Buju and Friends

by Buju Banton

Overview

Jamaican dancehall veteran Buju Banton has featured duets with a wide array of artists on his albums right from the beginning, and this two-disc 33-track compilation from VP Records collects several of them in one convenient package. There's none of the slackness here that brought Banton his first taste of fame (and controversy), and his remarkable (and critically lauded) conversion to socially conscious material is well in evidence. Buju's gruff-voiced DJ stance has always been stronger than his singing side, and these pairings with the likes of Beres Hammond, Toots Hibbert, Garnett Silk, and Gregory Isaacs play to his strengths, as he leaves the singing to the pros and interjects his powerful raps at key junctures. Among the highlights here (and there are plenty) are the steamrolling groove of "Little More Time" with Hammond, the quirky and cautionary "Ring the Alarm" with Tenor Saw, a heartfelt "I Dare Not Be Ungrateful" with Heptones singer and bassist Leroy Sibbles, and a barn-burning version of "54-46 That's My Number" with Toots Hibbert of the Maytals, a pairing that -- in hindsight -- seems as obvious and natural as the sun and moon. The anthemic "No More Misty Days" with punk-pop group Rancid is surprisingly effective, as is the lovely and soothing "23rd Psalm" with Morgan Heritage. One of the most striking tracks is Banton's duet with the late Garnett Silk on the gorgeous and vital "Complaint." Banton has continually bridged the distance between hardcore dancehall and socially conscious roots reggae, even embracing hip-hop, R&B, and straight pop elements in his music, and as an emblem of positive synthesis, his position in Jamaican music (and internationally) in the 21st century is vital. Dedicated Buju fans may well already have most of the these tracks, but having these songs collected together like this in a single package makes a sprawling testament to Banton's inclusive vision. ~ Steve Leggett

Product Details

Release Date:	10/26/2004
Label:	Vp Records
UPC:	0054645226417
Rank:	49704

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Buju Banton   Primary Artist,Vocals
Jahmali   Primary Artist
Toots Hibbert   Primary Artist,Vocals
Morgan Heritage   Primary Artist
Brian & Tony Gold   Primary Artist
Heavy D   Primary Artist
Twiggy   Primary Artist
Sons & Daughters Choir   Primary Artist
Tony Rebel   Primary Artist
Tenor Saw   Primary Artist
Stephen Marley   Primary Artist
Terry Ganzie   Primary Artist
Bounty Killer   Primary Artist
Culture   Primary Artist
LMS   Primary Artist
Ed Robinson   Primary Artist
Fundisha   Primary Artist
Gregory Isaacs   Primary Artist
Garnett Silk   Primary Artist
Fat Joe   Primary Artist
Leroy Sibbles   Primary Artist
Wayne Wonder   Primary Artist
Rancid   Primary Artist
Red Rat   Primary Artist
Ras Shiloh   Primary Artist
Brian Gold   Primary Artist
Marcia Griffiths   Primary Artist
Tony Gold   Primary Artist
Sons and Daughters   Primary Artist
Beres Hammond   Primary Artist
Beenie Man   Primary Artist
Luciano   Primary Artist
Nadine Sutherland   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Donovan Germain   Compilation Producer,Producer,Executive Producer
Patrick Barrett   Composer
Steelie   Producer
Stephen Marley   Producer
Sly Dunbar   Composer
Bob Marley   Composer
Dean Drummond   Producer
Clement "Coxsone" Dodd   Composer
Cleveland "Clevie" Browne   Composer
Ed Robinson   Composer
Gregory Isaacs   Composer
Donald Dennis   Composer
Joseph Hill   Composer
Robert Lyn   Composer
Delmar Drummond   Producer
Neil "Diamond" Edwards   Project Coordinator
Carl Bright   Composer
Winston Riley   Composer,Producer
Wycliffe "Steely" Johnson   Composer
Paul Shields   Editing,Mastering
Steven "Lenky" Marsden   Composer
Dean Fraser   Producer
Mark Myrie   Composer,Producer
Nadine Sutherland   Composer
Mikey Chung   Composer
Tim Armstrong   Composer
Buju Banton   Liner Notes
Haldane Danny Browne   Producer
Rodney Price   Composer
D. Kelly   Composer
Garnett Smith   Composer
Anthony Rochester   Composer
Anthony Cameron   Composer
Clevie   Producer
D. Wilson   Composer
Frank Burt   Composer
Dave Kelly   Composer
Edward Warren   Producer
Hugh Beresford Hammond   Composer
Von Wayne Charles   Composer
H. Browne   Composer