Buju Banton Sidesteps Question About Selling His Music Catalog
Buju Banton skillfully evaded the question on whether he, like many other international artists, has ever considered selling his music catalog.
In recent times, several international artists, among them rock icons Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, and Shakira and Lil Wayne, have sold their song catalogs in multi-million dollar deals.
Buju was asked whether selling his catalog had ever crossed his mind during an interview with The Entertainment Report at his Intimate Concert launch a few days ago. However, the Big It Up artist, who earned a Master’s Degree in Music Business Management from the University of New York during his incarceration, steered the conversation away from his personal business.
“It is a part of the music industry, it’s a part of the business because this is the only industry that doesn’t come with a pension. So it is incumbent on every entertainer to understand what you are doing, the value of what you are doing and work to create a value around what you are doing,” were Buju’s words on the matter, before smoothly changing the subject.
Over his 30-year career, Buju, whose real name is Mark Myrie, has released a total of 11 studio albums, the last four of which were released under his own Gargamel Music label.
The seven-time Grammy Award nominee’s first album ever was Stamina Daddy, which he recorded in 1992 under Techniques Records. This was followed by Mr. Mention under Penthouse Records, which was also released that same year, and then Voice of Jamaica in 1993, under Mercury Records.
Then came the highly-acclaimed 1995 release ‘Til Shiloh, which is regarded as Buju’s best album yet. Released under Island Records and Loose Canon, it was 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.
‘Til Shiloh has spent 104 weeks on the Billboard Reggae Album chart and peaked at No. 2 in October 1995. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), on its 25th anniversary, on July 18, 2020.
Inna Heights was released in 1997, his second album under Penthouse Records, followed by Unchained Spirit under Epitahph Records in 2000, and Friends For Life under VP Records and Atlantic Records in 2003.
Too Bad (2006), Rasta Got Soul (2009), and the Grammy Award-winning Before The Dawn (2010) were all released under Gargamel Music, while his last album Upside Down 2020 was released by Gargamel Music in partnership with Roc Nation.
In March 2022, Banton teased that his next album was already complete.
He’s not the only Reggae great whose catalog has faced questions about being sold. In October last year, Rohan and Ziggy Marley had re-emphasized the stance that they and their siblings have taken, that the catalog and other publishing rights of their father, Reggae icon Bob Marley, would not be sold under any circumstances.
Rohan also revealed that following the death of Bob, who died intestate (leaving no will), the Marley family approached Pop icon Michael Jackson to ask for assistance during their tribulations, but were mortified when, instead of helping with a loan, the Thriller star offered instead to buy the rights to Bob’s catalog.
In another interview, Bob Marley’s eldest son, Ziggy, had said that it had not even crossed his mind to sell his own extensive musical catalog much less his father’s musical rights.