Biography
Adidja Azim Palmer (born 7 January 1976) better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican dancehall artist. Among his various nicknames, he is referred to as Worl' Boss, Teacha and King of Dancehall. As summarized by Rolling Stone, he "attained folk-hero status in Jamaica with provocative lyrics and a mischievous public persona", and few have captivated the dancehall audience or offended the sensibilities of its detractors as consistently and thoroughly as Kartel." He has also been credited as an inspiration for the dancehall-infused work of a number of Western artists, including Drake, who has cited Kartel as being one of his "biggest inspirations".
In 2014, Kartel was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his associate Clive "Lizard" Williams. Kartel often released new music despite his imprisonment, having released over 50 new songs in 2016 alone.His conviction was quashed in March 2024 by the UK Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, who cited juror misconduct and declared that the Jamaican Court of Appeal had to decide if a retrial would take place. On 31 July 2024, Kartel was released from prison after the Court of Appeal declined to retry the Williams case.
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Kartel's singles feature massive, globally trending hits like the RIAA Gold-certified "Fever", alongside viral 2026 anthems like "Panic" (featuring Shenseea), the TikTok-trending "2026" ("I Must Get Rich"), "Zelle". Over his career, he has collaborated with a diverse range of international hip hop, R&B, Afrobeats, and Latin artists such as Major Lazer, Rihanna, Missy Elliott, Travis Scott, Alison Hinds, and more recently, global stars like WizKid, Farruko, and Shenseea on his 2026 album God & Time. Crucially, 2026 also marked the historic end of one of dancehall's most legendary rivalries when Kartel reunited with longtime nemesis Mavado, collaborating on the groundbreaking track "Hype Life" and sharing a monumental co-headlining stage at Reggae Sumfest 2026.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.