Vybz Kartel Addresses Shaggy Amid King of Dancehall Debate

29 Sep at 00:31 Comment Views: 14

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                    <img class="c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto" src="https://www.billboard.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/P1070Q7N-e1790628272774.jpg?w=942&h=628&crop=1" alt="Shaggy at The 79th Annual Tony Awards held at Radio City Music Hall on June 7, 2026 in New York, New York." srcset="https://www.billboard.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/P1070Q7N-e1790628272774.jpg?w=942&h=628&crop=1 1800w, https://www.billboard.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/P1070Q7N-e1790628272774.jpg?w=942&h=628&crop=1&resize=300%2C200 300w, https://www.billboard.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/P1070Q7N-e1790628272774.jpg?w=942&h=628&crop=1&resize=681%2C454 681w" sizes="(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 100vw" height="" width="" decoding="async">

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                <span class="">Shaggy at The 79th Annual Tony Awards held at Radio City Music Hall on June 7, 2026 in New York, New York.</span>

                                <cite class="lrv-u-color-grey-dark lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase u-letter-spacing-0094 lrv-u-font-size-10 u-line-height-17px u-margin-t-2px">Kristina Bumphrey/WWD</cite>

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Shaggy and Vybz Kartel are stirring renewed discussion around the title of the King of Dancehall.

During a Sept. 23 interview with Roadblock Radio, Shaggy addressed the topic. My records are calculated, the reggae and dancehall artist said. I am very strategic, which is why to this day, I am 58 years old and still the second-largest streaming person in dancehall and reggae. Some of the guys only got three markets, and they are like, Oh, yes, we packed out Barclays Center in Brooklyn! I am packing a coliseum in Lithuania on a Wednesday. The only other person above me right now is really Sean Paul and the great Bob Marley.

Shaggy holds three Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits across a four-decade career, including the No. 1 singles Angel with Rayvon and It Wasn’t Me with Ricardo RikRok Ducent. His 2000 LP *Hot Shot* topped the Billboard 200 and reached No. 2 on the 2001 Billboard 200 Year-End chart.

He has also placed 17 different titles in the top 10 of Reggae Albums and won two Grammy Awards from eight nominations. He won best reggae album for *Boombastic* in 1996 and for the Sting-assisted *44/876* in 2019. Despite his comments, Shaggy acknowledged other artists who have vied for the title.

There are multiple kings, he said. You might be influential, but in your era, there is no one king for a genre. Beenie Man is the king, Vybz Kartel is the king, Shabba Ranks is the king, I am the king, Sean Paul, a lot of people within their time frame did incredible things and the world stopped and took notice.

Kartel responded on Sept. 26 by posting an Instagram Reel to his official page. Lip-syncing to an unreleased track, he included a caption that read: When you are not a manufactured pop star with little talent and no influence on the culture.

Kartel did not name Shaggy directly, but he has frequently spoken about the King of Dancehall title since his prison release in August 2024. He is among the few dancehall artists to headline Barclays Center recently, alongside Masicka and Alkaline. Kartel spent 13 years incarcerated and works as an independent artist, distinguishing his career path from Shaggy’s.

While Shaggy achieved international chart success with pop-leaning dancehall and reggae, Kartel focused on street anthems like Straight Jeans & Fitted, Clarks, and Cake Soap. Following his release, Kartel appeared on a *Billboard* digital cover for his Freedom Street comeback concert, which was reported to be the largest concert in Jamaica in 50 years. Kartel has earned 10 top 10 entries on Reggae Albums without reaching No. 1. *Billboard* reached out to Kartel’s representatives for comment on his post.

Neither artist has issued further statements as fans continue to debate the matter online.

Watch Shaggy’s interview below.