Vybz Kartel Shocks Fans With A New Rock Song, ‘Not Ok’: Listen
Vybz Kartel made it clear today, May 30, that he is a man of many musical talents when he debuted a new song on YouTube titled ‘Not Ok‘. It’s quite different from Dancehall – in fact, it sounds like an alternative rock song. Listen to it below.
The incarcerated deejay first teased the song on his Instagram, where he posted a short video clip of the song, Not Ok, to his fans. That post got over 50 000 views and lots of encouraging comments. It seems those comments had a positive impact on the artiste who released the finished version of what he calls ‘glock rock’.
“Do you think of me, sometimes?” he opens with to a very 90’s styled alternative rock beat. “Are you wondering if I’m okay?” he asks before sharing about how lost he feels sometimes.
In the chorus, which runs a littlte over two minutes long, he sings: “No, I’m not ok.” While most of the lyrics are repeated, it should be noted that for his first attempt at a rock song, it actually sounds quite professional.
Kartel has been quite active since his incarceration and is continually trying to find that magic spark for him to blow up even more internationally. Earlier today, he also released a snippet of a rap verse as he issued a challenge to one of America’s top rappers, Eminem.
The song is surprisingly well done, especially considering Kartel’s usual repertoire. It even provides fans with a bit of reflection and seems to show another more tender side of the artiste who is searching for his love and wondering if she still cares about him.
The track was produced by Short Boss Muzik, which is headed by Tanesha’ Shorty’ Johnson, Kartel’s former common-law wife and mother of three of his children.
Fans also seem to like the track, with many sharing their amazement at the artiste’s range of skills. One fan said that the song would be appreciated by an entirely new group of people: “can see the white people going crazy about this.”
Another fan said Kartel‘s business acumen was of the highest caliber and even envisioned what the video would look like.
“These song makes international currencies travel quick to Kartel’s bank account, lol Kartel too smart for these other Jamaican dunce head artists, lol when the song started, I immediately visualize a video with a little white boy who is getting bullying at school, and when he goes home he hardly talks to his parents but reserved himself to his room mostly, and he also got two shit part-time jobs’ which are; a paperboy and also working at Mcdonald lol,” the fan said.
He added, “Kartel, please make a video for this song with the concept that I laid out in this comment, then this song will be a straight international billboard number 1.”
Other fans expressed their admiration for the attempt and the fact that Kartel just keeps dropping music, even though he is behind bars. It also looks like the song will only grow in popularity as it already had over 30,000 views within the first hour of its premiere.
Not Ok follows this week’s release of the singles With You and Vampire. None of these songs appear on his upcoming 16-track album, Of Dons & Divas, which Kartel says will be a Grammy winner and is expected on June 26th.
Listen to Not Ok below.