When Vybz Kartel sings “God is the greatest,” he has every reason to believe. It’s been just over eight months since the Jamaican dancehall legend was freed from captivity after serving 13 years behind bars for a murder conviction that was overturned on appeal in March 2024. Since regaining his freedom, Kartel has reunited with his family and his fiancée, rung in the New Year by performing at Jamaica’s National Stadium, attended the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles as a first-time nominee for Best Reggae Album, collected a MOBO Impact Award in London, and sat with Reshma B for a Boomshots interview. Tomorrow night, Kartel will headline the first of two sold-out gigs at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn—his first performances in New York City in more than 20 years.
“God move me from a prison cell to the pinnacle,” Kartel declares on “Crazy,” his powerful new collaboration with Busta Rhymes and Akon—Kingston meets Brooklyn by way of Senegal. The song’s official music video premieres at 9 p.m. ET tonight on Busta’s YouTube page.
A few days ago, Busta reached out to Boomshots for an exclusive interview to speak about how this video came together. “Kartel, Akon, and myself spoke,” Busta states. “We all collectively felt that the excitement around this time frame warranted the release of this video,” which was shot in Miami on March 9th, which is also the anniversary of the passing of Biggie Smalls, who was Busta’s high school classmate before they both became hip hop icons.
One of Kartel’s most steadfast supporters throughout his entire ordeal has been Hip-Hop icon Busta Rhymes, who attended Kartel’s trial for eleven straight days back in 2014. A Brooklyn-born son of Jamaican parents, Busta has always proudly repped his love for dancehall culture, collaborating with a range of iconic artists, including Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, Sean Paul, Spice, and Skillibeng. Busta has also recorded several tunes with the “WorlBoss”—including “Girlfriend,” which was released during Kartel’s incarceration.
As far as tomorrow night’s concert, Busta says, “Never rule out the possibility of Bussa Buss pulling up.” Although he did thrill the crowd at Freedom Street in Kingston, Jamaica last New Year’s Eve, the Dungeon Dragon emphasizes that “This is a Vybz Kartel moment. What he says goes.” Check out the full Boomshots interview below and tune in for the world premiere of “Crazy” this evening.
Tickets for tomorrow night’s concert can be purchased on Ticketmaster or the official Reggae Fest website. Doors open at 7 p.m. ET.
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