GRAMMY winner, multiple Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping artist, and international reggae legend Buju Banton has released his first single for 2022, titled “Madda Badda,” produced by J August.
“This new single, which is a mix of classic dancehall rhythm mixed with contemporary sounds, highlights the hardcore dancehall lyricism and flow that brought Buju Banton to prominence in the 90s,” Ronnie Tomlinson, the Jamaican-born chief executive officer of New York-based Destine Media told Caribbean Life.
“Madda Badda” is released in collaboration with Ghetto Youths International and Gargamel Music.
“This exciting new single by Buju Banton is a reminder and a reclaiming of the dancehall space with the authentic sound and cadence the genre was popularized for,” said Tomlinson, a Brooklyn resident. “The first single to propel Buju into stardom was The Ruler at age 16. Now several years later, his songs are still making statements.”
Buju’s debut album, “Stamina Daddy,” with title track as the first single in 1992 was his breakout.
He had produced singles such as “Wanna Be Loved,” “Hills and Valley,” “Murderer” and “Not An Easy Road.”
Following the success of his “Long Walk To Freedom” tour, Banton released his GRAMMY nominated album “Upside Down” in 2020.
Hosting 20 tracks, featuring Stephen Marley, John Legend, Pharrell Williams, and Stefflon Don, press lauded his return declaring him “A national hero” according to FADER.
“Now, with the release of this latest single, ‘Madda Badda’, Buju Banton is calling to our collective minds, the dancehall that Jamaica is known for,” Tomlinson said. “This track comes as a respite amid public concerns that the quality of dancehall music has waned. Not one to make long speeches, Buju has seemingly responded where it matters most, in song.
“This complex lyrical track is masterful not just in its instrumentation, but also the simplicity of the song structure,” she added. “With this single Buju Banton is proving that dancehall songs can be simple and meaningful, dispelling the idea that artists must compromise one for the other.”
