There are very few artists outside of Canada who hold as deep a cultural grip on Toronto as Vybz Kartel. His music has been the pulse of Caribbean diasporic life across the city for over two decades, from basement jams in Scarborough to Caribana. His catalog has soundtracked generations of Toronto youth, and that influence is reflected in the city’s biggest musical representatives. Even throughout his incarceration, Kartel’s voice remained omnipresent—a symbol of home and heritage that represented the strength, resilience, and creativity of the Jamaican diaspora. He became a face of Caribbean music that never compromised on authenticity, even as his artistry seeped into mainstream America, whether being sampled by Beyoncé or contributing to a posthumous XXXTENTACION record. And yet, in a career that dates back to the early ’90s, not once had Kartel performed in Toronto.
Vybz Kartel Touches Down In Canada
That changed on Sunday night when Vybz Kartel took the stage at Scotiabank Arena for the first of three sold-out shows in Toronto. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise, considering the Jamaican dancehall superstar has been selling out venues across North America since his Freedom Street concert on New Year’s Eve. Still, with the Blue Jays in the World Series for the first time in over 30 years, the city’s energy was already on ten before Kartel even appeared. His presence simply reaffirmed that it doesn’t need to be summer in Toronto for it to feel like Caribana.
Kartel’s performance embodied his significance to the city—and he was well aware of it. The stage resembled a lineup of towering speakers, painted in hues of brown, yellow, green, and red, with a long runway stretching into the middle of the floor. After his DJ warmed up the crowd with a run of classic and contemporary dancehall hits (seemingly tailored for a largely millennial audience), the room turned steamy. Thick marijuana smoke, body heat, and anticipation fused into a collective impatience. Then, the lights went out.
A familiar voice rang through the speakers: Drake, singing Kartel’s praises. Moments later, Kartel appeared—sitting in a jail cell, draped in a baby-blue Blue Jays jersey with “Worl' Boss” across the back, a matching fitted hat, baseball bat in hand, and an OVO chain around his neck. The crowd erupted. For many, this was a moment they thought they’d never see in their lifetime—a man once imprisoned on a life sentence, standing on Toronto soil. As the essence of Akon’s “Locked Up” trickled through the speakers, Kartel launched into “When Shotta Guh A Jail,” his remix of the classic, before sliding into “Gun Session,” his take on “Soul Survivor.” It was a mellow start, but one that built intensity as Kartel strutted down the runway, leaping into the air with knees to his chest, commanding the space.
Quite frankly, the kind of presence he carried is what Gen Z might’ve once called “aura”—and Kartel is the living embodiment of that concept. The energy he exuded mirrored the decade-plus-long anticipation of Toronto fans finally witnessing his legend in real time.
The Owl Is In The Building
Seeing Kartel perform live, especially after his incarceration, put his resilience and perseverance into perspective. The man has proven he can make music for any mood, but his deep connection with women has undeniably shaped his catalog. That dynamic took center stage in the first half of his set, as he vroomed through sensual anthems like “It Bend Like a Banana” and “Romping Shop,” which turned up the steamy side of his repertoire. Songs like “Yuh Love” reminded the crowd how effortlessly he could pivot from lust to romance, a multi-faceted artist in full command of his range.
All eyes were on Vybz during his first-ever Toronto concert, but Drake’s presence wasn’t just heard through the speakers—it was felt in the flesh. Midway through the show, Drake appeared, continuing his recent streak of surprise collaborations with artists from abroad. This one, though, felt different—more meaningful, more rooted. It pushed back against “culture vulture” narratives in a way that no tweet or X thread could. With his usual cool command, Drake reminded the crowd why Kendrick once said he liked “Drake with the melodies.” He breezed through his dancehall and Afrobeat-adjacent cuts—“Controlla,” "One Dance," “Hotline Bling,” and the newer “Nokia”—a quick side quest that doubled as homage. As Kartel transitioned into the heavier end of his catalog—blistering war anthems like “Last Man Standing,” the swagger of “Clarks,” and the hustler’s hunger of “Money Pon Mi Brain (C-T Scan)”—the energy surged again. And with Drake on stage playing hypeman by the show’s end, it displayed the mutual reverence between Toronto’s biggest star and the man who helped shape its sound.
Toronto Welcomes Vybz Kartel As One Of Their Own
Some fans may have expected a longer performance, wardrobe changes, or choreography fitting the gravity of the moment. But within an hour, Kartel delivered a set packed with the hits that have kept fans in a chokehold for decades. Even with glaring omissions like “Fever” and “Summer Time,” the sheer force of his energy made it irrelevant. The fact that he simply made it onto the stage felt like victory enough.
For an artist who’s existed as an urban legend in pop culture for over a decade, Kartel’s first Toronto concert was more of a homecoming than just another tour stop. A full-circle moment for a city that’s loved him from afar, finally welcoming him into its embrace.
