Queen of Dancehall Spice Celebrates Vybz Kartel’s Release and Reflects on 25 Years of Dominance
When Spice got the news that Vybz Kartel had just been released from prison last week after 13 years behind bars, the Queen of Dancehall was stepping off a plane from London where she’d co-headlined Popcaan’s Unruly Fest in front of 25,000 fans at the Crystal Palace stadium. Jetlagged as she was, she had to commemorate the moment with a selfie video. “Me voice gone!” she whispered hoarsely to her 4.4 million IG followers. “Me just land to the bloodclaat news…. Free WorldBoss!”
Throughout his incarceration, Spice has repped for the WorldBoss—one of Kartel’s many monikers—perhaps more than any other affiliate of the Gaza, a sprawling crew of hardcore Jamaican artists hailing from a tough area of Portmore that Kartel renamed “Gaza” back in the mid 2000s. “I’ve been saying Free WorldBoss for years now but I know the time draw nearer,” Spice told Boomshots in a recent video interview. “It feels like go time. I can feel it.” And now that Kartel’s murder conviction has been overturned by a British appeals court due to jury misconduct, Spice is ready to celebrate along with all his supporters. “It’s gonna be a holiday,” she says. “A national holiday for Kartel.”
Spice and Popcaan are two of dancehall’s biggest stars, both of whom had their first taste of worldwide acclaim thanks to smash collaborations with the WorldBoss—Popcaan with “Clarks” and Spice with “Ramping Shop,” an X-rated flip of Ne-Yo’s “Miss Independent.” Even after Kartel was jailed on murder charges, Spice released another duet, “Conjugal Visit,” shooting a sexy video with a Kartel stand-in. Working with an artist who managed to dominate Jamaica’s dancehall scene even while he was stuck in a prison cell is still a big deal.
The opening track of Spice’s new album Mirror 25 is a highlight reel of shoutouts from top Jamaican stars—Bounty Killer, Cham, Busta Rhymes, Shaggy—none of them more impactful than this one: “You know it’s Vybz Kartel representing for Miss Grace Hamilton, aka Spice, aka the Queen of Dancehall, aka the Lady in Blue.” In fact, each of these stars played a pivotal role in Spice’s journey. Killer was the first big artist to pass her the microphone in a dancehall. Cham brought her into the studio with master producer Dave Kelly, who created her first local hit “Fight Over Man.” Busta has always shown Spice love—hopping on her “So Mi Like It” remix, bringing her out during his BET Awards set, and blessing her new rodeo-themed single “Round and Round.” Shaggy produced “Go Down Deh,” a massive single that also features international hitmaker Sean Paul.
During a recent trip to NYC, Spice sat down with Reshma B to talk about the journey that led to her latest musical milestone. As the title suggests, Mirror 25 finds her reflecting on a 25-year career as an independent self-managed female artist in an extremely male-dominated industry. “I started from 1999, since I was a teenager,” Spice recalls. “I don’t think people understand how much I’ve really been through. I come from humble beginnings and I always use that slogan: from homeless to greatness.”
After years of handing out free CDs in the streets of Kingston while raising two children on her own, Spice fought her way to the top of the game, earning her reputation the hard way, clashing rivals on legendary stage shows like Sting. In 2018 she landed a role on Love & Hip Hop Atlanta, and she’s since become a fan favorite, beloved for her no-filter personality and trademark blue wig. But no reality show could be as dramatic as her real life, some of which she shares on her recent single “2085 Tea.”
“A lot of people have been in their feelings since I did the song because some of the lines happen to involve them,” Spice says. “I just wanna remind people that this is my story. When I was writing the song I was very open and vulnerable. When I spoke about my friend sleeping with my man that really happened. I wanted to remind my fans that I’m human. I’ve been through heartache, pain, betrayal. I’ve cried tears.”
After years of frustration while tied up in a bad contract, Spice finally released her debut album 10 in 2022 and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album. Her fans were outraged when the award went to the American reggae band SOJA, but Spice counts the experience as a victory. “Although I did not win the physical Grammy,” she reasons, “as the first hardcore female dancehall artist to be nominated, I opened the gate for other dancehall artists.” That same year Spice was officially crowned Queen of the Dancehall on stage at Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay.
Even as it ranges from country to gospel to melodic pop sounds, Mirror 25 remains firmly grounded in raw, authentic dancehall. One moment she’s praising the Lord and affirming her beauty as a strong Black woman, the next she’s singing the praises of her “G.O.A.T. pum pum.” Never one to chase a crossover, Spice makes sure that her diverse roster of guest artists—from Busta to Brooklyn drill rapper Lola Brooke to Nigerian Afrobeats star Patoranking to reggae star Ky-Mani Marley and dancehall divas Jada Kingdom and Pamputtae—meet the Queen within her personal comfort zone.
As much as she’s accomplished in her first quarter century, Spice feels her work has just begun. “There’s not a dancehall category in major big award shows,” she points out. “I feel like we are still living off of what Bob Marley did. We need to step up to the table and change that. As the queen of dancehall, I feel it’s my job to try to push dancehall to another level no matter what it takes.” A new Grammy for dancehall may seem like a longshot, but when it comes to overcoming obstacles in her path, don’t bet against Spice.
