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\n\tWhen summertime calls, the King of Dancehall<\/a> answers.<\/p>\n \n\tOn Wednesday (May 20), Billboard<\/em> can exclusively reveal that Jamaican dancehall icon Vybz Kartel<\/a> will unleash his new God & Time<\/em> album on June 5 via TJ Records and Vybz Kartel Muzik, with Zojack Worldwide handling distribution. Pre-order<\/a> is available now, alongside the release of the album\u2019s faith-rooted title track and accompanying music video.<\/p>\n \n\tFeaturing several high-profile guest stars \u2014 including Latin Grammy-winning reggaetonero Farruko<\/a>, Grammy-nominated pop-dancehall princess Shenseea<\/a> and contemporary Jamaican music star Skillibeng<\/a> \u2014 God & Time<\/em> follows two consecutive Grammy-nominated projects from the King of Dancehall. Both 2024\u2019s Party With Me<\/em>, which arrived around the time of his release from prison, and 2025\u2019s Heart & Soul<\/em> earned nods for best reggae album, marking Kartel\u2019s first nominations at the ceremony.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI named the album\u00a0God\u00a0&\u00a0Time<\/em>\u00a0because\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a slang that has been popular in Jamaica since we\u00a0was\u00a0children,\u201d Kartel tells Billboard<\/em>. \u201cWhen I was in prison, my lawyer\u00a0used to always say that to me. I eventually just started believing in myself and applying it to my life.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tFor God & Time<\/em>, Kartel re-teamed with the same creatives behind 2015\u2019s Viking (Vybz Is King)<\/em> and 2016\u2019s King of the Dancehall<\/em>, the latter of which spawned \u201cFever,\u201d a defining song for 2010s dancehall. Introduced by the Shenseea-assisted lead single \u201cPanic,\u201d God & Time<\/em> is set to feature Kartel\u2019s signature blend of self-reflection, waist-wining riddims and genre-bending crossover records. \u201cYou can expect Vybz Kartel energy; the flow will be different, and the lyrics will be amazing,\u201d he says, also teasing a few more surprise collaborations on the album.<\/p>\n \n\tNotably, God & Time<\/em> will also survey the depths of Kartel\u2019s psyche and the full range of his emotions following his triumphant release from prison in 2024. On Aug. 6, 2024, Kartel regained his freedom after the Court of Appeal\u00a0unanimously ruled<\/a>\u00a0that he and his co-accused \u2014 Shawn Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St. John \u2014 would not face a new trial for the 2011 murder of Clive \u201cLizard\u201d Williams. Although he was originally sentenced to 35 years in prison after a historic 64-day trial back in 2014, Kartel (and his co-accused) have always denied their involvement in Williams\u2019 death.<\/p>\n \n\tSince his release, Kartel has seized his second chance at life beyond bars, mounting a massive Freedom Street concert<\/a> in Kingston to bring in 2025, popping out at Drake\u2019s Wireless Festival takeover<\/a> that summer and playing his own Worl\u2019 Boss Tour<\/a> in venues across the U.K., Europe and the United States. Earlier this month, he appeared on Chris Brown\u2019s \u201cF\u2014k and Party,\u201d a cut from the R&B superstar\u2019s Brown<\/em> LP, which debuted at No. 7 on the May 23-dated Billboard 200<\/a> ranking.<\/p>\n \n\tWatch the \u201cGod & Time\u201d music video below.<\/p>\n \n