Worl Boss is finally free — and now Jamaica's music and culture icon is taking over the podcast.
World Boss: The Vybz Kartel Storyan eight-part podcast series from SALT, Big Wave More Fire and Gulfstream Studios, is set to debut on December 16, 2024. Created by Tahir Garcia and Sam Griesemer and executive produced by Nick Panama and Max Musina, the audio series you will explore the life, career and influence of the dance icon.
“There are so many incredible stories that exist in dance music and reggae and culture here in Jamaica, and so many of them are not being shared with the public. The only time you hear these stories is if you're lucky,” says Garcia, who also narrates the series. Bulletin board. “We took a step back two or three years ago and decided we wanted this space to be able to tell the story properly. Obviously, podcasting has become this huge thing. But one thing that is missing, especially in Jamaican culture, is that concept of it [podcasts] scenarios. There's so much that can be added to it with sound design and really sitting down and editing interviews to tell the narrative in a way that captures everything and really keeps the essence of it [Vybz Kartel’s] history.”
The new podcast series is narrated entirely by voices from Jamaica and will feature exclusive interviews with key figures in the Kartel circle, including Kartel's first female Portmore Empire crew member Lisa Hyper, former Kartel DJ Creep Chromatic and renowned musician Wayne Marshall. Joining these key players will be Winford Williams — host On Stage TVthe longest-running dance interview series—as well as essayist Carolyn Cooper, author and teacher Donna Hope, and Milk and Jay Will, two major contributors to Teacha's PetKartel's reality show.
Earlier this summer (July 31), just over a week before Jamaica's Independence Day (August 6), Kartel regained his freedom after the Court of Appeal unanimously ruled that he and his co-defendants — Shawn Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St. John — will not face a new trial for the 2011 murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams. Although initially sentenced to 35 years in prison after a historic 64-day trial in 2014, Kartel (and his co-defendants) have always denied involvement on Williams' death.
“We have a lot of advantages and have spoken to people at the source, including his camp, people in and around his orbit, fans and musicians. We did a pretty extensive job covering all the bases,” says Panamas. “We have a lot of voices that are going to be represented, and using them as a way to help discover and create the world around the story is part of how we're going to successfully bring it to market. We have some really great partners in the audio space that we'll be announcing soon, and I think they're going to help strengthen this project even more.”
Known for hits like “Fever” and his Spice-assisted “Romping Shop,” Vybz Kartel's raucous music and slick wordplay have soundtracked generations of dance listeners, and Garcia promises the new series will be for everyone: from first time listeners to lifelong fans. “If this is your first introduction [to Vybz Kartel]it was supposed to be just as impactful as it would have been on someone who had been listening to it forever.”
In addition to his music and efforts to support Jamaica, Kartel's legal woes have also become an important part of his legacy – one that World boss does not shy away from. “Everything is considered and discussed. We just don't dwell on it. It's part of the journey, but it doesn't define the character,” explains Garcia, who also says Bulletin board that, “the hardest part was getting people around [Kartel] to speak freely – especially while still imprisoned – because no one wanted to do anything that might incriminate [him or themselves]. Everyone was very, very careful about agreeing to do it, and what put them at ease was that we weren't focusing on chaos.”
While there are currently no additional details regarding the distribution of the podcast, Panama emphasizes that the podcast series is only one part of the story they hope to tell. “The second one [part] is a documentary series and a feature film in development with arguably one of the greatest Jamaican filmmakers and UTA represents the project,” he reveals. “That will probably be a late 2024 thing, but the reason we did it together is because the story is so dynamic. Dancehall is such a small genre from a small country that has a huge impact worldwide. To have a respected yet controversial figure at the center of this Vybz [Kartel] it's such a fascinating character and cultural study.”
Since his release, Kartel has stayed out of parties and enjoying his freedom ahead of a massive “Freedom Street” concert at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, on Dec. 31 — his first appearance in 13 years. Produced and filmed for World boss it started before Cartel regained his freedom, but now “there's a third act to his story,” Panama muses. “He wasted no time getting out of prison and resuming his business and musical endeavors and continuing to build his mythology.”
From the February tickets Bob Marley: One Love resume to World bossJamaica has remained at the forefront of global popular culture throughout 2024. For his part, Garcia hopes this new podcast series is the start of many projects documenting and preserving Caribbean culture and music history . “That's one of the things we talked about very early on in this process, what does the next step look like in this space?” he says. “Once [Worl Boss] is starting to roll out, hopefully it will reshape what people think is possible and that will be even more exciting.”
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/vybz-kartel-podcast-series-winter-2024-dancehall-jamaica-1235819139/
