Drake Rocks “Free Vybz Kartel” Shirt To Celebrate Kartel’s Release From Prison

Drake has always had a contentious relationship with dancehall. The rapper was criticized for exploiting the Jamaican genre during the making of the “Find Your Love” video way back in 2010. That said, he has repeatedly voiced his adoration for its artists. He has collaborated with numerous dancehall legends, and helped to boost their profile with American listeners. It’s been a while since Drake dabbled in dancehall in his own music, but the rapper’s recent Instagram post confirms that he’s still very much a supporter. He celebrated the release of Vybz Kartel by rocking a “Free Vybz” t-shirt on Instagram.

This is not the first time Drake has shown off his “Free Vybz” merch. The rapper posted a photo of the shirt on his Instagram Story back on April 2. “Up 2 Di Time,” the rest of the text on the shirt reads. “Free Kartel, free world boss.” The timing could not have been better. Vybz Kartel was sprung from prison on July 31. The Jamaican deejay was convicted of murder back in 2011, but the Privy Council in the United Kingdom overturned his conviction back in March. The Privy Council cited juror misconduct and bribery as the main causes, according to Rolling Stone.

Drake has advocated for Vybz Kartel’s release for most of his career. The rapper praised the deejay during a 2016 interview with Narduwar. “Vybz Kartel is one of my biggest inspirations, one of my favorite artists,” he explained. “You want to talk about a guy coming out of a place that has their own thing, their own culture, and absolutely just taking over. The one person to idolize.” Drake proceeded to single out Kartel’s ability to transcend era, and maintain longevity within Jamaican culture. “I been to Jamaica,” he explained. “And no matter what, people are always holding up Vybz as an icon.” The Toronto artist also revealed that PARTYNEXTDOOR shares his admiration for Kartel.

Drake and Vybz Kartel have never collaborated on a song, for obvious reasons. The former did link up with Kartel’s longtime producer, however, in 2022. Rvssian posted photos alongside the 6 God on IG, fueling rumors that they were going to cook up music together. Sadly, nothing from the sessions has seen the light of day. The closest fans have come to getting an OVO and Vybz Kartel collaboration was the PARTYNEXTDOOR single “Not Nice.” The 2016 song featured a sample of Kartel’s “Real Bad Gal,” which was unreleased at the time. Hopefully fans will get an official Drake and Kartel song, since the latter is a free man.