J’cans in NY ready for Vybz Kartel Freedom Street concert
Published:Sunday | September 8, 2024 | 12:07 AMAnthony Turner - Sunday Gleaner Writer
Dancehall music fans in New York are salivating about the opportunity they will have in a few months to see one of dancehall’s most influential artistes, Vybz Kartel in the flesh, as he prepares for Freedom Street, his first performance on Jamaican soil after 13 years of incarceration.
The event, which has ticket prices ranging from US$125 (approximately $20,000) for bleachers tickets to US$10,000 (approximately $1,565,938) for the cycle track, is set to unfold at the National Stadium in Kingston on New Year’s Eve, Tuesday, December 31. The organisers are using the now-popular tier structure to release tickets, with each tier being more expensive than the previous.
Tier 1 tickets went on sale on August 31 and sold out within eight hours. Tier 2 tickets will go on sale on Saturday, September 7 at 3 a.m., Jamaica time.
Dale Getfield, owner of People’s Choice Furniture in the Bronx, which sold more than US$100,000 worth of tickets for Buju Banton’s Long Walk To Freedom concert in Kingston in 2019 and more than US$50,000 for Beres Hammond and Buju Banton’s Intimate in January 2022, is confident Freedom Street will do well.
“The vibes and energy being generated from this show is out of this world. People are already calling us about tickets. I hope Mr [Joe] Bogdanovich, [the promoter], and his team reach out to us about selling physical tickets. A lot of concert-goers travelling from the tri-state area like to have their physical tickets in hand before leaving,” Getfield informed.
He added, “The show is going to be huge. I will definitely be at the National Stadium because this is going to be historic. I could not miss this.”
FACEVU IMAGES TV host Jerry McDonald believes that Freedom Street is going to be an historic event and that the National Stadium is the perfect venue.
“This event has the potential to be bigger than the Buju concert, but it needs proper marketing,” McDonald cautioned.
He explained that having Vybz Kartel as the headliner is important, but said this does not guarantee the event will be totally sold out.
“Marketing and promotion on social media and putting together a targeted campaign aimed at the diaspora market is a must! It has to be very strong and cannot be taken for granted” he opined.
New York-based social media influencer Kay ‘Special K’ Frith, who has never seen Kartel perform live, admitted she is eager to attend the much-hyped New Year’s Eve event in Kingston.
“The opportunity to see the World Boss perform live in person is an overwhelming feeling that I cannot describe. The vibe tun up!” she told The Sunday Gleaner.
Tri-state area, One Love FM radio host Shauna-Kay ‘Black Barbie’ Whyte expressed confidence that Freedom Street will be one for the record books.
“People have been waiting years for this concert. When it comes to Vybz Kartel, his fan base is huge” she opined. “He will have people in attendance from all walks of life,” she added.
Artiste manager Charmaine Smith is also confident patrons will attend in large numbers.
“There is a good possibility it will be bigger than the Buju show,” she reasoned. “Kartel has a lot of fans and it’s good revenue for Jamaica,” she noted.
Kartel’s full-throttle rise to becoming dancehall’s top shooter dates back to his famous clash with Ninjaman at Sting 2003. He was again in the news for his lyrical clash with Mavado at Sting 2008 and for his highly publicised lecture at The University of the West Indies in 2011 that was criticised by some in academia.
The award-winning deejay, known for songs like Romping Shop, Clarks, Gun Like Mine, Double Down, Cake Soap and Who Tell You Fi Run, was lambasted for bleaching his skin.
“If Kartel connects with his superstar friends abroad and gets them to repost information about the concert, it lift up like a space shuttle,” McDonald concluded.
“Can you imagine if he invited say Drake, Cardi B or Nicki Minaj to make a guest appearance? It would push it over the top. It would be the biggest concert ever!” he exclaimed.
During his incarceration, Kartel garnered support and found favour with many from the international hip-hop and R&B community, collaborating with stars like Major Lazer, Rihanna, Jay Z and Sean Kingston. He is credited as an inspiration for dancehall-infused songs by hip-hop superstar Drake, who has lauded him as one of his “biggest inspirations”. In 2023, the World Boss garnered further international spotlight when FOX 5 NY’s Lisa Evers, ran a two-part exclusive feature that was one of the top trending stories on social media.