To Vybz Kartel, born Adidja Palmer, “New York [City] is Jamaica 2.0.” So it’s no surprise that the dancehall icon’s blowout weekend at Barclays Center evoked the same feeling as his Kingston comeback a few months ago. The Freedom Street bash was Kartel’s first performance since his imprisonment 13 years back—and the largest music event in Jamaica in half a century—but he never let circumstances slow him, relentlessly dropping music from behind bars until his release last year. This weekend, two sold-out and star-studded shows concluded with the crowd euphorically dancing to “Brooklyn Anthem.” Just after he regained his voice, we zoomed him for a rapid-fire recap of his explosive return.
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VYBZ KARTEL: What’s up, Mekala?
MEKALA RAJAGOPAL: What’s up? It’s so good to meet you. Are you still in New York?
KARTEL: No, I’m in Florida. I’m at my new residence.
RAJAGOPAL: You just got this place?
KARTEL: I literally just did. I’m outside by the pool with my manager, TJ.
RAJAGOPAL: It looks beautiful out there. It was a major weekend. I heard you lost your voice.
KARTEL: It was a crazy two nights, so I did lose my voice. Plus, New York was really cold, so that didn’t help. [Laughs]
RAJAGOPAL: When was the last time you were in New York?
KARTEL: Circa 2005.
RAJAGOPAL: Damn. And after all those years, how did it feel when you landed in New York?
KARTEL: It was so surreal. The city has changed a bit, but I remember that flight. New York for me is Jamaica 2.0, especially back in the day. It was a great feeling. Trust me, I loved it. I soaked up every second of that visit, is what I’m saying.
RAJAGOPAL: What was the first thing you did when you landed?
KARTEL: I didn’t go anywhere. I went straight to the hotel. The Dominick. It’s an amazing hotel. That’s where I stayed for the two weeks that I was there. Went to a few places to eat. Went to Philippe Chow, went to Sei Less. We did the Jamaican thing.
RAJAGOPAL: You said New York is Jamaica 2.0?
KARTEL: Brooklyn, especially. The Bronx. They have that large Jamaican population, the diaspora, and plus the other Caribbean diasporas. To us, it’s just one big Jamaica.
RAJAGOPAL: What’s your favorite borough?
KARTEL: No comment. [Laughs]
RAJAGOPAL: You’d make some people mad.
KARTEL: Exactly. But I rep Brooklyn and the Bronx all day. I never spent much time in Queens when I had my Visa back in the day, but I was always in the Bronx and Brooklyn. But shout out to Queens, yuh dun know.
RAJAGOPAL: How different does New York feel now compared to the last time you were around?
KARTEL: It doesn’t feel different. It’s the same high energy. It’s the same vibe. It’s the same, “Yo, this is New York. Come party with us. Come shop with us. Come eat with us. Come live with us.” That New York energy never changes.
RAJAGOPAL: I love that.
KARTEL: It transcends time.
RAJAGOPAL: How did you mentally prepare to perform that first night?
KARTEL: I don’t have to prepare to perform. I’ve been doing it for decades, and I’m really good at it. That’s not even me being cocky, it’s just the truth. You know what I mean? It is what it is. We go in, we get the work done, we move. That’s it. Plus, I was anticipating performing in New York. It’s the same anticipation I had at Freedom Street, because like I said, New York is Jamaica 2.0. But also, the Trini crew is out, the Bajan crew is out, the Guyanese crew is out. You name it, you can find them. So for me to perform there, I didn’t have to prepare. The people had to prepare. And trust me, a lot of them weren’t prepared, because the reviews are so amazing. People are like, “Yo, I got more than I bargained for, especially on night two.”
RAJAGOPAL: I heard that too. You don’t have any rituals beforehand?
KARTEL: I just go backstage, all vibes. What we do every day. No ritual, no huddle, nothing. We just go vibe backstage like we were anywhere else with friends, chilling. Tiffany was there, my management team, family and so on. Just chill. And then they said, “On stage next, Kartel,” and I’m ready. Boom. We on.
RAJAGOPAL: What do you keep stocked up backstage?
KARTEL: Definitely water. STR8 Vybz rum. A little dark liquor. A little bubbly. But essentially, water. And I love gin and tonic as well.
RAJAGOPAL: And when you stepped on the stage, what was the feeling that hit you, would you say?
KARTEL: It was a feeling of triumph. It was, “Yo, I’m here now. Watch this.” It was just all confidence, because, remember, anything we do, we do it with god. The way I walked on the stage was just unbothered. I’m ready to kill it. And the response… Man, you can’t pay for that response. The response the crowd gave, trust me. It was lit.
RAJAGOPAL: How was the crowd?
KARTEL: They were on fire. They were eating up the energy. Reciprocating the energy as well, because we feed off each other. They were singing the songs. My manager said earlier, “A Vybz Kartel concert—especially in places like Brooklyn,the Caribbean, London—a Vybz Kartel concert is a party.” You know when you’re at the party and everybody’s singing the songs? It’s that vibe.
RAJAGOPAL: You said it was even better the second night?
KARTEL: The fans are saying that. For me, both nights are equal because I gave them my all. In other words, people are not even arguing over if the show delivered well or not. People are just arguing about which night was best. And obviously, if you were at night two, you’re going to say night two. If you were at night one, you’re going to say night one. If you were at both nights, you’re undecided. But the energy was through the roof, man.
RAJAGOPAL: You brought out a bunch of artists as well.
KARTEL: A bunch of artists is understatement. I brought out Blak Ryno, and I haven’t seen Blak Ryno in over 15 years. We weren’t even on good terms when I got arrested. Jah Vinci. I spoke to Popcaan over the phone and performed “Clarks” on stage while he was FaceTiming me. The Queen Bee [Lil’ Kim] came out. NeYo came out. Skillibeng. Shenseea came out. I’d never met her in my life until that night. Busta Rhymes came through. Cardi B was there in the crowd, a lot of stars in the crowd. And I saved the best for last, Spice on both nights. Grace Hamilton, the queen of dancehall. Amazing Grace. She delivered it. And me and her have been damn near family for decades. The energy’s real. It’s not fake, it’s not rehearsed. It’s a big up Grace Hamilton, Spice. Everything was perfect. God was in the building, man. Trust me. The lord was around us, and the vibe was amazing.
RAJAGOPAL: What did you do after?
KARTEL: My name is Vybz. You know what I mean? We did an afterparty both nights. The first night was a personal one. We cut the cake and my mom was there. And then the second night, we went to The Paramount just a few blocks up the road. We always have to keep the vibe going.
RAJAGOPAL: Before you go, what are you most excited for this year?
KARTEL: The endless possibilities that god, first of all, has provided for me, and my hard work and dedication to what I love. I can’t wait to see that. The endless possibilities, not just for me, Vybz Kartel, but for me, Adidja Palmer, and for dancehall as a genre, and for the culture. Definitely.
RAJAGOPAL: Beautiful. Can’t wait.
KARTEL: I know. Thank you.
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