Ebuzz News
Gun Charge Dropped In Buju Case- T&T Entertainers Reflect
Jamaican entertainer, Mark Myrie, best known by his stage name, Buju Banton- yesterday walked out of a Tampa, Florida courtroom victorious. No, he was not freed from the prison cell he’d been occupying since 2009 but the gun possession charge that had been part and parcel of his nightmare, was dropped. ETCETERABUZZ.COM, in our bid to bring the Caribbean full circle, spoke with a couple of our Trinidad based artistes who reflected on Buju Banton’s legacy, one of them telling us that the ‘Optimistic Soul’ hit maker had even offered him words of positive inspiration when he was about to embark on starting his own band.
Kerry John says Buju has been an inspiration.
Banton was arrested in 2009 on a charge of conspiracy to possess, with intent to distribute, more than 5 kilograms of cocaine. Yesterday, we spoke with Trinidad and Tobago reggae and soca entertainer, Kerry John who said he felt good to know that the gun charge had been dropped. “I hope he eventually comes out and corrects his wrongs because once you have time, you have life,” he said. The young artiste who admitted to being a great fan of Myrie, said he had always looked up to Buju and marvelled at the Jamaican sensation’s artistic ability. “He’s so multi talented. He can sing and he’s lyrically verse and he plays the drums and other instruments,” he said, noting that everyone is not perfect and as such he refused to judge anyone. John’s recent video release for his single ‘Put It On Me’ on the Magic Riddim has him riding a high wave these days but in spite of his elated spirit, there was a sense of sadness felt for the confined reggae crooner.
Buju Banton encouraged Shurwayne to start his band.
We also caught up with Shurwayne Winchester who in recent years has collaborated on a number of tracks with some of Jamaica’s artistes. Winchester said Buju Banton’s music has always been very influential on his career, especially the lyrical content and the way he structured his lyrics. “He’s an elder who has offered such great reggae vibes. He was a very consistent artiste. I saw him at several shows and when I was thinking about starting the band, Buju told me- ‘what is for you is for you, get up and get it.'”
Shurwayne said he’d shared the stage with Buju at a Caribbean show prior to his incarceration some years ago and was impressed at how through music, he fed the minds of the youths and tried to teach them to believe in themselves.
Buju Banton’s last appearance in Trinidad and Tobago was at the I Am Legend concert event hosted by Home Grown Entertainment in 2009. He had provided reggae lovers with a show, the magnitude of which, has since, never been outdone, according to many. Many of his fans in T&T- like the rest of the world, anticipate his freedom with hopes of seeing him live on stage at a massive venue like Trinidad’s Queen’s Park Savannah, again. On Facebook, fans of the reggae superstar plea for his freedom, some echoing the words of his hit single, ‘They shoulda never hurt Buju.”
Buju Banton’s new single- ‘Pressure Dem’
Yesterday’s verdict now leaves his attorney mulling over whether an appeal should be filed to have his drug conviction overturned. According to the Jamaica Observer, Buju’s defence attorney, Kwame Lumumba said they are not certain whether this will be done, at this time, however it is being considered. Buju has already served 40 months of a 10 year sentence and recently a new single called, “Pressure Dem” was released on the Fuss Cuss riddim, on the entertainer’s behalf.
REVEL IN THE MUSIC
[box color=”black” icon=”star”] [youtube width=”600″ height=”350″]fuP_9ZT-4aA[/youtube][/box]
Ebuzz News
Seven Songs. One Big Artiste. Grenada’s Spice Mas Better Be Ready for Skinny Banton.
Spice Mas, like every other carnival, is seasonal, but for Carriacou, Grenada artiste, Skinny Banton, music isn’t. He has unleashed seven songs in 2026, and like clockwork he’s locked in and ready to deliver his energy, good vibes and storytelling strengths to audiences celebrating another memorable Spice Mas experience this year.
For Skinny Banton, whose real name is Shirlan George, Grenada’s Jab culture is fuel to his fire. In the past, songs like ‘Soak It Good’ and ‘Wrong Again,’ brought him tremendous acclaim across the region and internationally. This season, The Jambalasse project is anticipated to be one of the artiste’s most powerful contributions, signaling his intentionality to promote his country’s authentic culture, wherever he goes. “With this project we’re trying to keep the history, while celebrating the present by revamping a song that was done by Moss International 35 years ago,” he said. That song was called ‘Jambalasse Rule,’ released in 1991. “We revamped the riddim because it was one of the first songs considered to be an original Jab Jab song from Grenada, at that time,” he explained.
Proud of his personal efforts to keep the awareness on Grenada’s cultural traditions, Skinny Banton advocates for the continued celebration of these traditions and understands his role as an artiste. “No matter what we face as artistes in this space, we stay true to our mission. I have several songs that the people will enjoy in Spice Mas and beyond. One of my personal favourites is ‘Pain,’ a song I would like to share with my fans in Trinidad and Tobago when Carnival 2027 comes around,” he said.
Strengthening Others
Other tracks released by Skinny include, ‘When Yuh Eating,’ ‘Right Up,’ ‘Black Fuh Juvay,’ ‘Can’t Stop Us,’ ‘Carnival Traffic’ featuring Jamaican artiste, I Octane, ‘My Behaviour,’ featuring Tonic X and ‘Water Line Burst,’ collaboratively done with Nicki Akull. “The collaborations done with Tonic X and Nicki Akull mean a lot to me. They are upcoming artistes who I share good vibes with. When I was younger and had hopes of connecting and collaborating with bigger artistes, it was not easy,” he recalled, adding that it often felt daunting. He says because he understands the feeling, he is happy to be able to help these up-and-coming entertainers. “This was just my way of giving them strength and encouragement. I feel like nobody takes you seriously when you don’t have a foot in the door – they refuse to embrace you because you are not known. I want them to keep pushing after this,” he added.
Dedicated and refocused, Skinny Banton is pushing full speed ahead. “I’m doing music videos for most of the songs. I already have a video for ‘Black Fuh Juvay,’ which has been uploaded to YouTube and all other streaming platforms, and the video for ‘My Behaviour’ with Tonic X is also out,” he said. Grateful to Jamaican artiste, IOctane for the strength given to him on their collaboration on the single, ‘Carnival Traffic,’ Skinny said this particular song is one that he loves, and he hopes the people will, as well.
For the past three years, the artiste had been approached by upcoming entertainer, Nicki Akull for the single they eventually brought forward this year. “Waterline Buss – Nicki Akull’s persistence and determination really brought this song into existence,” he said, happy to have eventually come around to making it happen. Even with such a vast number of singles released, Skinny Banton says he is ready to work with artistes across the Diaspora. “I’m still creating, still working and I’m looking forward to establishing more ground in the Soca community and around the world.”
Social Media, Music and Trends.
Certainly attuned to the necessary promotional adjustments that many artistes have been forced to adopt, Skinny Banton says he hopes that despite the rise in social media content distribution, true talent and good music is not sacrificed. “I feel like content creation online should not take away from artistes creating and delivering great music, because without the content, the music should still stand on its own, and with the content, the people still need the music,” he shared. “I also feel like a lot of trends are created from making yourself an online spectacle and not the music being able to sustain itself, so you may get attention for what you post as content, but the music you’re posting the content for sometimes does not have enough substance to sustain itself for longevity,” he rationalized.
Thoughtful, conscious and truly talented, Skinny Banton is a necessary part of the Caribbean’s creative landscape. His storytelling ability, coupled with his appreciation for the art and vocal capacity, makes him an artiste everyone should tap in to. “I want to encourage the young artistes to stay focused and keep pushing and never be discouraged by the many things that’s said on social media. They must work hard to establish their business to suit them, because every artiste will do things differently, when it comes to the business; Never be discouraged by the naysayers,” he advised. He thanked his fans for their love and support over the years. “People who’ve been supporting from day one and continue to support, as well as the new supporters I’ve gotten along the way – thank you. To the DJs and radio personalities, I appreciate you. One hand doesn’t clap. Thank you for keeping my songs on rotation and I hope you all continue to support me.”
Music News
JrDynamite Gets Real On New Single “Fake Energy.”
