By News Americas Entertainment Desk
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. June 18, 2025: Just weeks after being condemned for what many called blasphemous lyrics, Jamaican dancehall star Vybz Kartel has stunned fans and critics alike with the release of a gospel track titled Glory of Jesus — a dramatic turn from the explicit content that drew widespread backlash last month.
The former convict and newly freed artist—who once rapped about sex, violence, and even compared women’s bodies to Jesus—now opens his new gospel single with a solemn prayer: “Dear Lord, I want you to use me as a vessel… to spread your word and your gospel to the ends of the world.”
‘Glory of Jesus,’ a cover of a classic by the legendary Grace Thrillers, marks a bold new chapter for Kartel, born Adidja Palmer, whose life has played out like a modern-day redemption saga. After spending 13 years behind bars for a murder conviction that was eventually overturned by the UK Privy Council in 2024, Kartel has returned to the spotlight — but not without controversy.
Just last month, Kartel was condemned by Guyana’s Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) for the sexually explicit content in his track ‘Good Like Jesus.’ The ERC called the song “blasphemous and deeply offensive,” urging Guyanese authorities to ban his music and demanding a public apology. The backlash also came during a storm of criticism after Kartel withdrew from a festival in Trinidad and Tobago at the last minute, despite receiving nearly US$1 million in performance fees.
Now, Kartel’s sudden shift to gospel is raising eyebrows. Is it a genuine spiritual awakening or a calculated pivot to rehab his image?
Speaking to the Jamaica Observer, Kartel claims his faith is real—and long-standing: “When I was in prison, I prayed every day… I said, ‘Father God, if you get me out of this situation, I’ll never stop praising you.’ I even have ‘love God’ tattooed on my face, twice.”
Still, critics point to the whiplash-like shift—from songs banned for disrespecting Christianity to full-blown gospel worship – as a confusing contradiction. Fans, however, appear more forgiving. Many have welcomed the new direction and praised Kartel’s post-prison output.
As he prepares to co-headline the Wireless Festival in the UK next month alongside Drake and Burna Boy, and with a 2025 Grammy nomination under his belt for Party With Me, Vybz Kartel is proving once again that he can’t be boxed in – whether by the justice system, public opinion, or even genre.
But for a man long defined by scandal and reinvention, the biggest question remains: Has Vybz Kartel truly found God or just another headline?
British Caribbean News
