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.
Sickhead Sickhead
Vybz Kartel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From mi wake up mi start smoke
Di weed somke inna my throat
Nuh bowy caah seh mi tek coke
Mek mi start it dah way yah
From mi wake up a ganja
Di red rose tun up mi anga
Mi splif deh aready nuh deh a amba
Mi a buil up pon big head, big head splif
Bigga dan di pilla inna mi bed, mi bed
Coke head and crackhead yuh mussi lick head
Lick head pim-Pim a crush di grabba yeah
Mi herin di red
Skull hot mi haffi tek off mi fitted, fitted
Lay dung wid a oman and get a quick head
Quick head
Everybody haffi seh Addi a sick head
Sick head cuh deh! Bag a fyah deh pon
Mi splif head splif head
When mi crush di road pon mi sig head
Sig head
(Yow) Watch it enuh when mi a defend di bread
Else mi send di coppa mi affi send di lead
(Bowy) If yuh nuh dead
Yuh affi pretend fi dead
Skull hot mi haffi tek off mi fitted, fitted
Lay dung wid a oman and get a quick head
Quick head
Everybody haffi seh Addi a sick head
Sick head cuh deh! Bag a fyah deh pon
Mi splif head splif head
If mi nuh have mi medicine mi nah badoh
Lighta, whistler, 50 bag, grabba
A old feet have di weed bo-bo-shabba
Lighta, whistler, 50 bag, grabba
From mi wake up mi start smoke
Di weed somke inna my throat
Nuh bowy caah seh mi tek coke
Mek mi start it dah way yah
From inna delo goh a dam head, dam head
Di ganja a goh true mi damn head, damn head
Offica mi unda chronic
Yuh nuh see di smoke sign pon mi for-ed
For-ed
Skull hot mi haffi tek off mi fitted, fitted
Lay dung wid a oman and get a quick head
Quick head
Everybody haffi seh Addi a sick head
Sick head cuh deh! Bag a fyah deh pon
Mi splif head splif head
Gaza man dem a nuh fish head fish head
Cause a oman alone inna wi bed, wi bed
It goh suh, gyal sidung pon di dickhead
Dickhead
"Oh Addi how mi love yuh suh" she said
She said
Skull hot mi haffi tek off mi fitted, fitted
Lay dung wid a oman and get a quick head
Quick head
Everybody haffi seh Addi a sick head
Sick head cuh deh! Bag a fyah deh pon
Mi splif head splif head
If mi nuh have mi medicine mi nah badoh
Lighta, whistler, 50 bag, grabba
A old feet have di weed bo-bo-shabba
Lighta, whistler, 50 bag, grabba
From mi wake up mi start smoke
Di weed somke inna my throat
Nuh bowy caah seh mi tek coke
Mek mi start it dah way yah
The song "Sickhead" by Vybz Kartel is a reggae tune that celebrates the artist's love and addiction to marijuana. From the very start of the lyrics, Kartel makes it clear that he starts smoking weed immediately after he wakes up and the smoke fills his throat. He takes a dig at people who accuse him of using coke when he only smokes weed. His love for weed is so strong that he even uses it to replace his breakfast.
In the second verse, Vybz Kartel mentions that he prefers strong weed that gives him a head high and makes him feel like a sickhead. He also mentions that he is building a big head spliff and takes a swipe at people who use harder drugs like cocaine and crack, who he accuses of being lick heads. He also reveals that he uses weed as medicine and can't do without his stash of lighters, whistlers, grabba, and old feet weed.
Overall, "Sickhead" is Vybz Kartel's tribute to weed, which he portrays as his faithful companion and medicine.
Line by Line Meaning
Delaveaga a dem weed yah bowy fraid a
People are afraid of the quality of weed from Delaveaga.
From mi wake up mi start smoke
As soon as I wake up, I start smoking weed.
Di weed somke inna my throat
The weed smoke goes straight into my throat.
Nuh bowy caah seh mi tek coke
No one can accuse me of taking cocaine.
Mek mi start it dah way yah
I prefer to smoke weed in this manner.
Mi splif longa, grabba mek it stronga
I make my spliff long and strong by adding grabba.
Di red rose tun up mi anga
The red weed has me feeling very good.
Mi splif deh aready nuh deh a amba
My spliff is already made, I don't need to go to the bush.
Mi a buil up pon big head, big head splif
I'm building up my tolerance by smoking big head, big head spliffs.
Bigga dan di pilla inna mi bed, mi bed
My spliff is bigger than the pillow on my bed.
Coke head and crackhead yuh mussi lick head
If you do cocaine or crack, you must be a lick head.
Lick head pim-Pim a crush di grabba yeah
The lick head is crushing the grabba with his teeth.
Mi herin di red
I can hear the red weed calling me.
Skull hot mi haffi tek off mi fitted, fitted
My head is hot, so I have to take off my fitted cap.
Lay dung wid a oman and get a quick head
I lay down with a woman and got a quick blowjob.
Everybody haffi seh Addi a sick head
Everyone has to agree that Vybz Kartel is a sick head.
Sick head cuh deh! Bag a fyah deh pon
Sick head is here! There's a lot of fire going on!
Mi splif head splif head
My spliffs are always on my mind.
When mi crush di road pon mi sig head
When I'm driving on the road, I'm smoking a spliff.
Sig head
I always have a spliff in my mouth.
(Yow) Watch it enuh when mi a defend di bread
You better watch out when I'm defending my money.
Else mi send di coppa mi affi send di lead
Otherwise, I'll send the police, or even worse, I'll use a gun.
(Bowy) If yuh nuh dead
If you're not dead,
Yuh affi pretend fi dead
you have to pretend to be dead.
Gaza man dem a nuh fish head fish head
Gaza men are not cowards.
Cause a oman alone inna wi bed, wi bed
Because there's only a woman in our bed.
It goh suh, gyal sidung pon di dickhead
That's how it goes, the girl sits on the dickhead.
Oh Addi how mi love yuh suh" she said
"Oh Addi, I love you so much," she said.
If mi nuh have mi medicine mi nah badoh
If I don't have my weed, I won't be okay.
Lighta, whistler, 50 bag, grabba
The things I need to smoke weed are a lighter, a whistler, a 50 bag, and grabba.
A old feet have di weed bo-bo-shabba
This old guy has the weed, bo-bo-shabba.
From inna delo goh a dam head, dam head
From Delaveaga, it goes straight to my brain.
Di ganja a goh true mi damn head, damn head
The ganja goes straight to my damn head.
Offica mi unda chronic
I'm always smoking weed, my mind is under the influence of chronic.
Yuh nuh see di smoke sign pon mi for-ed
Don't you see the smoke coming out of my forehead?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ADIDJA PALMER, AINSLEY SHOMARI MORRIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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