungry nuh bloodclat
Instantly, I'm hungry.
Mi haffi fuck up some crackers and a dry bread
I have to eat some crackers and dry bread.
With 2 bun wid ah bulla and ah fry egg
And have two buns with a bulla (type of pastry) and fried egg.
An when di kitchen empty mi go ah my bed
And when the kitchen is empty, I go to bed.
Mi tun big man use one light one
As I grew up, I smoked more sophisticatedly.
Any man try coke fi go try dead
Anyone who tries cocaine will die trying.
Squaddy charge me and go bow shabba fi di weed
The policeman charged me and went to tell the authorities about my weed.
And seh to court we invited
And told us that we were invited to court.
But di judge advocate fi di herb
But the judge was in favor of the herb.
She dash out di case it's indited
She dismissed the case, saying it was baseless.
And she love di smell when it lighted
And she loved the smell when it was lit.
And she style the police as a lightshead
And she insulted the police officer as being foolish.
Mi haffi put it inna my triple? scale
I have to weigh my weed on my triple scale.
After ah nuh cocaine is ah weed sale
I'm not selling cocaine, only weed.
? ah where dah goo draw yah come from
Where did that good weed come from?
General degree ah tell mi she ah down a Greenville
General Degree told me the weed comes from Greenville.
Him bring di farme fi link mr. palmer
He brought the farmer to meet Mr. Palmer (a drug dealer).
Dem sell it inna whole sale and inna retail eehe
They sell it wholesale and retail.
What a pretty weed in every detail
The weed is pretty in every way.
Mi mek ah trailor load a money from a week sale
I make a lot of money from a week's worth of sales.
Mi weed too ? hold a fresh hold a dress
My weed is so good, it makes you feel fresh and energized.
And see bout di swim round weh high state
And think about going for a swim in a heightened state.
Mi step inna di court lawyer pon di left
I entered the courtroom, the lawyer on my left.
Lawyer pon di right what ah nice ting
Lawyer on the right, how nice.
If mi fi go jail fi di weed mi ah smoke
If I go to jail for smoking weed...
I wouldn't be ther first inna my scheme
I wouldn't be the first one in my group (the Gaza) to go to jail.
But from the looks weh mi see di judge by scheme
But from what I can tell, the judge is on our side.
Mi know dis softer dan ice cream
I know this is an easy case.
Mr. officer?
Officer?
Mi nah stop bun my ganja
I will not stop smoking my weed.
Mr. officer low mi with di ganja
Officer, don't take away my ganja.
Mr. officer ah gun yuh fi look fa
Officer, you should be looking for criminals with guns.
Mr. officer nuh harass the gaza
Officer, stop harassing the Gaza (Kartel's crew).
Mr. officer? yo not nice
Officer, you're not nice.
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Stephen McGregor, Adidjah Palmer, Shaun Chablal
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@goodoverevilhouse22
Most prolific artist and very versatile artist. He doesn't even write his songs just goes in the studio booth and spits bars!
@birdi-511
his music will never die
@shamolconnell4504
The fact that he's telling a vivid story in your mind. And the switch from the chorus to a clear vision on the "the first weed he burnt when he was ten" you get the feeling also his first experience.
@cymandedrake8884
Dope
@bluebomber4725
Good pick up on dat.....shamol. Experience like no other esp first time an blaze!!!!
@CBC20744
Is like you scope out the whol song an you figure out that part good listener
@princeharding5387
Clean ears g
@Soontobe_kylie
you can what you want about this man! But his Music Will FOREVER LIVE ON MAN..#FREEWORLDBOSS
@treonbarry4526
Gaza forever
@zubnasty
De Gaza