Buju Banton : Bob Marley Is Not The Greatest Musician

[Mosiah]

suh bob nuh light skinded tuh?

hahaha! we really should learn our adjectives! or is that a past tense?

[Exile]

Buju was smoking some bad weed!

[Karl]

It seems to me like he is saying that too many of us take as given that "Bob is the greatest and there will never be anybody else good like Bob" and that is what he has a problem with.

I think he has a problem with not being considered Marley's equal.
Tough fi im!
...but a di reality!

[Bricktop]

Young people (who consume the most music) are definitely not stuck in the Marley era... so that's a big cop out.

What keeps reggae artistes back is not Bob Marley.. it's their generally poor songwriting and maybe a less than professional approach to the business.
Bob's biggest strengths were his songwriting, his principles and charisma... one can't teach that... either you have the gift or you don't.

Also the time he came out is critical... the Cold War days of the 1970's when decolonization and class struggle were topical issues... he reflected those times like no one else.... today what is topical is punnany, gun talk and bling.

It's not even fair to compare Bob to any contemporary Jamaican musician... complete waste of time.

Maybe without Bob the current set would not even get airplay in many markets... they would be kinda like... soca?

And the "newness" of RASTAFARI and it's "rebellious" message had nothing to do with his "success" even though he did not have overwhelming commercial "success" (i.e. Billboard chart toppers) when he was alive?

[Peter R]

Yuh dun kno'... Christianity have Christ, Islam Mohammed, Reggae Bob Marley...Buju and no one else will ever be a Bob Marley.

[Don1]

And the "newness" of RASTAFARI and it's "rebellious" message had nothing to do with his "success" even though he did not have overwhelming commercial "success" (i.e. Billboard chart toppers) when he was alive?

Rastafari had (has) an anti-establishment appeal attractive to some in the West ... I agree.

But it still needed a charismatic songwriter and performer to send the message.

[Don1]

Yuh dun kno'... Christianity have Christ, Islam Mohammed, Reggae Bob Marley...Buju and no one else will ever be a Bob Marley.

chat bout.

[Peter R]

Why should he have a problem with that? English writing has Shakespeare still considered to be a standard for English Literature after 500 years... just deal with it Buju!

[Bricktop]

But it still needed a charismatic songwriter and performer to send the message.

Agreed. Charismatic. Not necessarily the "best"?

[Peter R]

Who is/was better? You Bob haters would like to make Bob out as a product of Marketing. Bob might have been charismatic but without substance behind it he would never have gotten anywhere... his music was more than enough to have made him what he was!

[Don1]

Agreed. Charismatic. Not necessarily the "best"?

Best is a matter of opinion... if someone can propose an artiste who is better.. so be it.

But no Jamaican is more influential and powerful in pop music than Bob.... it's not even close.

[Willi]

Lo Buju...

It is a brilliant public statement designed to get him media coverage and it WORKED!!!!

Is like when Beneton had the advert with a black Queen Elizabeth! LoL

[Gamma]

it look like lorna leaving is messig up his head!

[MdmeX]

suh bob nuh light skinded tuh?

no him ongle half white

[Sir X]

I dont think many of us understood the toungue in cheek statement you put out there about Buju making his comments on a UWI platform .

Talk about enviroment , did he stop to think whom created that enviroment for him to be on that platform at UWI ? Did he ever think the same bredda im a tear down would ever be invited to speak on that platform at the height of his carrear for whatever class, religous , political or social reason ?

Dem almost murdaa de man fe a peace dance and force im inna exile.

But he sure as Hell got the point that no one will ever be compared to him though?

Talk about not understanding the enviroment to achieve greatness is an understatement , I wonder if its inexcusable on Bujus part ?

My answer is no.