Jamaican dancehall star Vybz Kartel sentenced to life in 2011 murder

By August Brown

April 3, 2014 12 AM PT

Vybz Kartel, the popular Jamaican dancehall artist, has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted in the murder of an associate, according to the BBC.

The 38-year-old singer, born Adidja Palmer, is one of the biggest stars in Jamaican music. American audiences know him from his vocals on Major Lazer’s club hit “Pon De Floor,” which Beyoncé sampled for “Run the World (Girls).”

Palmer and three other men were sentenced after being convicted of the 2011 murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams in a dispute over missing firearms. The 65-day trial was the longest in Jamaican history and riveted the country with gory details.

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Among them was a text message reportedly sent from Palmer’s phone that said Williams’ body had been chopped into so many pieces that it would never be recovered.

Palmer had previously been arrested in 2011 on drug charges, and continued to record music inside his cell. A second murder charge against him had been dropped for lack of evidence.

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