Vybz Kartel’s New Album ‘Of Dons & Divas’ Is Out Now
The highly anticipated Vybz Kartel album ‘Of Dons & Divas’ is here. Listen to it below. This is the Worl’ Boss’ 15th album, and one that he hopes will finally earn him a Grammy nod.
Kartel’s first album, Up 2 Di Time, was released in 2003, and the artiste has consistently produced hits since then, even after being incarcerated in 2011 on ganja and murder charges. He’ll be eligible for parole in 2046.
Of Dons & Divas was produced by Kartel’s Vybz Kartel Muzik imprint, and by Short Boss Muzik, which is headed by his former common-law wife, Tanesha Johnson, who fans usually refer to as “Shorty.” She also co-produced the now very successful album To Tanesha, which was released earlier this year in January.
Through a press release, Kartel shared that this album would be very different as he’s returned to more familiar dancehall beats after experimenting with Hip-Hop and R&B sounds on To Tanesha. Renowned producers Jay-Crazie, and Ricardo “Red Boom Reid” are also on the album, which will be distributed by Zojak World Wide.
He also hinted that the album “has more features than an iPhone 20.” The young talents on the project include his sons Likke Vybz and Likkle Addi. One of his oldest friends, Lisa Hyper, graces the cover of the album (she’s the one on the left) and collaborates with him on Pretty Butterfly.
Kartel had previously indicated that fellow Dancehall monarch Spice would appear on the album, on a track called Pon Di Line, but it appears the collaboration did not make the cut.
However, his right-hand man Sikka Rymes, Tommy Lee Sparta, Lisa Mercedez, TeeJay, Squash, Skillibeng, Daddy1, and Slimatic, all make an appearance. “I specifically chose new generation artistes. I am the oldest of the ensemble. Vybz Kartel has always been in tune with the kids, so as a treat, I decided to bombard the city with some “new” clear weapons,” he said in the release.
The involvement of so many collaborators seemed to cause a domestic rift in the Kartel-led Gaza camp as four women in his life, his current girlfriend Lisa Mercedez, Shorty, Lisa Hyper and Jodi Couture all at one point had to defend or deny their position as the ‘First Lady of Gaza.’ Probably an indicator of how good this album is as the issue has never really arisen before.
Fans were given a tease of what to expect after Kartel released the first single from the album, a Reggaeton mix of Cute Rider on June 18, which is produced by JonFX. According to the Fever singer, he was “giving fans a whiff of what is to come with the release of the flavorsome” track. The official video was released on YouTube on the same day and already has close to 400,000 views.
They’ll be getting a good taste of what he has cooked up as the album has 18 songs, every one of which he says “is a hit.”
Kartel has enjoyed a lot of highs this year, including his smash hit Fever going Gold and now the release of two albums in just six months.
His last project before 2020 was King Of The Dancehall, released in 2016, all of which he’s had to do from behind bars. He and the other co-convicts are set to try to take their appeal to the UK’s Privy Council on Monday in a bid to have his sentence overturned. Fans will no doubt be supporting him in attaining his freedom as well.
Stream Of Dons & Divas below.
YouTube / Tracklist: