Buju #1 (mixed media on canvas)
Legends of Dancehall Series
May 2008
Buju Banton (born Mark Anthony Myrie, 1973, Kingston, Jamaica)[1] is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae musician. He has also recorded Pop and Dance songs, as well as songs dealing with political topics. Banton is politically outspoken and influenced by Marcus Garvey [2].
Buju Banton was born near Kingston, Jamaica in a poor neighborhood called Salt Lane. "Buju" is a nickname given to chubby children which means Breadfruit. The name is ironic in light of Mark Myrie's slim frame, but it is, nevertheless, the nickname his mother gave him as a child. "Banton" is a Jamaican word referring to someone who is a respected storyteller, and it was adopted by Myrie in tribute to the deejay Burro Banton whom Buju admired as a child.[3] It was Burro's rough gravelly vocals that Buju emulated and ultimately made his own.
Federal Drug Charges
In December 2009 Drug Enforcement Administration agents remanded Banton to custody in Miami, where the U.S. Attorney charged him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilos of cocaine,[11] a charge he denies[12]
