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.
What Ya Gonna Do
Buju Banton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The rude boy is feeling
I'm so lonely inside
This rude boy feel like screaming
WAYNE WONDER
I'm lonely lonely lonely
Girl I'm lonely for you only
Girl I'm lonely lonely lonely
BUJU BANTON
Stein!!
What ya gonna do
Woman fed up, wants nothing to do with you
Can't see through
Me say get it together woman dem no Inna not a acapella fellow
Good weather bad weather strong umbrella
Yu back affi broad Mek di woman feel as if she flying on a Concord
Yes mi bredda mi say use up cool water
What ya gonna do to obtain this daughter
Have the lamb in hand let it escape slaughter
Now all over town you is a laugh
Cho Cho
What ya gonna do...
WAYNE WONDER
Was it something that I've done
Was it something that I've said
Tell me tell me
What can I do to change your mind
Lady don't let me down not this time
No no no no
BUJU BANTON
Lady I give you all the loving
The affection that I have
Undivided attention
Never treated you bad
Don't you leave a lonely man,
I'll be literally mad
You bring joy to this boy
With the loving that you have
Fantabulous smile
Captivate me all the while
Lonely lonely lonely like a motherless child
You curve mi observe woman it rest upon me nerve
Your loving I'm missing night and day
The ragga is reminiscing I sing what you gonna do
The song What Ya Gonna Do by Buju Banton featuring Wayne Wonder is about a man who is feeling lonely and wants to know what he needs to do to change his situation. Buju Banton sings about how a woman is fed up and no longer wants anything to do with him, and he is trying to figure out how to make amends with her. He advises the woman to get it together and not to be deceived by other men who are just looking for a fling.
Banton uses the metaphor of the lamb to represent the woman he wants to be with. He implores the man to have the lamb in hand and not let it escape slaughter, suggesting that if he wants to be with her, he should not let her go. Wayne Wonder echoes Banton's sentiments and sings about how he is lonely and wants to be with a specific woman. However, he is unsure of what he has done to push her away or what he needs to do to win her back.
Overall, the song is about longing for connection and companionship and trying to figure out how to make things right when that connection is tested. The lyrics are delivered over a reggae beat, which adds to the emotive quality of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh what a feeling
The rude boy is feeling a strong emotion
The rude boy is feeling
The rude boy is experiencing a powerful emotion
I'm so lonely inside
The rude boy feels very alone
This rude boy feel like screaming
The rude boy wants to scream to express their emotions
What ya gonna do
Asking what actions will be taken
Woman fed up, wants nothing to do with you
A woman is tired and wants to leave the relationship entirely
Can't see through
Unable to see the solution or way forward
Me say get it together woman dem no Inna not a acapella fellow
The artist advises the woman to get herself together because there's no one to support her
Good weather bad weather strong umbrella
Getting ready to weather all circumstances
Yu back affi broad Mek di woman feel as if she flying on a Concord
To be supportive and make the woman feel great
Yes mi bredda mi say use up cool water
Taking care of the woman physically and emotionally
What ya gonna do to obtain this daughter
Asking what actions will be taken to win the woman's affections
Have the lamb in hand let it escape slaughter
To not lose what one has worked hard to get
Now all over town you is a laugh
Everyone is laughing at you now
Was it something that I've done
Asking if something was done to cause a problem
Was it something that I've said
Asking if something was said to cause a problem
Tell me tell me
Asking for an explanation
What can I do to change your mind
Asking for suggestions on how to win back the person
Lady don't let me down not this time
Asking the woman to not disappoint the singer again
Lady I give you all the loving
The artist has given the woman all their love
The affection that I have
The artist has a strong feeling of love
Undivided attention
The artist has given the woman all their attention
Never treated you bad
The singer has treated the woman well
Don't you leave a lonely man,
Requesting the woman to not leave the artist lonely
I'll be literally mad
The singer will be driven crazy if the woman leaves them
You bring joy to this boy
The woman makes the singer very happy
With the loving that you have
The singer loves the affection that the woman gives
Fantabulous smile
The woman has an amazing smile
Captivate me all the while
The woman's smile captures the artist's attention
Lonely lonely lonely like a motherless child
The singer feels extremely alone
You curve mi observe woman it rest upon me nerve
The woman's curves catch the singer's attention and affect him strongly
Your loving I'm missing night and day
The artist is longing for the woman's affection day and night
The ragga is reminiscing I sing what you gonna do
The artist is reflecting on the past and asking again what actions will be taken to mend their relationship
Writer(s): DONOVAN GERMAIN, MARK MYRIE, VON WAYNE CHARLES
Contributed by Juliana A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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?