Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger lauds Vybz Kartel

May 21, 2015May 21, 2015 News Room

Legendary musician and Rolling Stones’ frontman, Mick Jagger, says incarcerated dancehall artiste Vybz kartel and Jay-Z are his favourite rappers.

According to the global icon, Vybz Kartel’s language is difficult to understand. However, Vybz Kartel is ‘mad’ with dancehall styles.

“My favourite rappers are Vybz Kartel, I like him, and I guess Jay-Z,” Mick Jagger said. The veteran could hardly pronounce the deejay’s name, however, he went on to explain the difference between Vybz kartel and Jay-Z.

“One is very different from the other. Jay-Z’s got this whole body of work and he’s put himself together with great tunes as well, and Vybz Kartel is just completely mad dancehall and totally different. It’s very difficult to understand a word he says until you’ve heard it about 100 times,” he said laughing.

Mick Jagger was participating in a question-and-answer session on Twitter recently. The Rolling Stones are no strangers to Jamaican music. in 1978, their record label contracted reggae legend Peter Tosh and released his album Bush Doctor, introducing the artiste to a larger audience.

The album also featured Mick Jagger and fellow Rolling Stones member Keith Richards. The lead single, a cover version of The Temptations effort Don’t Look Back, was also performed as a duet with Jagger. Keith Richards also co-produced and played on reggae artiste Max Romeo’s album Holding Out My Love to You.

This is not the first time that an international act has given props to Vybz Kartel for his work. American rapper Busta Rhymes also told US-based website VLADTV.com, that the artiste was intriguing.

“The thing I found more intriguing is how he was able to evolve what the now reggae artiste should be like, whether you agree with it or you don’t. His perspective of what the now reggae artiste should be is what differentiates him from everything that I have seen a long time in reggae artistes. He understands how to incorporate shock value with incredible music. He does things on the shock value level that we might look at as very crazy.” Busta Rhymes said.

Vybz Kartel was recently awarded deejay of the year at a recent award show, and is currently nominated for the same honour in the upcoming STAR People’s Choice award slated for May 30.