Iconic dancehall artist Vybz Kartel has been free for one week and he has granted an interview to Anthony Miller of ER. The deejay set the record straight on his incarceration and says and his iconic status as a dancehall artist.
“Them send me go a prison pon circumstantial evidence,” he says about his 13 year imprisonment for murder for which he was freed after the case got quashed by the UK’s Privy Council, then acquitted by the Court Of Appeal.
Evaluating the state of dancehall, Vybz Kartel brags, “If me fi do a DNA right now, the wul a dancehall a my pickney.” A true statement since several of the top acts including Stefflon Don, Skillibeng, Shenseea, Valiant and more, have acknowledge that he is the inspiration for doing music.
Since his release last week the deejay has been active on social media and even launching a YouTube vlog with his Turkish fiancé Sidem Öztürk who is ever present by his side.
The channel along with Instagram page gives fans a peek into their daily lives, starting with a video of the couple at home, where Öztürk is seen putting hot sauce on KFC chicken.
Their playful banter includes a conversation about not having Pepsi “at all,” eating scotch bonnet sauce on KFC chicken while the newest “couple goals” show their chemistry with Kartel’s characteristic wittiness. The channel name is inspired by Kartel’s viral “kiss me baby” statement from a limo ride with Öztürk on the day of his release from prison.
In just an hour, the channel gained over 3,000 subscribers, and its Instagram page attracted more than 5,000 followers. Kartel has always known how to use the media to grow his brand. In 2012, he partnered with Jay Will for the hit reality dating show “Teacha’s Pet,” which aired on CVM TV, and his Instagram show titled “Kartel Speaks His Mind,” where he addressed several social topics, including injustice with the Jamaica Public Service Company.
Kartel’s foray into YouTube vlogging aligns with his business acumen, complementing his existing ventures, including a party series, contraceptive product, and spirits brand, along with promoting his Fire Vybz grabba line. He joins other Jamaican public figures who have embraced YouTube vlogging, a trend that gained momentum during the pandemic.
