Vybz Kartel on Angostura rum deal: ‘Big up Trinis, big up yardies!’

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Four months after being released from prison in Jamaica, dancehall artiste Adidja “Vybz Kartel” Palmer was in good spirits as he launched his STR8 VYBZ (straight vibes) rum line, manufactured and distributed by Angostura Ltd, on December 6.

Palmer is a controversial figure, having influenced dancehall culture and other artistes around the world.

In 2014, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his associate Clive "Lizard" Williams. He often released new music from jail, each greeted with wild acclaim from his fans. His conviction was quashed in March 2024 by the Privy Council, who cited juror misconduct and declared that the Jamaican Court of Appeal had to decide whether a retrial would take place. On July 31, 2024, Palmer was released from prison after the Jamaican Court of Appeal declined to retry the case.

Speaking at the event at the Angostura Solera Wines and Spirits store, Albion Energy Plaza, Port of Spain, Palmer said TT was his home away from home.

“It wasn’t a hard decision when (Jamaican dancehall artiste) Teejay said, ‘Teacher, me have some man over Trinidad who want to do a project and mih tink is a good idea.’ And I said, ‘Trinidad? Yeah, man, let’s do it.' And the rest is history.

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“When we were working on the rum, people from all over the world were involved. So at any given time, someone was up, so that’s why we nicknamed the rum  'the Rum That Never Sleeps, ' because at every given time, someone was working on the rum., from the label to the design, the distilling of it, the taste, everything, the marketing.

"And trust me, I love working with the Angostura team.”

Palmer said the rum sold out two weeks after its launch in Jamaica on November 6.

“As we speak now, we’re transporting rum to Jamaica – that’s how Jamaican people love the product."Not just because of the hype that Vybz Kartel brings to the product, but also because of the quality of the product. I don’t know if anybody start drinking it yet, but trust me, once you start drinking this rum, you’ll never go back to what you were drinking, I’m telling you.”

The rums are named Fever, an overproof rum which is 63 per cent alcohol by volume; Electric, a white rum; Unstoppable, a dark rum; and Ramping Shop, a dark enhanced rum. The latter three rums are 40 per cent alcohol by volume.

Each 700 ml rum is named after one of Palmer’s singles, and the bottles have lyrics from the songs on the labels.They are exclusively distributed by Angostura Solera Wines and Spirits, with stores in Port of Spain, Marabella and Angostura House.

Palmer said the partnership with Angostura would be a lifelong one, with other products being released, including cocktail mixes using the rums.

“In Jamaica, we have a few, one called Beg You a Touch, and the Ramping Shop is a cocktail in and of itself, because the Ramping Shop (is) mixed with Magnum (Tonic Wine). So we have a series of mixes to promote. Fever is my personal favourite, and if you mix it with Angostura’s Pear Chill, I call it Pear Pressure.”

Asked what the Ramping Shop Rum is enhanced with, he replied, “It’s enhanced with…when you and your husband drink it, you will know.”

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Palmer is due to return to TT next year as a main act for a concert on Carnival Friday, February 28.

Controversy erupted in November when Promoters One Caribbean Music announced him as an act, with detractors asking why a dancehall artiste was chosen to perform at the height of the Carnival season.

“No comment," Palmer said when asked if he would be back in TT in February for the show.

Pressed on whether he had anything to say to his detractors, he replied, “I cannot speak about the show because now I’m just here promoting the Angostura/Vybz Kartel collaboration. No disrespect.”

Palmer declined comment on further questions about the show, but said he loved Carnival.

“As a matter of fact, Jamaica carnival is huge. We love carnival."But I cannot speak about that right now because we’re promoting the STR8 VYBZ Rum to the TT people, to the Caribbean people, because this is a Caribbean effort. It’s a joint collaboration between Jamaica and Trinidad."So big up the Trinis, big up the yardies, big up the entire Caribbean.”

Soca artiste Kevon "Yankey Boy" Heath started a hunger strike on November 28 to protest against Palmer's performance on Carnival Friday. He said he does not see dancehall music as part of TT's culture, though he personally loves Palmer and his music.

Angostura pleased to collaborate with Palmer

Angostura’s Business Efficiency and Shared Services executive manager Rahim Mohammed said the company had been appointed official co-packer and global master distributor for the brand after being chosen by Palmer.

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“As the leading innovator in the spirits industry, we are extremely excited to manufacture and distribute Kartel’s products."At our factory in Trinidad, we have the capacity to produce up to 400,000 bottles a day. When we started off, he sent his team, quite covertly, to look at our factory, processes and systems before they approved Angostura as their co-packer.”

He said the process took four-six weeks from design to launch.

“This is not a normal rum. This rum took contribution and development from parties around the world and when it was conceptualised, we started off with a team from Australia, TT and Jamaica, and when we got to a certain stage, we had to involve a team from South Africa.

“With STR8 VYBZ, you’re getting a premium experience. When you taste it, and you look at the reviews from Kartel himself and the reviews from the public in Jamaica, the quality of the rum is second to none. We held nothing back in the aging of the rum and in the blending of the rum.”

Mohammed said Angostura, a publicly-listed company in which the state has a significant shareholding, is distributed in over 170 countries worldwide, another factor which led to Palmer's choosing the company. He thanked Palmer for acknowledging Angostura’s reach and the capabilities of the company.

He said since the launch in Jamaica, the company had received interest from around the world. He said Angostura hoped to export, between now and early January, to Antigua, the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ghana, the Netherlands, Nigeria, the UK and the US.

“These are serious enquiries. Many of the distributors have already placed their orders and their goods are in production."That’s to show you the momentum and the attractiveness of the brand throughout the world, which is truly due to your impact throughout the world, Kartel, through your music and your personality.”

Mohammed said Palmer visited the factory on December 5 to meet the staff and see the production capabilities firsthand. He thanked Palmer for his vision, creativity and passion.

“He’s very easy to work with. We had many concepts, many ideas, we valued his feedback and excitement – he pushed us to work on this project 24/7.

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“We all know Vybz Kartel, one of the most influential and respected names in the dancehall industry. He is a symbol of authenticity and is known for his pioneering impact on the dancehall music scene and influencing various sectors."Now he continues to have that impact within the spirits industry.”

Palmer signed the 200th bottle of a limited-edition bottle of the rum, of which only 6,000 were produced. Mohammed said the bottle would go into the Angostura Museum.

“This is our 200th anniversary, so thank you for presenting us with bottle number 200 in commemoration of that. It will create a forever-standing legacy with this arrangement.

“Here’s to the future of STR8 VYBZ, a rum as iconic as the person who created it and the culture where it came from. The rum has been meticulously crafted using the essence of Jamaican dancehall while embracing new, forward-thinking approaches that reflect the spirit of Vybz Kartel.”

Palmer also signed the 76th bottle of the rum, as that is his special number, and sampled the Pear Pressure cocktail.

“I was out of commission for a while and now I’m back, Trinidad, bigger and better than ever, and we’re working with Angostura with a quality project and the world loves it, Jamaica loves it, so the feeling is amazing.”

Excitement was high at the launch, with guests as well as employees of surrounding businesses crowding around Palmer for hugs, handshakes, pictures and signing of rum bottles.