Voice of Jamaica is the third studio album by Jamaican dancehall reggae artist Buju Banton. It was released on August 3, 1993 via Mercury Records/PolyGram and was his international debut. Its remastered and expanded edition was released in 2002 with additional tracks. Recorded in Kingston and New York City, the album is considered to be the one that introduced Banton to the world outside Jamaica, also bringing dancehall to the wider world.[2][3]
| Voice of Jamaica | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 3, 1993 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 61:40 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| Buju Banton chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Voice of Jamaica | ||||
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Production was handled by Donovan Germain, Steely & Clevie, Dave Kelly, Bobby "Digital" Dixon, Busta Rhymes, Mikey Bennett and Sly Dunbar. It features guest appearances from Beres Hammond, Brian and Tony Gold, Busta Rhymes, Terry Ganzie, Tony Rebel and Wayne Wonder. The album peaked at number 159 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in the United States.
Music and lyrics
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Musically the album shows a wide range of reggae music, with rhythms that vary from mainly hardcore dancehall, to roots reggae, R&B and ragga hip hop.[1]
Lyrically it faces various personal, political, and cultural themes, including love, war, violence, police brutality, safe sex, poverty and spirituality.[1]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | C+[4] |
| Robert Christgau |  [5] |
| Rolling Stone |  [6] |
Jo-Ann Greene of AllMusic said that "This is the kind of album that leaves the listener breathless with amazement", also stating that "It's a superb album, and deserved every accolade it received.[1]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Searching" | Sly Dunbar | 4:14 | |
| 2. | "Red Rose" |
| Donovan Germain | 3:55 |
| 3. | "Commitment" (featuring Wayne Wonder) |
| Dave Kelly | 3:18 |
| 4. | "Deportees (Things Change)" |
| Donovan Germain | 3:54 |
| 5. | "No Respect" |
| Steely & Clevie | 3:59 |
| 6. | "If Loving Was a Crime" (featuring Brian and Tony Gold) | Mikey Bennett | 4:53 | |
| 7. | "Good Body" |
| Bobby "Digital" Dixon | 3:52 |
| 8. | "Wicked Act" (featuring Busta Rhymes) |
| Busta Rhymes | 3:52 |
| 9. | "Tribal War" (featuring Tony Rebel and Terry Ganzie) |
| Donovan Germain | 3:48 |
| 10. | "A Little More Time" (featuring Beres Hammond) |
| Donovan Germain | 3:53 |
| 11. | "Him Take Off" |
| Steely & Clevie | 3:38 |
| 12. | "Willy (Don't Be Silly)" |
| Donovan Germain | 4:54 |
| 13. | "Gone a Lead" |
| Steely & Clevie | 3:41 |
| 14. | "Make My Day" |
| Dave Kelly | 5:05 |
| 15. | "Operation Ardent" |
| Donovan Germain | 3:54 |
| Total length: | 61:40 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16. | "Vigilante" |
| 4:01 |
| 17. | "Deportees (Things Change)" (Tan So Back Haul Up Mix) |
| 4:01 |
| Total length: | 68:52 | ||
Charts
edit| Chart (1993–1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[7] | 159 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[8] | 29 |
| US Reggae Albums (Billboard)[9] | 6 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[10] | 5 |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Greene, Jo-Ann. "Voice of Jamaica - Buju Banton | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ "'Til Shiloh - Buju Banton | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic".
- ^ "Buju Banton Biography, Songs, & Albums".
- ^ Fox, Marisa (August 6, 1993). "Voice of Jamaica". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: Buju Banton". www.robertchristgau.com. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ "Buju Banton Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ "Buju Banton Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ "Buju Banton Chart History (Reggae Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ "Buju Banton Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
External links
edit- Buju Banton – Voice Of Jamaica at Discogs (list of releases)