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.
Paid Not Played
Buju Banton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Woman you getting paid not played
Pushing Escalade and rocking Prada
No more drama do you thing your much glamor
Spend a few if you want to Cancun or Towanda
Gal say she a go hard make them know say you harder
Woman you getting paid not played
No more drama do you thing your much glamour
Spend a few if you want to Cancun or Towanda
Gal say she a go hard make them know say you harder
Verse 1
While girl been pimping hyping up
You got bills in stock keep lining up
No more free loading time is up
Let you breath that paper don't settle us
Getting twenties if the eighteens ain't fat enough
Nice little cutie just backs it up
Tell a gal to keep her eyes off you stuff
Rude girl a you posses the Midas touch
From head to toe Buju say them fabulous
And love it when the woman them gorgeous
No other thing on this earth I would rather trust
Tell all the woman then it is a must
Verse 2
Now who you gonna play
Low down dirty shame
Play unfair
Losing a tricky game
Just look at your hair
While checking out your nails
Tens less I am stress less loving you everyway
Benjy in the air so let it blaze
Costume ain't anything so baby lets the blazer stay
A magnetic force pulling me to the stare
Irresistible there is no escape
Chorus
Woman you getting paid not played
Pushing escalade and rocking prada
No more drama do you thing your much glamour
Spend a few if you want to Cancun or Towanda
Gal say she a go hard make them know say you harder
Woman you getting paid not played
Pushing escalade and rocking prada
No more drama do you thing your much glamour
Spend a few if you want to Cancun or Towanda
Gal say she a go hard make them know say you harder
I love it when the woman them really fascinating
Joy and pleasure and slender brain
The woman them a dance rotate and swing
While the rude boy sit down on the riddim
Buju Banton in your area oh what a vibe
The woman them make my eyes open and I realize
A them have the feeling
Them store the tide
Go on Gargamel just ride
Chorus
Woman you getting paid not played
Pushing escalade and rocking prada
No more drama do you thing your much glamour
Spend a few if you want to Cancun or Towanda
Gal say she a go hard make them know say you harder
Woman you getting paid not played
Pushing escalade and rocking prada
No more drama do you thing your much glamour
Spend a few if you want to Cancun or Towanda
Gal say she a go hard make them know say you harder
The lyrics of Buju Banton's song "Paid Not Played" celebrate the strength and empowerment of women who are financially independent and self-sufficient. The song highlights the idea that women are no longer willing to be played, but instead are determined to get paid for their hard work and success. The chorus of the song emphasizes this message, as it encourages women to flaunt their wealth and success by pushing luxury cars like the Escalade and wearing high-end fashion brands like Prada.
In the first verse, Buju Banton contrasts the "girls who are pimping and hyping up" with the independent women who are focused on earning a living, paying their bills, and living their best lives. He encourages women to stop "free-loading" and start earning their own money, even if that means working harder or being more strategic about their careers. The second verse warns against playing dirty and using tricks to get ahead, and instead encourages women to be confident and focus on their own success.
Overall, Buju Banton's "Paid Not Played" is a celebration of strong, independent women who are not afraid to work hard and earn their own success.
Line by Line Meaning
Woman you getting paid not played
Women are being financially rewarded and not treated like objects to be used for men's pleasure
Pushing escalade and rocking prada
They have access to luxury items, like driving an Escalade and wearing Prada clothing
No more drama do you thing your much glamour
There are no longer any issues in their life and they can be glamorous
Spend a few if you want to Cancun or Towanda
They have enough money to spend on travel and enjoy exotic destinations like Cancun or Towanda
Gal say she a go hard make them know say you harder
Women are demonstrating their strength and proving they are tougher than those who underestimate them
While girl been pimping hyping up
Other people are making false claims and hyping themselves up
You got bills in stock keep lining up
Others have bills to pay but this woman has enough money to cover everything they need
No more free loading time is up
People can't take advantage of her or use her for free anymore
Let you breath that paper don't settle us
She's making money on her own, not settling for less
Getting twenties if the eighteens ain't fat enough
She's not settling for less and only accepts large sums of money
Nice little cutie just backs it up
She is an attractive person who knows how to move her body
Tell a gal to keep her eyes off your stuff
She is telling other women to stay away from her things, and not try to mess with her life
Rude girl a you posses the Midas touch
She has the ability to turn everything she touches into gold, in reference to the story of King Midas
From head to toe Buju say them fabulous
Buju notes that these women are fabulous and amazing in every way, from their head to their toes
And love it when the woman them gorgeous
He loves it when women are beautiful
No other thing on this earth I would rather trust
He only trusts women and he doesn't need anything else in his life
Now who you gonna play
The question is asked, who are you going to play or mess around with
Low down dirty shame
Talking about someone who is shameful for how they act
Play unfair
They are playing this 'game' unfairly and not treating others well
Losing a tricky game
They are not winning the game they are playing, which might be life or trying to get money
Just look at your hair while checking out your nails
He is checking out a woman's hair and nails as a sign of attraction
Tens less I am stress less loving you everyway
He feels less stress and is able to love more when he has tens (money)
Benjy in the air so let it blaze
A reference to money, as in 100 dollar bills, showing off how much money he has
Costume ain't anything so baby lets the blazer stay
Clothing does not matter when they are together, so she should keep her blazer on
A magnetic force pulling me to the stare
He is strongly attracted to her, with a magnetic pull towards her gaze
Irresistible there is no escape
She is irresistible and there is no escaping his attraction for her
I love it when the woman them really fascinating
He loves when women are interesting and fascinating
Joy and pleasure and slender brain
He finds joy, pleasure, and intelligence in women
The woman them a dance rotate and swing
Women are dancing, rotating, and swinging their bodies, which Buju finds attractive
While the rude boy sit down on the riddim
Buju observes that men are sitting back and watching women dance and attract attention
Buju Banton in your area oh what a vibe
Buju Banton is in town and it's a very exciting vibe for everyone
The woman them make my eyes open and I realize
The women around him make him more aware and present in the moment
A them have the feeling
He is acknowledging that women know how to create a feeling and atmosphere
Them store the tide
Women carry and control the energy or mood
Go on Gargamel just ride
He's encouraging himself to keep going and enjoying the moment, as Gargamel is his nickname
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DONOVAN GERMAIN, MARK MYRIE, TROY REMI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Yuran Ricardo
on Fake Smile
with your cynical green
you leave no action
If there’s a choking problem she a reach with everyone
why acting dumb. second verse:
with your cynical green
you leave no action
If you have a choking problems she a reach with everyone
why acting dumb
Kern Rodney
on Fake Smile
If there's ah joke in progress share it with everyone, why acting dumb?