Buju Banton Says New Album Is “Ready”
Reggae/Dancehall superstar Buju Banton has announced that he will be releasing a new album, which he says is “ready”. The announcement comes almost two years after he released the Grammy-nominated 20-track Upside Down 2020, which was his first in a decade, and 15 months after he re-released his legendary Til Shiloh album, which was originally put out in 1995.
“Hay! Stay tune new album ready mi boss,” the Gargamel posted this morning with a photo of himself leaning on a wall, triggering cheers from rapper Fat Joe and his compatriots Chi Ching Ching and Razor B.
Buju, whose given name is Mark Myrie, has released a total of 11 studio albums and 12 compilation albums in his career. He also has seven Grammy nominations and one win for Before the Dawn in 2010, which included the tracks Rasta Can’t Go, Innocent, and Bondage.
The 48-year-old received Best Reggae Album Grammy nominations for Rasta Got Soul in 2009; Too Bad in 2006; Friends for Life in 2003, and Inna Heights in 1998.
His latest Grammy nomination is for Album Of The Year at the upcoming 64th Annual Awards, for Kanye West’s Donda, where he featured on the track Believe What I Say.
His first album ever was Stamina Daddy, which he recorded in 1992 and released in 1993, featuring songs such as Bring Yuh Body Come, Gold Spoon and Mampy Size. This was followed by Mr. Mention, which was also released that same year. Buju’s other studio albums were Voice of Jamaica in 1993; and Unchained Spirit in 2000.
Buju’s last album, Upside Down 2020, had sold 2,995 units in its first week and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart.
The album, which was released by Gargamel Music/Island Records/Roc Nation, included tracks such as Memories which featured John Legend, Yes Mi Friend featuring Stephen Marley, and Cherry Pie featuring Pharrell and the solos Buried Alive and Lamb of God.
The highly-acclaimed Til Shiloh, which is regarded as Buju’s best album yet, was co-produced by some of Jamaica’s biggest names in Reggae and Dancehall production, among them Penthouse’s Donovan Germain who was Executive Producer, Dave Kelly, Bobby ‘Digital-B’ Dixon, Sylvester Gordon, and Steely and Clevie. In addition, icons such as Sly Dunbar, Dean Frazer, Tony Kelly, Dalton Browne, Glen Browne and Handel Tucker were also involved in that project, as was Buju’s close friend and Queen of Reggae, Marcia Griffiths who did background vocals on Hush Baby Hush.
Wayne Wonder also featured on What Ya Gonna Do, while Garnet Silk teamed with the Gargamel on the classic Complaint, which was voiced on the Tempo riddim.
Other Til Shiloh tracks include Til I’m Laid to Rest, which was produced by Bobby Digital, the popular anti-violence hit song Murderer, which was produced by Donovan Germain and Chuck it So, which was produced by Handel Tucker.
Among the ‘girls-tracks’ on the album How Could You which was produced by Mafi and Fluxy, the Dave Kelly co-produced Wanna Be Loved and Only Man and It’s All Over which was mixed and produced by Steely and Clevie. The original Champion track which was produced by Donovan Germain and the Champion (Remix) are also a part of the album as well as Not an Easy Road, the title track Til Shiloh, and Untold Stories which heralded Buju’s journey into Rastafari.
Untold Stories, which was the last song recorded on the album, was written and added to the tracklist after the album had been initially completed, after Germain told Buju he felt “something else” needed to be added.
Til Shiloh spent 38 weeks on the Billboard charts and peaked at number 27 in August 1995. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), on its 25th anniversary, on July 18, 2020.