5 Questions With Vybz Kartel
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Kartel expressed gratitude to those who attended the listening event and thanked supporters for their backing of his latest project.
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The dancehall superstar is snapped while signing the album artwork.
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Dancehall superstar Vybz Kartel hosted a private listening event in St Andrew on Wednesday for his ‘God and Time’ album, following its release earlier this month.
Having released his anticipated God and Time album earlier this month, dancehall superstar Vybz Kartel invited friends, industry players, entertainers, and members of the media to a private listening event to celebrate its release and debut at No. 6 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart. Describing his new body of work as “mature, but still raunchy”, the ‘Worl’ Boss’ shared that it balanced growth with dancehall bravado as he enters a new era in his music career.
Among those showing support at the Wednesday afternoon event hosted in St Andrew were entrepreneur Shauna Controlla, Down Sound Entertainment CEO Josef ‘Joe’ Bogdanovich, dancehall artiste Ishawna, automotive influencer Nick Lue, music executive Skatta Burrell, and Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby.
The album features 14 tracks and also includes collaborations with Skillibeng, Nigerian superstar Wizkid, and Puerto Rican hitmaker Farruko.
Speaking with The Gleaner’s 5 Questions With, we caught up with the man of the hour, Kartel, whose given name is Adidja Palmer, to briefly discuss the album and the sense of pride he feels after witnessing his daughter, Adi’Anna Palmer —affectionately known as ‘Prinny’—graduate just a day before his God and Time lyme.
- What's your overall favourite song from the album, and which song would you choose as a summer vibe?
My favourite song on the album is God and Time. But if I had to choose a summer vibe, [I have three options]... Panic with Shenseea, Confessions with Spice, and Hype Life with Mavado. The Mavado collab is iconic, and we nuh haffi go inna the history of it.
- What was it like working with Mavado on that track?
It was amazing. When I went back to America, Mavado and I linked up at a DJ Khaled event— big up DJ Khaled. We chop it up, hol’ a vibes and it was all natural. It wasn’t forced.
- You drew for a variety of artistes like Farruko, Wizkid, Shenseea and Mavado. What was the thought process behind that selection of artistes?
As it relates to Farruko, that was purely promotional; dancehall and reggaeton are cousins…that's a cultural significance…So [the] collaborations speak for themselves– [bridging] the gap between the diaspora and the origins of the music and the culture. [For] Mavado, the significance behind that is the maturity [and] growth. Remember me and Mavado turn dancehall upside down just over a decade and a half ago. Now we come back to love and unity, and we're still going to turn it upside down.
- How did you feel seeing the listening party come together?
The listening party for God and Time was amazing…The album, as usual, is being well received all over Jamaica, and here [it] is no different. It gave me a good insight into how the album looking for the summer, so we outside!” he said.
- Your daughter recently graduated from Hillel Academy. As a father, how proud are you of her achievement, and what did that moment mean to you?
I had to find a corner last night and shed a tear, but it was tears of joy. Funny enough,
I have never been to any of my children's graduations. When I came out, they were grown, so with her, I got to go to her graduation, and it was amazing. My princess looked so beautiful, and I'm proud of her. Big up all of the parents dem wey put in the work. Stand behind your kids. And all of the waste man dem, fire fi unnu!