Buju Banton (born Mark Myrie 1973) is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and regg… Read Full Bio ↴Buju Banton (born Mark Myrie 1973) is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae singer. He was born in a slum near Kingston, Jamaica called Salt Lane. "Buju" is a nickname which is of Breadfruit. The name is ironic in light of Mark Myrie's slim frame and large head, but it is, nevertheless, the nickname his mother gave him as a child. "Banton" is a Jamaican word referring to someone with a superior attitude and a gift with speech, but it was also the name of a local artist Burro Banton that Buju admired as a child. It was Burro's rough gravelly vocals that Buju emulated and ultimately made his own. Buju's mother was a higgler, or street vendor while his father worked as a labourer at a tile factory. He was one of fifteen children born into a family which was directly descended from the Maroons, a group of escaped slaves who proudly fought off the British colonialists.

As a youngster, Buju would often watch his favourite artists perform at outdoor shows and local dancehalls. At the tender age of 13 he picked up the microphone for himself and began toasting under the monicker of "Gargamel". His first single, "The Ruler" was released not long afterwards in 1987 under the production of Robert French at Penthouse Studios.

In 1991, Buju joined Donovan Germain's Penthouse Label and began a fruitful partnership with producer Dave Kelly. Buju is one of the most popular musicians in Jamaican history, having burst onto the charts there suddenly in 1992, with "Bogle" and "Love Me Browning/Love Black Woman", both massive hits in Jamaica. Controversy erupted over Love Me Browning which spoke of Banton's preference for light-skinned women: "Mi love mi car mi love mi house mi love mi money and ting, but most of all mi love mi browning." Some accused Banton of promoting a colonialist attitude and denigrating the beauty of black women. In response, he released "Black Woman" which spoke of his love for dark-skinned beauties: "Stop cry, fi all black woman, respect all the gyals with dark complexion." 1992 was an explosive year for Buju as he broke the great Bob Marley's record for the greatest number of number one singles in a year. Beginning with "Man fi Dead", Buju's gruff voice dominated the Jamaican airwaves for the duration of the year. Banton's debut album, Mr. Mention, includes his greatest hits from that year.

1992 was also the year in which the controversy over Buju's homophobic "Boom Bye Bye" exploded. The media in Great Britain picked up on Buju's less than admirable promotion of violence against homosexuals. Myrie, who had recently signed with Mercury records, refused to back down from his stance against homosexuals, claiming his religious beliefs prevented him from accepting homosexuality. Banton downplayed the violent content of his song, claiming that it was metaphorical. Gay Rights groups campaigned against Buju as well as Shabba Ranks who, when asked about the controversy on the British show The Word, stated, "God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve." Shabba later apologized, but Buju refused to back down which drew the ire of various homosexual advocacy groups who continue to campaign against him.

Banton released the hard-hitting Voice of Jamaica in 1993. The album included a number of conscious tracks. These tracks included "Deportees" a song which criticized those Jamaicans who went abroad but never sent money home, a remix of Little Roy's "Tribal War", a sharp condemnation of political violence, and "Willy, Don't Be Silly" which promoted condom use. The conscious spin of this disc did little to stop the attacks of gay rights groups who felt that his continued performance of "Boom Bye Bye" was a slap in their faces. Some dancehall fans felt that Banton could have exploded onto the American scene if his homophobic song hadn't held him back. Nevertheless, Buju was adopted by many new fans who appreciated his gravelly vocals and cared little about his homophobia.

Til Shiloh (1995) was a very influential album, using a studio band instead of synthesized music, and marking a slight shift away from dancehall towards roots reggae for Banton. Buju turned Rasta and his new album reflected his new beliefs. Til Shiloh is one of the greatest dancehall albums of all time and successfully blended conscious lyrics with a hard-hitting dancehall vibe. The album included a single called "Murderer" which condemned the violence in Jamaican dancehall music, inspired by the murders of dancehall musicians Panhead and Dirtsman. The song inspired several clubs to stop playing songs with excessively violent subject matter. This conscious album had a large impact on dancehall music and showed the hunger the dancehall massive had for conscious lyrics. Dancehall music did not move away from slack and violent lyrics, but the album did pave the way for a greater spirituality within the music.

Inna Heights (1997) substantially increased Banton's international audience as Buju explored his singing ability and recorded a number of roots-tinged tracks. Banton covered The Silvertones' "Destiny" and recorded songs with such artists as Beres Hammond and the legendary Toots Hibbert. The album was well-received but had distribution problems. Also, some fans were disappointed, having hoped for another ground-breaking album like "Til Shiloh." Still, Buju's experimentation and soaring vocals impressed many fans and this album remains a highly regarded work.

In 1998, Buju met the punk band Rancid and recorded two tracks with them: "Misty Days" and "Life Won't Wait." The latter became the title track of Rancid's 1999 album, Life Won't Wait. Subsequently, Buju signed with Rancid's eclectic Anti, a subsidiary of Epitaph and released Unchained Spirit in 2000.

In March 2003 he released Friends for Life, which featured more sharply political songs, including "Mr. Nine", an anti-gun song that further verified his status as one of reggae's most anti-confrontational artists.

Banton's 2006 album Too Bad got him nominated for a second Grammy but despite the album's brilliance and artistic excellence "Too Bad" did not garner the award. "Too Bad" brings us back to the Buju of the nineties with his rough phenomenal voice backed by hypnotic beats and conscious lyrics that seem to stay on repeat in your head. "Too Bad" is a complete listen from start to finish and is an extra success because the Gargamel executive produced the album on his own label.

On April 21, 2009, Buju released the often delayed album Rasta Got Soul. This is Banton's ninth album and features the hit single Magic City. This release sees Buju returning to roots and culture reggae. The album received a Grammy nomination in the Best Reggae Album category.

As of December 2009, Buju allegedly attempted to buy cocaine from an undercover officer in Miami and faces up to life in prison if convicted. The trial of Banton began on September 20, 2010 in Tampa, Florida.

Cheated
Buju Banton Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(You cheated)
A time of division, don't shine
Is do or die (you lied)
(Have you cheated?)
Why you do me so bad?
(You lied) Why?

(You cheated)

(And you lied)
Heard your throw it all away
(Have you cheated?)
(And you lied) Chuh

Anna-maria it's over
You really let me down
I thought the love we share was sincere and profound
The way you told me that you love me let my love come down
But when the trouble take me you were no where around
Yes it was all about the money, fancy cars, and such
You said I was a brother with di Midas touch
Sold your life worthwhile fi mi designer style
But people seh yuh spoil and rude, answer not enough
Get caught up in a world filled with trivial stuff
(And I never took the time to see it was a gold rush)
Show di real you when I got locked up
Not even a post card (post card)

You cheated (yeah)
You lied (gyal you do me bad)
Cheated (cheated)
You cheated (why?)
You lied (chuh)
And you cheated
And you lied
(Hear me out)

For all di tings of the world she cyaan' satisfy
How much you cheated? How much you lie?
Said he was yuh cousin when he's just another guy
You swear all di tears weh you cry

You cheated
And you lied
And you cheated
And you lied
You cheated
And you lied (why you do me so bad?)
And you cheated
And you lied (chuh)

Anna-maria it's over
You really let me down
I thought the love we share was sincere and profound
The way you told me that you love me let my love come down
But when the trouble take me you were no where around
Yes it was all about the money, fancy cars, and such
You said I was a brother with di Midas touch
Sold your life worthwhile fi mi designer style
But people seh yuh spoil and rude, answer not enough
Get caught up in a world filled with trivial stuff
And I never took the time to see it was a gold rush
Show di real you when I got locked up
Not even a post card (shut up)

You cheated
And you lied
And you cheated
And you lied
Have you cheated?
And you lied
And you cheated
You lied

Cheated
And you lied

Have you cheated?
And you lied

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Buju Banton's "Cheated" convey a sense of betrayal and disappointment in a past lover. The song starts with the repeated phrase, "you cheated," emphasizing the deception committed by the subject of the song. The line, "a time of division, don't shine," suggests that the relationship is now broken and beyond repair. The chorus repeats the phrases "you cheated" and "you lied" multiple times, emphasizing the pain and hurt caused by the betrayal.

The second verse references a person named Anna-Maria who has let down the singer. The love between them was once thought to be sincere and deep, but it was shown to be shallow and motivated by material possessions. The subject of the song is accused of being selfish and manipulative, only interested in money, fancy cars, and designer clothes. The line, "How much you cheated? How much you lie?" suggests that the betrayal occurred multiple times in various ways.

The lyrics of "Cheated" communicate a sense of regret and sorrow. The singer has been hurt, and the relationship is now over. The song makes listeners reflect on the importance of sincerity and honesty in relationships and underscores the pain caused by betrayal.

Line by Line Meaning

(You cheated)
You betrayed me

A time of division, don't shine
Our relationship is in a bad state - it's not going well

Is do or die (you lied)
This is a make or break situation - and you were dishonest

(Have you cheated?)
Did you go behind my back and deceive me?

Why you do me so bad?
Why did you treat me so poorly?

(You lied) Why?
You were dishonest with me - why?

(And you lied)
You were deceitful

Heard your throw it all away
I heard that you completely gave up on us

(Have you cheated?)
Did you betray me?

(And you lied) Chuh
You lied again - so sad

Anna-maria it's over
Our relationship is now finished

You really let me down
You disappointed me

I thought the love we share was sincere and profound
I believed that our love was deep and genuine

The way you told me that you love me let my love come down
Your words of love made me fall in love with you even more

But when the trouble take me you were no where around
When I needed you, you were nowhere to be found

Yes it was all about the money, fancy cars, and such
You were only interested in money and material possessions

You said I was a brother with di Midas touch
You called me a lucky person who can turn everything into gold

Sold your life worthwhile fi mi designer style
You sold your valuable time to afford expensive clothes

But people seh yuh spoil and rude, answer not enough
People say you are arrogant and unpleasant, and your excuses are not valid

Get caught up in a world filled with trivial stuff
You got lost in a world full of insignificant things

(And I never took the time to see it was a gold rush)
I was blind to the fact that you were only interested in riches

Show di real you when I got locked up
You revealed your true self when I got arrested

Not even a post card (post card)
You did not even send me a postcard

For all di tings of the world she cyaan' satisfy
All the things in the world cannot satisfy her

How much you cheated? How much you lie?
How much did you betray me and deceive me?

Said he was yuh cousin when he's just another guy
You called him your cousin when he was actually just another man

You swear all di tears weh you cry
You claim that all your tears are genuine, but I don't believe you

And you cheated
You betrayed me

And you lied
You were deceitful

(Hear me out)
Listen to what I have to say

You cheated (yeah)
You betrayed me (yeah)

You lied (gyal you do me bad)
You were deceitful (girl, you hurt me)

Cheated (cheated)
Betrayed (betrayed)

You cheated (why?)
You betrayed me (why?)

You lied (chuh)
You were deceitful (disappointing)

And you cheated
You betrayed me

And you lied
You were deceitful

And you cheated
You betrayed me

And you lied (why you do me so bad?)
You were deceitful (why did you treat me so poorly?)

And you cheated
You betrayed me

And you lied (chuh)
You were deceitful (sad)

Anna-maria it's over
Our relationship is finished