In his first post-prison interview with TMZ, Vybz Kartel discusses life after freedom, recording while incarcerated, and Afrobeats' rise in the global music scene
Vybz Kartel still processing Life in prison (Photo: jowdior/IG)
In his first interview with TMZ since being released from prison last month after 13 years, dancehall entertainer Vybz Kartel shared some insights from his time behind bars and freedom, all ahead of his first post-release concert, 'Freedom Street', slated for December 31st at the National Stadium.
"Even now I have a processing thing," Kartel shared. "I tell people this and they think I'm joking. Sometimes I wake up and think I'm in prison and have to hide my phone. I'm still in that mindset, and I'm working on it," the World Boss revealed.
Talking about the dramatic changes with the digital age, Kartel said, "The internet has changed dramatically. When I was going in, the internet wasn't even a thing, just YouTube, Facebook—that's it. So those are the two biggest differences I see now that I'm out. Wow, quickly I adapt, so you know me right now in Jamaica. I have one of the biggest followings on TikTok, and my Instagram is growing steadily."
Regarding his fanbase, Kartel said, "I'm pleasantly surprised from the love I get from teenagers, it's amazing. It goes to show, once you do good music, it will last forever. It's good that kids are gravitating to my music."
When asked about Afrobeats' global takeover and Dancehall no longer being at the forefront, Kartel responded, "From time to time, Dancehall is shining, then it has a time when it kind of dims a little, then it goes back on high beam. We understand that. Buju Banton has a statement about it, and he is right. It's not that deep, that kind of revelation of music, but every genre has its space, so we can all coexist together."
"Dancehall music now is being run by the kids. I'll give them some time to find themselves and understand the differences between the local markets and the international markets, so I'll definitely give them some years, but there are a lot of promising stars in Jamaica", the deejay resonated.
Vybz Kartel still adapting to the changes
On recording behind bars, he said, "That's all I could do. That gave me motivation, so I figured out how to record. I had to cut the covering of the matches to make it comfortable, record and send it out. Big up my engineers, Dunwell, and Redboom. I even won gold and silver in the UK (for 'Fever') actually from prison," he expressed. "I'm an artist, so mentally I have to do art. I have to record. The first few songs sounded metallic; you didn't hear the echo, you could hear the officers outside. It's crazy, so we filtered it out."
Putting all his attention into the 'Freedom Street' concert on December 31, Kartel shared, "That's what I'm working towards now, getting fit, getting healthy. I have time to work out and build my lungs back up like a giant, then I'm hitting the studio, hopefully before the concert."
Meanwhile, Kartel is seen signing a contract for a concert in Nassau, Bahamas, set for March 2025. He will also perform in places such as Trinidad, Grenada, Guyana, and Barbados in 2025.
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