Incarcerated dancehall star Vybz Kartel release some excerpts from his highly anticipated book Voice of the Jamaican Ghetto.
The book was originally schedule for release last summer, but was delayed due to the deejays mounting legal troubles. Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, is currently behind bars awaiting trial for two murder charges as well as illegal possession of firearm and obstruction of justice charges.
In a move that may help repair his public image, Vybz Kartel his publishers permission to release excerpts from three chapters of the unfinished book.
See some excerpts below:
Chapter 1: Thank You Jah
“Let your Jah be your guide – each day when you wake up anywhere in Jamaica or in the world say – Thank You Jah, me wake up this morning.”
“I keep saying that I “vision” better days coming. Now, here is part of the reason why I encourage my people to read Proverbs. There are so many lessons to be learnt from the book, especially in Proverbs 29 when Solomon jus roll out de teaching one after de odda. In Proverbs 29: 18, Solomon tells us that without vision the people perish. There are different types of visions. There is the out of body experience that the great Garnet Silk described in his song “Zion in a Vision.” Then there is the vision that King Solomon is talking about. We have a word for it in the ghettoes of Jamaica – it is called “preeing.” Preeing literally means looking at something and thoroughly analyzing it before proceeding to make a decision. This is what I am referring to when I say “I vision better days coming.” It is not an idle thought.”
Chapter 3: Mama
“If I wrote 9 albums dedicated to her I could not sufficiently express my gratitude, love, respect and admiration for Theresa Wilson Palmer or mommy as I call her. To her, this book is dedicated and to her I owe all my success. Mommy me love YOU! “Mi swear from mi heart” that Theresa Wilson Palmer is my queen”.
“Why do you think I handle the haters so well? What’s my secret you ask? Mama, mama, mama, my mother. Yes, it is Theresa Wilson Palmer’s training. That’s why I keep saying to the media, keep talking. My mother’s opinion is the only one that matters when it comes to criticizing Vybz Kartel. I want to say to her that I know it is not always easy. There is hardly a day that goes by without her son’s name in the paper being tarnished, ridiculed or criticized. Somehow, I went from being her adorable little son to everybody’s role model; expected to be who they think I should be and not who I am. I can only imagine how she feels when I am called derogatory names or blamed for things I know nothing about.”
Chapter 9: Struggle
“I cannot emphasize enough the role of family in the ghetto. As we fight poverty, having family support could be the difference between a prosperous life and a life full of strife. Anyone who knows Vybz Kartel personally will know that the most constant message on my BlackBerry Status is Family First. I’m not saying that my family life is perfect or that I am a perfect father but I strive to be. Yes, families will have differences, all families do. Some malice, fight like cats and dogs; but blood is thicker than water. In my song, I spend the entire first verse talking about family because make no mistake about it people, we are going to turn things around in the ghetto and we are going to start with family.”
