Grammy wining artist Buju Banton has extended thanks to Ye (formerly Kanye West) for his support of the Buju Banton foundation as he accepted the Humanitarian award virtually at the Caribbean Music Awards.
Buju accepted the award and sent his remarks via video saying, “when I establish the foundation it was to empower the youths who are marginalized. We strongly believe every child deserves an opportunity and a chance to reach their full potential.”
Buju then said “I want to thank Kanye West and AudioMack for supporting his foundation.
Ye had dedicated an unreleased dancehall-hip hop track to Buju that was leaked recently on social media. The track said to be recorded in Miami when Ye visited DJ Khaled during the “Donda 2” Era last year finds Ye sounding off on his contracts, and the brands he was working with at the time in his usual aggressive flow. He starts off the track by saying “This ones for Buju.”
DJ Khaled had told Zane Lowe of Apple Music in an interview that Kanye recorded several tracks for him but they are unfinished.
On Kanye’s gold selling Donda album, Banton was featured on a verse on for track 10, Believe What I Say, which samples Lauryn Hill.
Buju who returned from 10 year prison sentence in 2019 recites the verse, to a distrusting partner, “You were so easily fooled and easily deceived by some dude who is more rather into greed?/played by your emotions you were swamped by your needs…you said that I lie how did I? I told you everything, didn’t I/ but you just could not believe”.
Ye had also teamed up with the legendary reggae superstar donate computers to two Jamaican children’s homes: the Mount Olivet Boy’s Home and the Sunbeam Children’s Home in 2020 after journeying to Jamaica to record with the Gargamel.
Believe What I Say, would have given Buju Banton his first Billboard Hot 100 single placement after it debuted at No. 28 on the chart. However except for writing credits Kanye did not credit Banton as a featured artist on the album.
Penthouse Producer Donovan Germain told WMV that, “Buju has put in the work over the years and he deserves whatever success he is getting now.”
