The Grammys will welcome a legend of the Reggae genre back to the U.S. for the first time in 20 years. According to Billboard, Vybz Kartel is up for the Best Reggae Album award at this year’s ceremony, finally getting a time to shine after 13 years behind bars.
Vybz Kartel, who Billboard calls Jamaica’s most influential living artist, was released from a Kingston prison after receiving a life sentence for murder. After serving 13 years, he was released after the UK Privy Council tossed out his conviction due to juror misconduct.
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He was also released due to his ill health, something he noted while speaking with Billboard.
“Being in prison, you can’t feel sorry for yourself. I didn’t have time to do that. I had kids to feed. I had family to take care of. I had health issues, too,” he said. “There was no time to be weak. You just fight the case and do the right thing.”
He didn’t stop making music behind bars, which caused him a little trouble with the prison staff. Still, he managed to do it, release five projects and is now set to contend for his first Grammy.
“Towards the end of my incarceration, I started connecting more with God. That’s why I tattooed ‘love God’ on my forehead,” he told Billboard. “Nobody can tell me that God isn’t real. Ten years ago, I would have been saying something else, but God is real.”
He got his U.S. visa reinstated and shared his landing in Los Angeles on social media on Saturday, preparing for some time to shine at the Grammys. He is also teasing a collaboration with Cardi B, capitalizing on his return and his return at the Freedom Street concert on New Year’s Eve in St. Andrew.
“I love Cardi! We got a song coming out next year. We are actually in the process of writing it. Even if I have to walk, I’m performing that song in New York!” he told Billboard. Check out the full cover story on Vybez Kartel.
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