Gargamel Music | Buju Banton



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::: Biography: 2 :::

Buju’s debut album Mr. Mention generated overwhelming attention among reggae fans worldwide. Following full-length releases Voice of Jamaica recorded for Mercury Records, (he was signed to the label immediately following his show stopping performance at Reggae Sunsplash ‘92) and ‘Til Shiloh, which demonstrated an effortless integration of his (then) recently accepted Rastafarian way of life into his lyrics earned him iconic status. Inner Heights, Unchained Spirit (for Anti/Epitaph) and Friends For Life each showcased the provocative, profound rhymes and remarkable style that has earned him the esteemed and enduring designation as the “voice of Jamaica.”

Buju Banton now returns to his roots and is set to drop his first unadulterated dancehall album in 10 years Too Bad. Scheduled for a September 12th release, Too Bad is also the first full-length release on the deejay’s Gargamel label; Gargamel has recently secured a North American distribution deal with Tommy Boy Distribution.

Too Bad’s title track was one of the biggest dancehall tunes of 2005. Voiced on the Young Legends Throwback Jiggy riddim built on an old school Steely & Cleevie production, Buju’s astonishing flow and good-natured boasting seamlessly juxtaposes the vitality of a newcomer with the precise timing and lyrical creativity of a seasoned veteran.

Equally impressive is his rapid-fire delivery on the spirited street single “Nothing.” Produced by Buju and his Gargamel team, “Nothing” entered (Jamaica’s) Hype TV's Top 20 Singles Chart at #18 and debuted at #7 on BBC 1Xtra's highly influential Top 10 Dancehall Chart. From the gritty ghetto tale related in “Better Day Coming” told over a military styled beat to the carefree “Me and Oonu” on Danga Zone’s retro “Wipe Out” riddim Too Bad honors various dancehall archetypes but also pushes the music’s boundaries. “Fast Lane” offers an avant-garde riddim steeped in jazzy keyboard riffs and free flowing flute grooves over which Buju reflects on the possible causes of derailed aspirations: “I was living life on the fast lane like a train on the track/here is a perfect example look at me and where I am at.”

With the release of the landmark hits “Deportee” and “Operation Ardent” in 1992 Buju proved that tunes bearing strong social commentary can become wildly popular in the dancehall. Too Bad revisits that concept with “Who Have It” as the deejay ponders throughout this inner city expose: “Who have the money and hide it from the youth? Who have the knowledge and withhold the truth? Who give dem gun and tell dem fi shoot? Who go make the ghetto youths have to revolute?”

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