Winding and Long

Anderson Ballantyne

Will Buju's latest album, Friends for Life, finally break him in the U.S.? Buju mixes rudeness and righteousness

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More About

• Buju Banton
• Aaron Talbert
• Kingston (Jamaica)
• Reggae
• Dancehall

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No matter how much Buju might like fast cars and expensive women, the souljah in him is wary of leaving the underground if that means promoting only bling-bling, at the expense of his more radical message. "I don't want to reach the masses if that means being muzzled," he insists. "The major labels, they are looking for someone to represent reggae music to the world, but they keep choosing the wrong person. They need someone who can represent the whole of Jamaican music." For hard-core fans, Buju is already the chosen one.