Vybz Kartel has been incarcerated for more than a decade, and as he awaits the outcome of his appeal to the Privy Council in England on Valentine’s Day, the artiste believes that many fans are disloyal and only jumping to support musicians who are hot in the game.
It’s arguable that Vybz Kartel’s dominance has diminished in recent years, and although he has a solid catalog of music loved by many, his reign at the top is being threatened by several young acts who also have the opportunity to shine in his absence.
Kartel doesn’t seem to have a problem with other artists shining, but he hints that his beef is with disloyal fans, who he called “wagonists” in his latest post slamming them.
“Me buss from 2002 so me understand di business. Next year when me jump out, all a di waggonist dem weh gone a go come back pon di Vybz Kartel wagon. But we no drive wagon. A Ferrari this time,” the artiste said.
It seems that the artiste is expressing deep confidence that he will be released in 2024.
On his Instagram, he reposted a screenshot of his recent music numbers to show that he was dominant in the music industry despite his physical absence.
Revealing his Spotify Wrapped for songwriters, Kartel earned 214.4 million streams. His songs span not only his catalog but also those of several former Gaza nation artists, including Gaza Slim’s “Always,” which he added to the post.
Kartel is also one of the most streamed artists from Jamaica, earning 145.9 million streams from 8.1 million followers from 184 countries. On YouTube, he is arguably the most streamed artiste, with 305 million views for 2023.
Among those who congratulated him were Bounty Killer, Lisa Mercedez, Robbo Ranx, and many others who commented that Kartel’s streams were also valid as they listened to his music daily.
While Vybz Kartel has kept his career relevant in dancehall from behind bars for the past decade, his fan base has noticeably shrunk over the years as new artists emerged on the scene, like Masicka, Skeng, and Valiant, who all saw a meteoric rise in the space.
Vybz Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, is also battling ill health in prison, which forms part of a focal push by his defense attorney to secure an expedited hearing in the UK’s Privy Council. The dancehall legend and his legal team are hoping the courts will rule in his favor, paving the way for his release from prison.
