Vybz Kartel is back in the headlines, and this time it’s not for a courtroom appearance. The dancehall heavyweight, whose 2014 murder conviction was recently overturned due to juror misconduct, is now planning a massive New Year’s Eve concert at Kingston’s National Stadium. For many, it’s a triumphant return. For others, it raises some serious questions.
Let’s be clear: the conviction wasn’t overturned because Kartel was found innocent. It was thrown out because of a legal technicality. That distinction matters. It means the truth about what happened in 2011—the killing of Clive “Lizard” Williams—remains unresolved in the public eye. And yet, the spotlight has shifted swiftly from the courtroom to the stage, as if none of it ever happened.
This isn’t about being a moral authority or telling people who they should or shouldn’t listen to. Kartel’s influence on Jamaican music is undeniable. His lyrics, his style, his ability to stay relevant even behind bars—it’s all part of what makes him a cultural force. But when someone walks free not because they were exonerated, but because a trial was compromised, it forces us to pause.
What does it say when a nation rallies behind that person as a hero? What message does it send when a stadium is filled with fans, but the victim’s family is left with silence?
The entertainment industry has always had a complicated relationship with accountability. But Jamaica, with its deep ties between music, politics, and power, feels like a particularly sharp case study. It’s easy to get swept up in the hype. Harder to ask uncomfortable questions.
Still, those questions are worth asking.
Is this concert a celebration of freedom—or a reminder of how fragile justice can be?
