Vybz Kartel's Book "Voice of The Jamaican Ghetto" Released

On Friday, July 6, Voice of the Jamaican Ghetto, Adidja Palmer’s, aka Vybz Kartel, very first book was released.
Kartel has always said to expect the unexpected. In a statement released in May 2011, Kartel threatened to use the pedestal that ‘Babylon’ has put him on to fight for his people – ‘Ghetto People.’ Through this book, Kartel is signalling that the fight for change starts now. He has vowed to and based on Kartel’s ability to use his lyrics to gather a following, it will be interesting how this initiative by Kartel will affect Jamaica.
On the cover of his book, Kartel states “I pray this book helps to change Jamaica forever.”
Vybz Kartel and his co-author, Michael Dawson, completed the manuscript in early summer 2011 and Voice of the Jamaican Ghetto was first copyrighted in the United States on August 5, 2011. The publishers have worked assiduously on getting it right. The release of Voice of the Jamaican Ghetto, Kartel’s first book, heralds a new dawn in the history of Jamaica.

It is hoped that this book will lead to discussions on classism, racism and other ‘isms and schisms’ existing in modern day Jamaica. The objective of Voice of the Jamaican Ghetto is to bring things that are often hidden by the powers that be to the forefront, using the biggest ‘Voice’ that the Jamaican ghetto has had in years – the voice of the notoriously controversial Vybz Kartel.


Voice of the Jamaican Ghetto tells the “other half of the story that has never been told.” A story which Reggae pioneers have sang about – but Vybz Kartel has dared to put it into book form. While Kartel proudly acknowledges 50 years of Independence for Jamaica, Voice of the Jamaican Ghetto boldly asks – “50 years of what for poor people?”