From 35 Years To Grammy Nominations – Vybz Kartel New Album Is The Most Personal Of His Career

By Staff Reporter | NewsAmericasNow.com

News Americas, NY, NY, Thurs. May 28, 2026: When Vybz Kartel was sentenced to 35 years in a Jamaican prison in 2014, many wondered if the world would ever hear new music from the man widely regarded as the King of Dancehall. When the Court of Appeal unanimously overturned that conviction on August 6, 2024, the answer came swiftly and decisively – and it has not stopped since.

Now, less than two years after walking free, Kartel is set to release his most personal album yet. ‘God & Time’ drops June 5 via TJ Records and Vybz Kartel Muzik, with Zojack Worldwide handling distribution – and the dancehall icon says this one comes from a place no previous album has reached.

“I named the album God & Time because it’s a slang that has been popular in Jamaica since we was children,” Kartel told Billboard in an exclusive interview. “When I was in prison, my lawyer used to always say that to me. I eventually just started believing in myself and applying it to my life.”

The Journey That Made The Album

Dancehall Vybz Kartel, seen here performing at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on April 11 and 12, 2025. (Photo by Tizzy Tokyo)

For the Caribbean diaspora and millions of fans globally who followed every twist of Kartel’s decade-long legal battle – God & Time carries a meaning that goes far beyond music.

Kartel and his co-accused – Shawn Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St. John – were originally convicted following a historic 64-day trial for the 2011 murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams, a charge all four have consistently denied. The Court of Appeal’s unanimous ruling that they would not face a new trial ended one of the most closely watched legal sagas in Caribbean history.

Since his release, Kartel has not wasted a single moment. He mounted a massive Freedom Street concert in Kingston to bring in 2025, appeared at Drake’s Wireless Festival takeover, and completed his own Worl’ Boss Tour across the UK, Europe, and the United States. Earlier this month he appeared on Chris Brown’s “F–k and Party” – a cut from Brown’s LP that debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200.

And through it all, the music kept coming – and getting better. Both 2024’s ‘Party With Me’ and 2025’s ‘Heart & Soul’ earned Grammy nominations for best reggae album, marking Kartel’s first nods at the ceremony and signaling that his artistic powers had not just survived incarceration – they had deepened.

God & Time – What To Expect

‘God & Time’ ‘follows two consecutive Grammy-nominated projects and reunites Kartel with the same creative team behind 2015’s Viking and 2016’s King of the Dancehall – the album that spawned “Fever,” one of the defining dancehall songs of the decade.

The album’s lead single “Panic” features Grammy-nominated pop-dancehall star Shenseea, while the broader track list brings together Latin Grammy-winning reggaetonero Farruko and contemporary Jamaican music star Skillibeng – a lineup that signals Kartel’s intention to push dancehall’s boundaries while staying rooted in its DNA.

‘God & Time’ is set to survey the full range of Kartel’s emotions following his release – self-reflection alongside the waist-wining riddims and genre-bending crossover records that have defined his career. Kartel has also teased additional surprise collaborations yet to be revealed.

“You can expect Vybz Kartel energy,” he told Billboard. “The flow will be different, and the lyrics will be amazing.”

A Caribbean Heritage Month Release

The June 5th release date places ‘God & Time’ ‘squarely in the heart of Caribbean Heritage Month – a timing that feels less like coincidence and more like destiny for an artist whose entire career has been a reflection of Caribbean culture, language, resilience, and reinvention.

For a generation of Caribbean diaspora fans who held onto hope through every court hearing, every appeal, and every year of silence — God & Time is more than an album title. It is a philosophy. And Kartel, more than anyone, has lived it.

‘God & Time’ is available for pre-order now. The album drops June 5, 2026.