Vybz Kartel Shares Stage With Drake In For The First Time
Oct 27, 2025
Vybz Kartel Shares Stage With Drake In For The First Time
Vybz Kartel has made a historic return to the global stage after spending 13 years in prison. Freed in July 2024 following the overturning of his murder conviction due to juror misconduct, Kartel wasted no time reclaiming his position as the Worl’ Boss. Within months, he earned a Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album and launched a record breaking world tour.
His Toronto debut marked a milestone — becoming the first Jamaican artist to perform three sold-out shows at Scotiabank Arena, with fans paying thousands to witness his first Canadian appearance.
Kartel’s Toronto shows were presented by Drake’s OVO brand, solidifying a long-standing mutual admiration between the two artists. Drake called Kartel’s performance “a proud moment” for the city and joined him onstage to celebrate his 39th birthday, gifting him a diamond-studded OVO chain. The collaboration between the two has expanded beyond music — Kartel and Drake launched a Nocta x Nike apparel collection that sold out instantly, with hints of future releases to come. Kartel credited Drake for his swift action in making the Toronto partnership happen and confirmed plans to return for more shows, stating, “If it’s not broken, why fix it?”
Vybz Kartel Video
Reflecting on sharing the stage with Drake, Kartel said he was “in amazement” at the energy and love Drake receives from his fans. He praised Toronto’s vibrant support for dancehall, ranking it among his top five markets alongside the U.S., U.K., Kenya, and Costa Rica. As Kartel continues to rebuild his career, his story — from prison to
Adidja Azim Palmer (born 7 January 1976), better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican dancehall deejay. Among his various nicknames, he is referred to as Worl' Boss or Teacha. As summarized by Rolling Stone, he "attained folk-hero status in Jamaica with provocative lyrics, and a mischievous public persona", and "few have captivated [the dancehall] audience – or offended the sensibilities of its detractors – as consistently and thoroughly as Kartel."[6] He has also been credited as an inspiration for the dancehall-infused work of a number of Western artists, including Drake, who has cited Kartel as being one of his "biggest inspirations".
Kartel's singles include "Romping Shop" (2009), "Dancehall Hero" (2010), and "Summer Time" (2011). He has collaborated with a number of hip hop and R&B artists such as Major Lazer, Rihanna, Missy Elliott, and Alison Hinds.
In 2014, Kartel was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his associate Clive "Lizard" Williams. Kartel often released new music despite his imprisonment, having released over 50 new songs in 2016 alone.His conviction was quashed in March 2024 by the UK Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, who cited juror misconduct and declared that the Jamaican Court of Appeal had to decide if a retrial would take place. On 31 July 2024, Kartel was released from prison after the Court of Appeal declined to retry the Williams case.
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