Vybz Kartel, real name Adidja Palmer, has been released from prison after serving 13 years for the murder of associate Clive “Lizard” Williams. The 48-year-old was arrested in 2011 alongside three other men in connection to the murder and in 2014 was sentenced to 35 years in prison which was later reduced on appeal to 32 and a half.
At the time of the trial, Jamaican police claimed in a testimony that they saw a text on Kartel’s phone stating that Williams’ body had been turned to “mincemeat.” His body was never recovered.
During his time in prison, Kartel and the co-accused Shawn Campbell, Kahira Jones, and Andre St John, maintained their innocence. Kartel appealed to courts in Jamaica before taking his case to the Privy Counsel in London which serves as the highest court of appeal in Jamaica and other commonwealth countries.
In March, a UK-based Privy Council overturned the conviction after finding evidence of jury misconduct as attempted bribery occurred during the initial trial. The decision for whether or not to hold a retrial was left to the Court of Appeal in Jamaica.
On the 31st of July the court ruled that a retrial was not required and Kartel was released from prison on that same Wednesday.
"Mi a tell di yute dem stay out of f$@!%&!" – Words of warning from entertainer Vybz Kartel as he took his first steps into freedom in Kingston on Wednesday afternoon. The DJ, who was in custody for 13 years, was freed of a murder charge earlier today. #GLNRToday pic.twitter.com/qdVchRBCGC
— Jamaica Gleaner (@JamaicaGleaner) July 31, 2024
In an article by Rolling Stones back in 2016, they commented on Kartel’s “mischievous public persona,” stating that “few have captured [the dancehall] audience – or offended the sensibilities of its detractors – as consistently and thoroughly as Kartel.”
Kartel’s popularity among dancehall music is undeniable and can be seen through his popular singles which include Fever and Romping Shop (ft. Spice). He is most well known, perhaps, for his collaboration with Major Lazer to make the single Pon De Floor which was heavily sampled in Beyonce’s Run the World (Girls). Kartel has also collaborated with other hip hop and R&B artists such as Unknown T, Rhianna, Jay-Z, and Digga D.
Drake has also commented on Kartel in the past, stating that he is “one of my biggest inspirations and one of my favourite artists. You want to talk about a guy that is coming out of somewhere or who is coming out of a place that has their own thing, their own culture and absolutely just taking over to becoming the one person to idolise.”
Many may be wondering what will be next for Vybez Kartel now that he has been released. One need not wonder long, however, as mere hours after his release Kartel dropped First Week Out, a 12-track mixtape pulling together projects he had made during his time in prison.
Given the immediacy of the mixtape’s release, one can only assume that more projects can be expected from Kartel.
