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Buju Banton performing at the Ilosaarirock festival in Joensuu (Finland). Photo by Flickr user wili_hybrid-

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Buju Banton

Buju Banton is one of the most loved and celebrated Jamaican reggae artists of the 1990s and beyond. His prolific lyrics have spoken to love and romance, politics, Rastafarianism, religion, sexuality, and culture in Jamaica.

 His lyrics have a way of running deep, resonating with, and sometimes stirring controversy among, international audiences. In an interview with US Weekly, DJ Khaled revealed that his favorite album is Buju Banton’s ‘Til Shiloh.

That album, especially the hit single Untold Stories, is widely acclaimed as one of Banton’s finest pieces of work to date, earning him favorable comparisons to reggae king Bob Marley.

1. Buju Banton was born in Kingston, Jamaica

Mug shot of Buju Banton. Photo by United States Marshals Service –

He was born in Kingston, Jamaica on July 15, 1973, and his birth name is Mark Anthony Myrie. He hails from Salt Lane in Kingston and was the youngest of 15 children.

2. Banton always had an inclination for music

Buju Banton performing at New York’s Apollo theater during the 26th International Reggae & World Music Awards (IRAWMA). Photo by Gregg –

He always had an inclination for music, and as early as age 12 began deejaying and ‘toasting’ (speaking over music tracks). At 13, Banton started writing his own songs and performing with local sound systems in Jamaica.

3. He got the name Buju Banton from two places

Buju Banton performing at the Ilosaarirock festival in Joensuu (Finland). Photo by Flickr user wili_hybrid –

He got the name Buju Banton from two places. His mother is said to have nicknamed him ‘Buju’ because he was a chubby baby and looked like a large, round breadfruit (which was called ‘Buju’ in Jamaican parlance). He took the name ‘Banton’ from one of his favorite deejays at the time, Burro Banton, who mentored him at the start of his career.

4. He was introduced to music producer Robert French in 1986

Reggae straight from Jamaica. Ilosaarirock in Joensuu. July 2006.
Photo by Ville Miettinen from Helsinki, Finland –

In 1986, he was introduced to music producer Robert French, which led to the recording and release of his first recorded single The Ruler in 1987.

5. Two of Buju Banton’s s songs have stirred severe controversy in Jamaica and the rest of the world

Jamaica, orthographic projection. Photo by Connormah –

Two of his songs have stirred severe controversy in Jamaica and the rest of the world: Boom Bye Bye was criticized for homophobic lyrics inciting violence against homosexuals; and another hit single, Love Me, Browning, was criticized for his expression of love for lighter skin women (in a country of predominantly dark-skinned women).

6. Buju Banton broke Bob Marley’s record for the most No. 1 singles in a single year

The very photogenic Bob Marley is being greeted on arrival at his Hotel, The White Heron Lodge in Parnell, Auckland New Zealand. Photo by Bill Fairs on

He released his second album, Mr. Mention, in 1992. With the help of this album, he broke Bob Marley’s record for No. 1 singles in a single year.

7. He has received Grammy nominations for Inna Heights, Friends for Life, and Too Bad 

Golden statue award in the display. Photo by Samuel Ramos on

He has received Grammy nominations for Inna Heights (1999), Friends for Life (2004), and Too Bad (2007). He won Grammy Awards for best reggae album in 2009 and 2011, respectively, for the albums Rasta Got Soul and Before the Dawn.

8. Over the course of his career, Buju has released 10 albums

Sing your Heart out! Photo by israel palacio on

Over the course of his career between 1986 to 2016, he has released 10 albums: Stamina Daddy (1992), Mr. Mention (1992), Voice of Jamaica (1993), ’Til Shiloh (1995), Inna Heights (1997), Unchained Spirit (2000), Friends for Life (2003), Too Bad (2006), Rasta Got Soul (2009), and Before the Dawn (2010).

9. He has worked with some of reggae and dancehall’s most prominent producers

Festival. Photo by Aditya Chinchure on

In his more than 20-year career, he has worked with some of reggae and dancehall’s most famous producers, including Bunny Lee, Winston Riley, Patrick Roberts, and Donovan Germain.

10. He was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possession of cocaine

Flag of Jamaica. Photo unattributed –

In 2011, he was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possession of cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and use of a telephone to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. He was sentenced to 10 years in US prison.