Reggae legend Buju Banton‘s “Born For Greatness” misses the U.S. Billboard Reggae Albums Chart. This is the first time in the last 30 years that an album by Banton has not debuted on the chart. “Born For Greatness” is Buju’s Island/DefJam Records/Roc Nation follow up to Upside Down 2020 which has sold 53,000 album sales equivalent units with SEA, with TEA according to data provided to WMV by Luminate. Of that amount 11,000 units were pure album sales equalling 62 million total on-demand streams (audio + video).
Upside Down 2020 had debuted at number 2 on the Reggae Billboard Chart after combined streaming and sales of over 2900 units, according to Nielsen/MRC Data.
To promote “Born For Greatness” Buju released two singles” Coconut Water (Sip)” and the titled track. He also made an appearance at a PNP political conference in Jamaica last Sunday, dressed in party colors and images of his album on the front of the shirt.
BFG joins his debut and sophomore albums Stamina Daddy and Mr. Mention as the only Buju Banton albums that have not made appearances on the Billboard Reggae albums chart.
Gargamel’s highest charting reggae album in the U.S. is Inna Heights (1995) which stayed at the top for 8 weeks but his longest charting album is the reggae classic Til Shiloh (1997) which peaked at No. 2 and spent 104 weeks on the chart. In total Buju has 12 albums make an appearance on the chart including two compilations.
Friends For Life peaked at No. 3, Ultimate Collection, Voice Of Jamaica and Too Bad peaked at No. 6.
Unchained Spirit, Upside Down 2020, Rasta Got Soul and the Grammy winning album Before The Dawn peaked at No. 2, The Best Of Buju Banton peaked at No. 8.
Reggae’s Poor Sales
Last week Beenie Man‘s latest album ‘Simma’ also missed the US Billboard Reggae albums chart after selling only 500 units in its first week according to data provided to WMV by Luminate. In an Instagram rant in 2021 Banton shouted out “Music nah sell” in spite of his sold out concerts all over the world.
Music industry executive Michael Goldwasser gave some critique to Jamaican reggae artists saying it is their lack of unity that is causing poor sales.
The CEO of Easy Star Records told WMV that a lot of the issues in the genres could be straightened out if there was a focus on the bigger picture and a united voice.
“Me being from the outside and dealing with a lot of Jamaican artists and the people in the Jamaican industry, and I hope no one feels no way about this; me being an outsider critiquing but I do see a certain lack of unity in the Jamaican music community,” Michael said.
Michael said even more than a lack of unity is the infighting among acts.
“Or even worse than that competitiveness that is detrimental to the progress of reggae, I feel like everyone is fighting for something small when if everyone could unite on some level they could achieve something big,” he declared.
