Incarcerated Grammy-winning reggae singer, Buju Banton has penned an open letter to his fans, warning them of society’s ills while taking contemporary music to task, claiming it lacks substance.Currently in U.S. federal prison serving a 10-year sentence on drug charges stemming from a 2009 arrest in Florida, the 43-year-old reggae star took to Boomshots, the popular column in VIBE Magazine, to voice his concerns about the state of the music and how progress has stalled during to what he described as the lack of morality and destruction taking place in society today.
“Tell my fans do not be distracted by all the things that are taking place around them because it is designed to throw them off kilter, to make moral decadence even more widespread than it already is, and plunge people into a state of darkness,” Buju said.
“They’re trying to reverse the progress that we have made over the years through the music. And now the music is meaningless. It doesn’t stimulate, it doesn’t educate, it doesn’t reinvigorate. All it does is get you angry because it’s filled with nothing but narcissists exalting themselves over the earthly possessions that they have managed to get. They don’t even have anything—it’s crumbs.”
“And therefore, the music is suffering. The people are suffering. Sadness and gloom is prevailing. It’s widespread. But be patient. Because suffering may endure for the night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
Buju is nearing the end of his sentence, which is scheduled for December 2018. He has been pursuing a Master’s degree during his prison stay and has been seen performing for fellow inmates.
His last album, Before the Dawn won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2011.
