In a powerful new interview with Apple Music’s Ebro Darden, dancehall legend Vybz Kartel opens up about recording music while incarcerated, the emotional toll of confinement, and his determination to continue creating despite his circumstances.
Kartel addressed the complex reality of being a global star while lacking the basic freedom most take for granted. “There are certain things that money really can’t buy,” he said. “Even people with no money had access to things I couldn’t, simply because they weren’t famous. So it wouldn’t be an issue with the society. But if Vybz Kartel were to get those privileges, it would look like, oh, he’s only getting it because his Vybz Kartel. You know what I mean? Because remember back in the day too, they also had those programs back in the day where prisoners could go out for a weekend. Fully monitored and everything.”
Ebro asked how this shaped his understanding of freedom. Kartel, ever strategic, revealed he’s never lost focus. “From the moment I got locked up, I was scheming on how to get out. But my version of surviving was being able to do music—and I figured that out.”
You can hear the full interview below.