After an over 20-year break, Vybz Kartel returned to headlining a stage in the U.S. in 2025 — and he made it unforgettable. The comeback shows were held at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on April 11 and 12, were completely sold out, with lines wrapped around the block and some fans waiting over an hour just to get in. At the start of the first night, he set the tone with a bold remix of Akon’s “Locked Up,” turning the track into a personal anthem. “Look! 13 years inna prison, and mi come out a general!” he shouted on the stage as nearly 19,000 fans screamed. For many in the crowd, especially from Brooklyn’s Caribbean and African communities, Kartel’s music has been the soundtrack to their lives.
The first show opened with an epic two-hour set featuring surprise performances from Spice, Jah Vinci, Blak Ryno, Busta Rhymes, and Rvssian. Kartel ran through all the classics and got emotional during “God Is the Greatest,” before bringing his fiancée, Sidem Öztürk, onstage and serenading her with “Interracial.” The star power continued offstage too, with Cardi B, Elephant Man, Stefflon Don, Safaree, Buju Banton, and more spotted in the crowd.
For night two, the energy stayed sky-high with an equally stacked lineup — Shenseea joined Kartel for the first-ever live performance of “Loodi,” and the stage saw appearances from Lil’ Kim, Ne-Yo, Fabolous, Kranium, YG Marley, Skillibeng, Chronic Law, Kraft God, Moliy and even Popcaan made an appearance via FaceTime during a performance of their hit single “Clarks.”
But the real star both nights? The fans. Their energy, loyalty, and love were unmatched and it wasn’t just because of the music. It was because for 13 years, while Kartel was behind bars, they never stopped showing up for him. Here's how he earned that kind of devotion and kept the fire burning, no matter where he was.
1. The music never stopped
Even while serving a prison sentence, Kartel never let go of the studio or his fans. After he was locked up in 2011, the dancehall icon managed to record and release music at a rate that put even free artists to shame. And it wasn’t just for show, because five of those projects landed in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Reggae Albums chart. One of his most memorable drops was VIKING (Vybz Is King) in 2015, which later celebrated its 10-year anniversary with a deluxe edition. Then came the iconic King of the Dancehall album, home to the breakout hit “Fever,” a gold-certified single that entered two Billboard airplay charts and earned over 104 million official U.S. streams, according to the outlet. In 2020, he gave fans two back-to-back albums: the personal To Tanesha and the hit-stacked Of Dons & Divas. That momentum continued with X-Rated and Born Fi Dis (Prelude) in 2021, Dancehall Generals in 2023, and the Grammy-nominated EP Party With Me in 2024. Kartel proved that physical walls couldn’t block his creative output or silence his influence.
2. The hits still hit, every time
Some artists make songs for a moment. Kartel made anthems that live forever. Tracks like “Clarks,” “Romping Shop,” “Fever,” “Yuh Love,” “Summer Time,” “Bicycle,” and “Beg You” still blast from speakers like they just dropped. Even his features — Shenseea’s “Loodi” and Gaza Slim’s “One Man” — are still running the place. At his Barclays Center shows, fans were so loud he barely had to lift the mic to his mouth. It stayed in his hand while the crowd handled the lyrics. These aren’t just nostalgic hits, they’re part of the DNA of dancehall and the Caribbean experience.
There’s something timeless about his catalog. Maybe you grew up hearing “It Bend Like Banana” at family functions. Maybe your older cousin played “Brooklyn Anthem” like it was law. And if you’re part of the newer generation, maybe you caught wind of Kartel through a TikTok trend and went down the rabbit hole. However you got there, the music pulls you in.
3. His voice traveled the world, far beyond dancehall
Kartel didn’t just dominate dancehall; he left fingerprints all over global music. In 2009, he linked up with Major Lazer for “Pon De Floor,” a chaotic, bass-heavy banger that didn’t just spark dance floors, it helped inspire Beyoncé’s “Run the World (Girls)” two years later. That kind of ripple effect doesn’t happen by accident. In 2016, PARTYNEXTDOOR sampled an unreleased Kartel and Dre Skull track for “Not Nice,” proof that even his vault material shaped R&B and Hip Hop’s evolution. And when British rapper Stylo G dropped the “Touch Down (Remix)” with Nicki Minaj, Kartel’s presence gave the track the raw heat only he could bring.
The reach doesn’t stop there. On XXXTentacion’s “Royalty,” Kartel shared verses with Ky-Mani Marley and Stefflon Don, bridging generations and genres in one shot. His influence bleeds into Afrobeats, reggaeton, and EDM, just to name a few. The world didn’t just admire Kartel from afar; it pulled directly from his sound. And fans who’ve been riding since the early days? They watched it happen in real time, long before the rest of the world caught up.
4. DJs kept him in the mix
Even when he wasn’t on stage, his music never left the dancefloor. Sound system culture and selectors made sure Kartel was always in rotation at clubs, street dances, radio shows, and house parties. This wasn’t just happening in Jamaica, it was happening all over the world.
Selectors knew what his music did to a crowd. Whether it was a brand-new drop or a 10-year-old classic, Kartel had everyone on their feet. That constant play helped his legacy grow even when he wasn’t around to see it.
5. Setting trends outside of music and becoming the culture
The Portmore-born didn’t just make hits, he made Clarks fly off the shelves. According to The Guardian, after Kartel released his track “Clarks” in 2010, demand for the shoes shot up. Stores across Jamaica couldn’t keep them in stock, and fans across the globe laced up to match the movement. It wasn’t just a tribute, it was a full-on style shift. And when Kartel co-signed something, whether it was shoes, tattoos, or a slang phrase, it didn’t stay niche for long. His look, his talk, and his vibe all became part of the package fans wanted to wear, not just hear.
He also flipped words into anthems. Terms like “Gaza,” tied to his Gaza City camp, grew beyond a label and into an identity for his fanbase. And it didn’t stop there — Kartel’s slang became part of everyday conversation across the diaspora. Whether it was a phrase, a lyric, or a way of carrying yourself, he set the tone. His influence spilled out of the speakers and into real life. You didn’t just listen to Kartel, you also lived him.