Buju Banton Reminds Jamaicans Why He's "The Champion" In Return Concert
After enduring 8-long years in prison on drug trafficking charges, Buju Banton planned to celebrate his return to civilian life with all of Jamaica present for the party, either in-person, in spirit, or through a live telecast. The "Long Walk to Freedom" concert, as Buju Banton labeled it, evidently his first in over 8 years, went down last night at the National Stadium in Kingston.
Thanks to DJ Khaled, and the Jamaican massive in attendance, plenty of footage of exists from the concert. Buju's longtime musical director Lenky Marsden was close behind, as were Wayne Marshall, Ghost, LUST, Buju's son Jahazeil Myrie, Cocoa Tea, and Koffee, all performing during the extravaganza.
Koffee herself a rising talent in the Jamaican music industry, wound up interrupting Cocoa Tea midperformance. The irony being, Cocoa is a living legend whose catalog consists of more than a few songs about meddling with younger women.
A day before Buju Banton was set to hit the stage, his estranged son Markus (not Jahazell) made waves in the press after demonizing his father on social media, in a post that called for the dancehall legend to be reinstated in prison. "So much drama since December," Markus wrote. "This man needs to go back to prison and dead in deh."
And yet, Buju Banton found a way to keep his lips sealed, long enough to enjoy the event he'd been anticipating for some time, 8 whole years at that. Nevertheless, Buju Banton is from an era in dancehall that exuded controversy. His relationship with his offspring is something completely unrelated to the way he's perceived on the broader, and by the countless Americans making the trip for his welcome back performance.