Buju Banton Says New Album "Ready"

Reggae / Dancehall star Buju Banton has announced that he will be releasing a new album, which he says is "ready".

The announcement comes almost two years after the release of the Grammy-nominated song 20 songs Upside Down 2020, which was his first in a decade, and 15 months after the re-release of his hit album Til Shiloh, which was released in 1995.

“Come on! Stay tuned for the new album ready mi boss, ”Gargamel posted this morning with a photo of himself leaning against the wall, sparking cheers from rapper Fat Joe and his teammates Chi Ching Ching and Razor B. Buju, whose real name is Mark Myrie, of 11 studio albums and 12 collection albums in his career. He also has seven Grammy Award nominations and one Before Before the Dawn in 2010, which included the songs Rasta Can't Go, Innocent, and Bondage. The 48-year-old received the award for Best Reggae Grammy Album for Rasta Got Soul in 2009; Worst in 2006; Friends for Life in 2003, and Inna Heights in 1998. Her latest Grammy nomination is for Best Album of the Year at the upcoming 64th Annual Awards, for Kanye West, where she participated in the song Believe What I Say.

Her debut album was Stamina Daddy, which she 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. Kutaja, which was also released the same year. Other Buju studio albums were Voice of Jamaica in 1993; and The Unseen Spirit in 2000. Buju's latest album, Upside Down 2020, had sold 2,995 units in its first week and was shown for the first time at No. 2 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart. The album, released by Gargamel Music / Island Records / Roc Nation, included songs such as Memories featuring John Legend, Yes Mi Friend featuring Stephen Marley, and Cherry Pie featuring Pharrell and solo songs Buried Alive and Lamb of God .

The well-known Til Shiloh, considered one of Buju's best albums, was co-produced by some of Jamaican's top artists in Reggae and Dancehall productions, including Donovan Germain of Penthouse who was Executive Producer, Dave Kelly, Bobby 'Digital- B. 'Dixon, Sylvester Gordon, and Steely and Clevie. In addition, icons like Sly Dunbar, Dean Frazer, Tony Kelly, Dalton Browne, Glen Browne and Handel Tucker were also involved in the project, such as a close friend of Buju and the Queen of Reggae, Marcia Griffiths who sang back songs on Hush Baby Hush.

Wayne Wonder was also featured on What Ya Gonna Do, with Garnet Silk collaborating with Gargamel on a regular Complaint, which was released on a tempo riddim. Other songs by Til Shiloh include Til I'm Laid to Rest, produced by Bobby Digital, a popular anti-violence song Murderer, produced by Donovan Germain and Chuck it So, produced by Handel Tucker. Among the 'girls-tracks' on the album How Could You by Mafi and Fluxy, Dave Kelly featured Wanna Be Loved and Only Man and It's All Over which was mixed and produced by Steely and Clevie.

The original Champion song produced by Donovan Germain and Champion (Remix) is also part of the album along with Not an Easy Road, a song called Til Shiloh, and Untold Stories which announced Buju's journey to Rastafari. Untold Stories, which was the last song recorded on the album, was written and added to the playlist after the album was originally completed, after Germain told Buju he felt "something else" needed to be added. Til Shiloh spent 38 weeks on the Billboard charts and finished 27th in August 1995.

Approved Gold by the American Recording Industry Association (RIAA), in celebration of 25 years, on July 18, 2020.