On July 31, 2024, Vybz Kartel walked out of the Tower Street Adult Correctional Facility a free man for the first time in over a decade. Clad in all white, the 48-year-old deejay addressed the media and a swelling crowd of supporters and media outside the prison gates.
“Me feel good. It’s a joy,” he said, bluntly describing prison as “hell, hell, hell.” Before stepping into a white limousine filled with champagne, his co-accused Shawn Storm and Mad Suss and friends, he offered a message to Jamaica’s youth: “Stay outta f*kry.”
Kartel then shared a video on social media from inside the limo beside his fiancée, Sidem Ozturk, saying, “Yo, one Don, me and me baby,” before the two exchanged a kiss. He captioned it, “Me and wifey #AMOUT.”
Since then, Kartel’s re-entry into the music world has been nothing short of dominant.
CHART SUCCESS & BILLBOARD ENTRIES
Just two days after his release, Kartel dropped the compilation album First Week Out via 21st Hapilos. The 12-track set debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart and hit No. 1 on Apple Music in 19 countries, including Jamaica. It became his 9th entry on the Billboard chart and his 8th top 10 hit.
He launched Street Vybz Rum with Angustura out of Trinidad.
In January 2025, he followed up with a reissued project Viking: 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, which featured seven new songs that debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart. It earned him his 11th entry on the chart.
COMEBACK PERFORMANCES
Even as Kartel battles hyperthyroidism, an autoimmune disorder that causes the thyroid gland to become overactive, he made a historic return to the stage on December 31, 2024, at Jamaica’s National Stadium — a show that marked a new era for the artist and the genre. He then launched the Worl Boss Tour, with performances across the Caribbean, North America, and Europe.
The dancehall icon, expressed confidence in his ability to surpass reggae legend Buju Banton’s record-breaking U.S. tour earnings in 2024. In an ER interview at the launch of his Freedom Street Concert, Kartel declared his intent to secure a U.S. visa and achieve greater success. Acknowledging Buju as his mentor, Kartel stated, “Yes, I think I will top it.”
He obtained the visa and embarked on a full itinerary that included two sold-out shows at Barclays Center, Brooklyn last April. Stops in Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Atlantic City, and Baltimore. Summerjam in Germany, Wireless Festival UK, St. Kitts, Bahamas, and other major Caribbean festivals. Performances in Amsterdam and France.
In total, Vybz Kartel has performed 16 shows internationally since his release — an astonishing figure for an artist who spent over a decade behind bars. He canceled two concerts: one in Costa Rica and another Trinidad citing issues with permits and promoter respectively. The promoter in Trinidad revealed that Kartel is commanding over USD1M per show and although he had paid $950,000 of the total, Kartel refused to perform until all the required fees were paid.
LIFE IN AMERICA
Kartel was granted a coveted O-1 visa (for individuals with extraordinary ability) and has since relocated to Florida, where he purchased two adjacent homes.
The Grammy-nominated artist, who served 13 years in prison in Jamaica, says he has no intention of returning to live in the country anytime soon in an appearance on The Breakfast Club. He confirmed the move, citing easier global access as a reason for choosing the Sunshine State as his new base.
“I LIVE HERE, SIR. I LIVE IN FLORIDA,” KARTEL SAID. “I MEAN, I DID THIRTEEN YEARS IN PRISON, SO WHY WOULD I [GO BACK]?”
AWARD RECOGNITION
Vybz Kartel was honored with the MOBO Impact Award at the 2025 MOBO Awards, held in Newcastle, England. output also earned critical acclaim. Party With Me — an album released while he was incarcerated— received a Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album at the 2025 awards. The project lost to Bob Marley: One Love Music Inspired By The Film, a compilation of covers album with no primary artist.
He was symbolically crowned The King Of Dancehall at Reggae Sumfest on July 18 after delivering one of his best performances locally
Kartel’s “Summertime” was officially been certified Silver in the United Kingdom by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for surpassing 200,000 units in sales and streams as of June 27, 2025.
This marks Kartel’s second UK single certification following his 2016 hit Fever.
