Dancehall legend Vybz Kartel released from prison after serving 13 years.

A judge confirmed today that Vybz Kartel, a popular dancehall artist in Jamaica, will be released from prison after his murder conviction was overturned.

The 48-year-old artist was convicted in 2011 of the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams, whose body was never discovered. He was given a life sentence in 2014, but following a successful appeal, he was freed from prison after 13 years.

The Court of Appeal unanimously declared that Kartel, Shawn “Storm” Campbell, Kahira Jones, and Andre St. John—the co-defendants—would not be subjected to a new trial. According to Fox 5, Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop declared, “We conclude that the interest of justice does not require a new trial to be ordered for the appellants.”

According to Dancehall Mag, she went on to say, “We, therefore, make the following order: judgments and verdicts of acquittal are entered in relation to the appellants.”

And she said, “That’s it. Appellants are at liberty.”
The Privy Council in London, Jamaica’s highest appellate court, heard the appeal in March. The argument made was that a juror who was charged with trying to bribe others ought to have been taken out of the trial.
The Privy Council reversed the convictions, but it did not free the men; the Court of Appeal will make the ultimate determination.

One of Jamaica’s most well-known musicians, Vybz Kartel (born Adidja Palmer), has collaborated with international superstars including Jay-Z and Rihanna.

Kartel is particularly well-known for his 2009 song “Pon De Floor,” a duet with Major Lazer that was later sampled in Beyoncé’s song “Run the World (Girls).”

All of the defendants in the 2014 trial, which lasted 64 days and was the longest in Jamaican history, received life sentences. While Campbell and Jones received minimum terms of 25 years, St. John and Kartel received minimum sentences of 35 and 30 years, respectively.

Kartel and his co-defendants remained adamantly innocent during their incarceration.

Kartel, also known by his jail nicknames Worl’ Boss and Di Teacha, is acknowledged for having had a major influence on the dancehall genre and has continued to make music.

Five years after his release from prison, Kartel revealed to Rolling Stone through his attorney that he was not recording while he was inside because he had a large backlog of songs to sing.

“I’ve always been a prolific songwriter, and I record at breakneck speed as well, so I have a lot of surplus material to choose from,” Kartel stated.

“A recording studio exists at a different prison [in Jamaica], but not here. Devices that can access the Internet, such as laptops and cellphones, are not allowed.”