Vybz Kartel is a Jamaican artist who has been compared to Tupac of the American Hip Hop music. Well in order to evaluate that we need to see the similarities and the differences. Let us first start with Tupac Shakur who is one of the best rap music artists in the world. He has sold over 75 millions albums to date and Kartel has not come close to this in album sells. Vybz Kartel like Tupac Shakur was, he is a top selling Dancehall artist who also has a promising career in Entrepreneurship. Tupac in his songs he spoke of growing up in violence, hardships, racism and problems with other rap artists. The only similarity here is that Vybz Kartel sings about having clashing with other DJs.

Tupac was a target for numerous lawsuits and other legal matters and as even gone to prison for sexual assault. Kartel has never been involved in any of these cases but he has been accused of violence towards women notably his child’s mother and former members of his Portmore Empire artists. Shakur was shot in 1994 five times and following the event he blamed other figures in the rapping industry for knowing and not informing him, this was directed at Notorious B.I.G who was his friend. This incident sparked the controversial East Coast-West Coast rivalry.

However, for Vybz Kartel he was apart of the Alliance where he and Mavado were friends but due to the fact that he duet with the leader’s Bounty Killer former girlfriend D’Angel this was not accepted by Bounty Killer so he exited the Alliance. Since Mavado is now the top artist for the Alliance and Kartel has form his own Alliance there is constant feuding between them. Now Tupac Shakur has been dead for about fourteen years with just about 5 years within the music business. Kartel is still very much alive and have over ten years in the music and his career is still booming.

It is important to note that even after his death his records are still being sold this spoke to his extraordinary talent. Can you imagine a dead man still making money in his grave? This is the point where they are undoubtedly similar. Kartel is an artist who is lyrically talented and even with his lewd lyrics he has rhymes that are unbelievable different and out of this world.

Sure Vybz Kartel has the same appeal as Tupac Shakur did while he was here but to say that Vybz Kartel in becoming the Dancehall Tupac is not doing justice to Kartel who is in a class by himself. They both have strong lyrical content that have gotten followers and making them heros to some. So from that angle Vybz Kartel can be seen as becoming the Tupac of Dancehall music in terms of his poetic creativity. Otherwise from that Vybz Kartel is unique in his style and should not be compared to Tupac. Tupac was loved and admired for his work and was seen as a rose that grew out of concrete. As much as Kartel is creative and witty with his lyrics it will a long time before anyone see him as a rose that would have grown out of concrete or if ever.

 

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