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.
Me
Buju Banton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Alright)
Call me, anytime you wan' me fi touch you baby
Call me, have di body weh look like a showroom Mercedes (I know, I know)
Call me, I bet you start fantasize to how much you hear me
Call me, call me
Dust up mi Indica, di one weh me like
Me know yuh body good and everyting is highlight
Me see di way yuh cock up yuh batty pon me bike
Use yuh tongue lick yuh lips and gimme bedroom eyes
Nah wait 'til tomorrow, me ah call you tonight
Put dat showroom body deh inna overdrive
Me nuh care if a main squeeze or pon di side gyal
Grab me up, love me deep
Grab mi neck, mek me scream
Hold me tight, pop out mi weave
Type ah love, dat me need
Call me, anytime you wan' me fi touch you baby (alright)
Call me, have di body weh look like a showroom Mercedes (me see dat, me see dat)
Call me, I bet you start fantasize to how much you hear me
Call me, call me (mek sure dat's wah you ah call Buju for)
Head ah mash up and di wul place ah pop up (yeah)
Mek sure you come 'ya so fi whine and cock up, aye
I going mek sure dat you believe
Don't watch di knees and nuh care 'bout di weave
Trust me when me enter, you won't wan' me leave
Blow up di phone an' ah beg Buju, "Please"
I going find out if a real or a tease
Duck, slide dung di wul forty-eight keys, gyal
Grab me up, love me deep
Grab mi neck, mek me scream
Hold me tight, pop out mi weave
Type ah love, dat me need
Call me, anytime you wan' me fi touch you baby
Call me, have di body weh look like a showroom Mercedes
Call me, I bet you start fantasize to how much you hear me
Call me, call me
Anytime me back it up, yuh temperature buck
You beg me an' ah tell me seh you wan' gimme love
So me ah give it up cah you ah nuh no cruff
Me have me owna money so me nah mek you bruk
Pull it, push it in back, you haffi buss a sweat (is a must)
Cah me badda than a pack a cigarette
Yes me a di one, me nah tell nuh lie
Di sum'n weh me gi' you, mek yuh body start to fight
Mek you sing lullaby, wake you up wid a surprise
Like dread we ah go lock, two ah we ah combine
(Baby me neva ah go leave you)
Like di flesh pon yuh hip, me nah lef yuh side
Call me, anytime you wan' me fi touch you baby
Call me, have di body weh look like a showroom Mercedes (I know, I know)
Call me, I bet you start fantasize to how much you hear me
Call me, call me
Call me, anytime you wan' me fi touch you baby
Call me, have di body weh look like a showroom Mercedes (I know, I know)
Call me, I bet you start fantasize to how much you hear me
Call me, call me
The song 'Call Me' by Buju Banton Stefflon Don is a seductive song that talks about the physical attraction between two people. The chorus sets a tone for the song asking the lover to call at any time they want to be touched. The lyrics go on to describe the singer's vision of the lover's body and the desire to feel it. The song is explicit in expressing the sexual attraction between the two individuals.
The verse goes on to describe the singer's understanding of the lover's body and how much they desire it. The lyrics mention the lover's ability to move their body, and the singer's knowledge of it. The lyrics are metaphoric at times, mentioning the lover's 'cock up yuh batty pon me bike.' This language creates a vivid image of the lover's body movements. The lyrics eventually transition to a point where the singer tells the lover that they possess everything that the singer desires.
The song has a sexually charged feel throughout the composition. The seductive lyrics are meant to draw the listener into the mood of the song, and its catchy beat only adds to the experience. Overall, the song presents a powerfully intimate message that is designed to tantalize the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
Buju gon' give it to me tonight (Alright)
Buju is going to have sex with me tonight and I am excited about it.
Call me, anytime you wan' me fi touch you baby
Feel free to call me whenever you want to be touched intimately.
Call me, have di body weh look like a showroom Mercedes (I know, I know)
Call me if you want to be with someone who has a great body like a brand new Mercedes on display.
Call me, I bet you start fantasize to how much you hear me
If you call me, you'll be so excited that you'll start to fantasize about how much you're going to enjoy our time together.
So me get di picture, me hear it inna yuh voice
I understand what you want because I can hear it in your voice.
Dust up mi Indica, di one weh me like
I'm going to prepare my Indica, the type of marijuana I prefer.
Me know yuh body good and everyting is highlight
I am familiar with your body and everything looks good and very attractive.
Me see di way yuh cock up yuh batty pon me bike
I noticed the way you move your buttocks when you sit on my bike, and it turns me on.
Use yuh tongue lick yuh lips and gimme bedroom eyes
When you lick your lips with your tongue and give me a seductive stare, you make me want to be with you even more.
Nah wait 'til tomorrow, me ah call you tonight
I don't want to wait until tomorrow. I am going to call you tonight so that we can be together as soon as possible.
Put dat showroom body deh inna overdrive
I want you to push your body to the limits and give me everything you've got.
Me nuh care if a main squeeze or pon di side gyal
I don't care if you have a girlfriend or if we're just having a casual fling.
Grab me up, love me deep
Hold me tightly and show me how much you love me.
Grab mi neck, mek me scream
Hold my neck and make me scream with pleasure.
Hold me tight, pop out mi weave
Hold me tightly, even if it means pulling out my hair weave.
Type ah love, dat me need
This is the kind of love that I need in my life.
Head ah mash up and di wul place ah pop up (yeah)
Your sexual skills are so good that it makes my head spin and my body shiver with pleasure.
Mek sure you come 'ya so fi whine and cock up, aye
Make sure to come here and show off your body and dance moves.
I going mek sure dat you believe
I will make sure that you believe in my love for you and that it is real.
Don't watch di knees and nuh care 'bout di weave
Don't worry about my knees or my hair weave. Just focus on showing me how much you love me.
Trust me when me enter, you won't wan' me leave
You can trust that when we start having sex, you won't want me to stop or leave.
Blow up di phone an' ah beg Buju, "Please"
If you really want to be with me, blow up my phone and beg me to come over and have sex with you.
I going find out if a real or a tease
I will find out if you are serious about being with me or if it's just a game to you.
Duck, slide dung di wul forty-eight keys, gyal
Be flexible and move your body in all sorts of positions during sex.
Anytime me back it up, yuh temperature buck
Whenever I move my body in certain ways during sex, it drives your sexual desire up and makes your body temperature rise.
You beg me an' ah tell me seh you wan' gimme love
You beg me to have sex with you because you want to show me how much you love me.
So me ah give it up cah you ah nuh no cruff
I'm willing to have sex with you because I know that you are not a liar or a fake person.
Me have me owna money so me nah mek you bruk
I have my own money, so I won't let you be broke because of our relationship.
Pull it, push it in back, you haffi buss a sweat (is a must)
We have to exert ourselves during sex and make each other sweat to show how much we love each other.
Cah me badda than a pack a cigarette
I am sexier and more addictive than a pack of cigarettes.
Yes me a di one, me nah tell nuh lie
I am the right person for you and I am not lying about my love for you.
Di sum'n weh me gi' you, mek yuh body start to fight
The pleasure I give you during sex will make your body react and quiver with joy.
Mek you sing lullaby, wake you up wid a surprise
I will make you moan with pleasure, and surprise you with my sexual prowess.
Like dread we ah go lock, two ah we ah combine
We will have sex like two people who are deeply in love and committed to each other.
(Baby me neva ah go leave you)
I will never leave you, my love.
Like di flesh pon yuh hip, me nah lef yuh side
I will stay by your side like the flesh on your hips.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Mark Anthony Myrie, Stephanie Allen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Wayne Peterkin
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Wayne Peterkin
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