Did Vybz Kartel Shade Shaggy Amid Heated ‘King of Dancehall’ Debate?

The “King of Dancehall” debate is a never-ending one — and Shaggy and Vybz Kartel are adding fresh fuel to the fire.

In a Sept. 23 interview with Roadblock Radio, the Grammy-winning reggae and dancehall superstar weighed in on the conversation. “My records are calculated. I’m very strategic, which is why to this day, I’m 58 years old and still the second-largest streaming person in dancehall and reggae,” Shaggy said. “Some of the guys only got three markets, [and they’re like], Oh, yes, we packed out [Barclays Center in Brooklyn]! — I’m 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 certainly has the stats to back up his argument. Throughout a career spanning four decades and counting, the Kingston-born star has earned three Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits, including the No. 1 singles “Angel” (with Rayvon) and “It Wasn’t Me” (with Ricardo “RikRok” Ducent). His 2000 Hot Shot LP – which housed both of the chart-topping classics — topped the Billboard 200 and reached No. 2 on the 2001 Billboard 200 Year-End chart.

Not only has Shaggy reached the top 10 of Reggae Albums with a whopping 17 different titles, but he’s also won a pair of Grammys out of eight career nominations. He took home best reggae album for Boombastic in 1996 and picked up the same award 23 years later for his Sting-assisted 44/876 in 2019. Even as he puffed his chest, Shaggy still showed love to the litany of stars that have made a run for dancehall’s crown.

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

Shaggy may have tipped his hat to Kartel, but it appears that the “Angel” singer still struck a nerve. Over the weekend (Sept. 26), just a few days after Shaggy’s interview started making the rounds on social media, Kartel shared an Instagram Reel to his official page. As he lip-synced to a preview of an unreleased track, an eyebrow-raising caption read: “When you’re not a manufactured pop star with little talent and no influence on the culture.”

Of course, Kartel didn’t tag or directly name-drop Shaggy — but the “Romping Shop” singer has been incredibly vocal and protective of the “King of Dancehall” title since his release from prison in August 2024. He’s also one of a select few dancehall artists to play a headlining show at Barclays Center recently, joining fellow Jamaican stars Masicka and Alkaline. Between his 13-year incarceration and his decision to navigate the music industry as an independent artist, Kartel’s trajectory is very different from Shaggy’s.

While Shaggy topped international music charts with a poppier take on dancehall and reggae, Kartel doubled down on street anthems that shaped cultural aesthetics and conversations like “Straight Jeans & Fitted,” “Clarks” and “Cake Soap.” Upon his release from prison, Kartel even graced a Billboard digital cover commemorating his seismic Freedom Street comeback show, which was reportedly the biggest concert to grace Jamaica in 50 years. Kartel has also earned 10 top 10 entries on Reggae Albums, though none have topped the weekly ranking. Billboard reached out to Kartel’s reps for clarification on his post.

Neither Shaggy nor Kartel has made any new comments, but all eyes are on the two superstars as the debate rages on in their comment sections, with their fervent fan bases warring on their behalf.