Interview: Vybz Kartel Speaks On New EP, Says Valiant Reminds Him Of Himself

Dancehall star Vybz Kartel  has been incarcerated since 2011, but that has not stopped him from releasing singles, and even albums. The Worl’ Boss is back at it again, as he prepares to release an eight-track EP titled Numb on April 28, 2023.

In an interview — coordinated by his eldest son Likkle Vybz — Kartel spoke candidly, telling DancehallMag that the project is inspired by his fiancée Sidem Ozturk, a Turkish social worker.

“The concept numb…The title Numb came from a conversation I was having with my fiancee Sidem. She was telling me that she felt numb without me and the only time she feels whole is when she was playing my music. That’s when the idea hit me to do an all girls song album with the title numb representative of how the ladies feel without Kartel in their ears,” Vybz Kartel explained.

Produced by Adidjahiem Records and distributed by Zojack World Wide, Numb will include Without You, Numb, Vaccine, I Only Wanted You, About Last Night, Playboy Bunny, The Search Is Over, and Home (featuring Savage Savo).

His recent projects include the True Religion EP (2022), which was also dedicated to Sidem, Dancehall Royalty (2021), Born Fi Dis (2021), and the full-length Of Dons and Divas, which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart in June 2020.

And who could forget his successful January 2020 album, To Tanesha, which was dedicated to his former wife Tanesha ‘Shorty’ Johnson.

For his freshest set, Kartel anticipates that his wide female fanbase will show him just as much, if not more love.

“Me expectations is that the females go support it  because it was done primarily for them. Vybz Kartel has always been for the ladies and vice versa so, it’s my homage to the Gaza girls,” he explained.

“The difference between this and other  projects is, like I said previously, it’s dedicated to only the females. It’s their gift for the summer,” the deejay added when quizzed about the uniqueness of Numb.

Being behind bars for over a decade can become taxing on one’s well-being. Vybz Kartel, however, explained that the genuine passion he has for his craft continues to fuel his progress in the ever-changing musical landscape.

“Life and a genuine love for what I do (keeps me motivated. Music changed my life financially and socially, yes. But, for me It’s always about the love. That’s my motivation,” he told DancehallMag.

In February, the deejay’s mega-hit Fever was Certified Silver in the UK after selling over 200,000 units in the country, three years after it went Gold in the US for selling 500,000 units.

Kartel added that this feat came as no surprise, but remains grateful for the support from the ‘Gaza Nation’ in Europe.

“Fever is a beast. Nothing that song does surprises me anymore. I’m however very grateful to my British fanbase for giving me this great honor by way of selling 200,000 copies. It’s always a joy. That feeling of accomplishment never gets old,” he beamed.

The song, which has amassed over 110 million views on YouTube, was ranked No. 52 on DancehallMag‘s list of the most-streamed Jamaican songs of all time.

In the meantime, fast-rising act Valiant recently teamed up with Kartel on Time Heals which has attracted over 310,000 views on YouTube. According to Kartel, it was a collaboration that he welcomed, as they have similarities.

“I like his stuff. He reminds me a little of myself as well in the way he just burst on the scene laying claim to his space and also by way of his work ethic and love for the music. So, I reached out to TJ from TJ Records and got a feature…easy task. After all, I’m the World Boss.”

Since Kartel’s conviction in 2014 (along with three other co-defendants), for the murder of his associate Clive “Lizard” Williams, the deejay has maintained his innocence.

In February, a move to introduce ‘fresh evidence’ in the long-running legal battle to overturn his murder conviction was denied by the United Kingdom-based Privy Council, Jamaica’s final court. However, the main arguments in the appeal are still to be heard, challenging the April 2020 ruling of the Jamaica Court Of Appeal, which had largely upheld the conviction.

Kartel noted that he remains optimistic, and is sending heartfelt gratitude to his supporters as they await the final outcome.

“I love you. I see you. I feed off your energy. Thank you for a lifetime of adoration and support. I am forever grateful,” he said.