Buju Banton Teases New Song With John Legend On Twitter
Jamaican artiste Buju Banton is gifting reggae/dancehall enthusiasts with a new song on Friday and American singer John Legend is being tipped as the featured act.
The speculation comes following a tweet from the Gargamel today (May 5) where he announced the upcoming collaborative joint, which was then retweeted by the All of Me singer.
“NEW 🔥 from #UpsideDown THIS Friday 👀 feat. my good friend ____” read Banton’s post.
— GargamelMusic.eth (@bujubanton) May 5, 2020
Legend retweeted, “I wonder who it is 🤔.”
It didn’t take long for fans to do the math, which soon triggered a plethora of fire emojis, excited memes and other sentiments of approval.
“Ohhhh Myyyy Gawdddddd! I’m sooo sooo here for this!!! Gargamel & Theeee Legend!!! Yessssss iYa!!!!! You are now an Honorary Jamaican John,” commented Twitter user Ysanne Bueno.
“Ok… will be looking out for it! Something tells me I am a big fan of this mystery collaborator,” said another user, NYCBlackStar.
Danna added, “Can’t wait to hear this!”
Banton was featured on Legend‘s 2008 single, Can’t Be My Lover, which made its debut a year before the roots star was arrested on drug-related charges.
Whether or not Legend is indeed the featured act on the forthcoming track, the song will form part of Banton’s Upside Down 2020 album, to be released on Jay Z’s Rock Nation imprint, and Island Records.
The album will signify Banton’s first body of work since being released from the McRae Correctional Facility in the United States in 2018, where he served 10 years after his conviction.
Speaking with Winford Williams on Onstage earlier this year, Banton said the project is expected for release in May and will host 20 tracks: “10 for the years I wasn’t around, and 10 because I love you so much guys.”
Several producers will contribute to the sound of the album, including longtime collaborators and friends Dave Kelly, Bobby Digital, Donavan Germain and Steven Marsden. Banton is also among the production credits. Banton’s last album, Before the Dawn, received the Grammy for Best Reggae Album in 2010.
Since the start of 2020, the Wanna Be Loved vocalist has teamed up with international acts for songs like Dangerous City, which features dvsn and Ty Dolla $ign, and a remix of his 2019 bop, Trust, which features Canadian rapper Tory Lanez. His solo releases have proved just as worthy, with his track Murder She Wrote forming part of the soundtrack of ‘Bad Boys for Life’.
Ganja Man, an ode to 4/20, was also released last month.