The world of dancehall witnessed a seismic shift on July 31, 2024, when Vybz Kartel walked out of the Tower Street Adult Correctional Facility, a free man for the first time in over a decade. Dressed in all white, the 48-year-old deejay addressed a swelling crowd of supporters and media, succinctly capturing the weight of his experience: “Me feel good. It’s a joy,” before bluntly describing prison as “hell, hell, hell.” Before leaving in a white limousine with his entourage, including co-accused Shawn Storm and Mad Suss, he offered a powerful, no-nonsense message to Jamaica’s youth: “Stay outta f*kry.” A social media video from inside the limo, captioned “Me and wifey #AMOUT,” showed him with his fiancée, Sidem Ozturk, confirming his new chapter had officially begun.

Kartel’s return to the music scene was nothing short of explosive. Just "two days after his release," he dropped the compilation album First Week Out via 21st Hapilos. The 12-track set debuted at "No. 8 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart and hit No. 1 on Apple Music in 19 countries, including Jamaica." This success marked his "9th entry on the Billboard chart and his 8th top 10 hit." The momentum continued into "January 2025," with a reissued project, Viking: 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, featuring seven new songs that debuted at "No. 10 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart," earning him his "11th entry on the chart."

Despite battling "hyperthyroidism," an autoimmune disorder, Kartel made a historic return to the stage on "December 31, 2024, at Jamaica’s National Stadium," a show that was widely seen as marking a "new era for the artist and the genre." He then launched the Worl Boss Tour, with performances across "the Caribbean, North America, and Europe."



The dancehall icon expressed confidence in his ability to surpass reggae legend Buju Banton’s record-breaking U.S. tour earnings in 2024, declaring, "Yes, I think I will top it.” He secured a "coveted O-1 visa (for individuals with extraordinary ability)" and embarked on a full itinerary that included two "sold-out shows at Barclays Center, Brooklyn last April," and other stops in Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Atlantic City, and Baltimore, as well as major international festivals like Summerjam in Germany and Wireless Festival UK. His tour has amassed an astonishing 16 international shows since his release. While two concerts in Costa Rica and Trinidad were canceled due to "issues with permits and promoter respectively," the promoter in Trinidad revealed that Kartel is "commanding over USD1M per show" and refused to perform until all fees were paid, a testament to his immense market value.

Vybz Kartel was honored with the MOBO Impact Award at the 2025 MOBO Awards, held in Newcastle, England. His album Party With Me—released while he was incarcerated— "received a Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album at the 2025 awards." He was also symbolically crowned The King Of Dancehall at Reggae Sumfest on July 18 after one of his best local performances. Adding to his accolades, his single “Summertime” was "officially been certified Silver in the United Kingdom by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for surpassing 200,000 units in sales and streams as of June 27, 2025," marking his second UK single certification.

Kartel's new life has firmly taken root in America, where he has "since relocated to Florida" after purchasing "two adjacent homes." In an appearance on The Breakfast Club, the Grammy-nominated artist, who "served 13 years in prison in Jamaica," confirmed his move and stated he has "no intention of returning to live in the country anytime soon," citing easier global access. “I LIVE HERE, SIR. I LIVE IN FLORIDA,” Kartel said. “I MEAN, I DID THIRTEEN YEARS IN PRISON, SO WHY WOULD I [GO BACK]?”