Vybz Kartel Goes Missing On Instagram After Being Transferred To New Prison Facility
It became apparent that Dancehall artist Vybz Kartel has been missing on social media for a few weeks now and we might finally have an explanation.
His attorney, Isat Buchanan, told the Observer Online in an interview released today that the incarcerated deejay was recently transferred from the St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre to the Horizon Remand Centre in Kingston.
There has been speculation that Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, had been transferred as part of the Jamaican government’s plans to move high-value criminals to the 24 newly constructed cells at Horizon Remand to curtail access to cellphones.
According to reports, the Dancehall star is now stationed in a heavily guarded cell. “Kartel is in a cell where the soldiers are stationed right there in front of him,” a source disclosed to the Observer.
This might explain why Kartel has been missing from Instagram for an entire month. His last four posts were all dated May 20, which would suggest the time he may have been transferred.
Back in March 2020, there were accusations that Kartel joined an Instagram Live with producer Rvssian. Later, in October 2020, Kartel tapped the prison authorities’ subsequent search of his prison cell into a fitting storyline in the official music video for his single It’s A Sin.
Meanwhile, the deejay’s absence from Instagram has left many of his 1.7 million followers wondering why he or the account’s handlers had taken a sabbatical from the platform. The absence had also fuelled now-debunked rumors that the Fever singer was considering a Christian conversion and baptism.
Kartel’s music, however, has not faltered one bit, just a week ago he released a new single African Summer and Black Woman prior, then there was Chip Glock late last month on May 19.
As for Kartel’s legal case, his defense team made headway recently when it secured an order for an expert to examine the entertainer’s cellphone for possible signs of tampering.
Top Dancehall stars Shenseea (4.1 million followers) and Popcaan (2.6 million followers) have also been Instagram silent over the last several weeks.
While Shenseea is probably focused on getting her debut album ready, Popcaan has been absent from Instagram ever since he was charged by St. Thomas cops with several breaches of the Traffic Act.