National honour for Vybz Kartel? Culture experts say anything is possible

In recent years, the list of dancehall entertainers who have received national honours has been steadily growing, with Clifford ‘Mr Vegas’ Smith set to be the latest recipient of the Order of Distinction (OD). 
Given that the genre has now been accepted as having a legitimate seat at the music table with its popularity, power, influence, streaming views and concert ticket receipts globally, one may ask: should Adidja ‘Vybz Kartel’ Palmer, the man crowned King of Dancehall, receive a National Honour for his impact on Jamaican music?
For Professor Emerita Carolyn Cooper, his sustained impact on dancehall cannot be ignored.
“No formerly incarcerated dancehall artiste has ever been awarded a national honour. However, Adidja ‘Vybz Kartel’ Palmer is known to break barriers. So, perhaps, one of these days, he will be acknowledged for his stellar career, despite his troubling history,” said the cultural critic and former professor of literary and cultural studies at The University of the West Indies.
Kartel was freed from prison in 2024 after his murder conviction was quashed by the United Kingdom-based Privy Council. The case was sent back to the local courts, and prosecutors decided against a retrial. 
For musicologist Clyde McKenzie, the possibility of Kartel receiving an honour cannot be dismissed, particularly given how circumstances and public perceptions can change.
“The things we have seen in the last couple of years, I don’t say anything is impossible. If you had told somebody that Buju Banton would have come back and made such an impact, created the kind of furore and excitement, and generated the kind of income and revenue that he has, everybody would have said, ‘You lie’. I mean, yes, people had thought, ‘Yeah, okay, so here it is, this guy, he made it outta jail but will he make past Palisadoes?’ and now the man is free to go right across the world with no worries or issues,” he said.
“You don’t get to predict anything. Just set them on their course because you really can’t make a determination. Sometimes things turn out contrary to conventional wisdom and popular assumptions. You just have to take everything one day at a time, so I would say it is not an impossibility because I’ve seen stranger things than that happen.”
Buju was released from prison after serving eight years at the McRae Correctional Institution in December 2018.
Dancehall artistes who have received national honours include Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Sean Paul, Shabba Ranks and Yellowman.
This year, nine members of the entertainment fraternity will be honoured at King’s House in October. The recipients of the OD are: Earl ‘Chinna’ Smith; Wilburn ‘Stranger’ Cole; Robert Livingston; Michael ‘Mikie’ Bennett; and Clifford ‘Mr Vegas’ Smith.
Recipients of the Badge of Honour for Meritorious Service are: Shirley Deloris Findley-Willis for her contribution to gospel music in Jamaica; Herman Constantine ‘Bongo’ Davis for his contribution to Jamaican music and culture; Lawrence Anthony ‘Dundas’ McDonald for service to the field of entertainment; and Carlyle Palmer for his contribution to the growth of Jamaican music in the United Kingdom through Jet Star Music.