The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: Buju Banton Talks New Album 'Too Too Bad', Roots And Rhymes Tour, New Generation Of Dancehall, Family + More

Episode Date: July 22, 2026

Today on The Breakfast Club, Buju Banton Talks New Album 'Too Too Bad', Roots And Rhymes Tour, New Generation Of Dancehall, Family. Listen For More!YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakfastClubPower...1051FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:02:18 Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Shalameen de Guy. We are the Breakfast Club. We got a special guest in the building. His album, Too Too Too Bad is out right now. Bougabontan. Welcome. No respect. No respect. No respect. No respect to the brick. France Club, thanks, are inviting me on your program. New York City stand up.
Starting point is 00:02:35 This is the Gargamel. Thank you so much for joining us. Charlotte had to leave, but we know you had an album to promote. So we were like, we got to make sure that we get a pair to do what we need to do to do to make sure that's the number one album. Well, first of all you feeling. I'm on Airy. I want to give thanks, giving thanks. Well, I tell you all the time, you are my wife's favorite artist.
Starting point is 00:02:54 Jaja. Number one is Bougu. Number two is Maxwell. They don't really go to time. But that's what it is. Oh, I think she's figuring out something. Yeah. She figures out.
Starting point is 00:03:04 So first of all, why now? Why put out this album now? What made you want to do it right now? Why not now? That's a bigger question. And what took so long is an even a bigger question. That is the two questions. These are energies that's needed right now in the space
Starting point is 00:03:17 where my music and my genre of music is concerned, record dance and music. So we want to invigorate that space again with music where people can gravitate to us because it does resonate. Yeah. Now, there's many different elements of music. There's the conscious bourgeois, there's the dance hall booju, there's the more hip-hop Buju.
Starting point is 00:03:37 I would say I'm just musical. I'm just a musical facet that keeps flowing, you know? Which on this project, which element would you say? Dance all. This is 100% dance hall. This is the Genesis. This is how I was introduced to the masses. And through the passage of time, you have to grow or else you'll become monotonous, you know?
Starting point is 00:03:56 So the growth is always something where to make sure you grow and reinvent yourself. This is a fraternity in the studio album. So we take it back to the foundation to basics. Right, that two, too bad. How do we get it back to the days when growing up, you would hear dance hall on the radio, right? It didn't matter, right? It would be, you would hear your hip-hop song,
Starting point is 00:04:15 but the dance hall was all part of one. Then it became a separation somewhere where I feel like dance hall and reggae music is not represented on urban radio as much. What are your thoughts on it? Exactly. Same, you know, but also, have to remember things change personality's change and faces do move on yeah the people who we have
Starting point is 00:04:36 know they i don't think they understand the genesis of all the two music goes together and the relationship we have always had because back in the 90s uh hip-hop artists used to make their tracks and the first thing they do is find a jamaican to go on it because we had something different rough sometimes a little smooth perfect example shabarang's collaboration with heavy d and super cat and all these works, or foundations have been laid and eventually
Starting point is 00:05:05 things change you know mean new artists come up they don't see that vibe they don't feel like new producers they don't see that vibe they don't feel that energy
Starting point is 00:05:15 but the people want that vibe and need that energy you talk a lot about or recently you've been talking a lot about making sure that the will is not reinvented you want to make sure the foundation remains the foundation
Starting point is 00:05:25 of the genre of music that you represent what do you feel like it's gotten And to today that you're like, I need to make sure that we bring it back. Like, what are you seeing in the jump right now? We have coined a new phrase called trap dancer. Our music is free and liberating. This is the music that, this is rebel music.
Starting point is 00:05:44 You cannot trap it. When you trap something, you trap it for game to slay it. You can't kill this music. This music is the music that free many people and break the cycle of poverty. We cannot trap it, you know? So even though our phrase might be coined, it is still dance hall and the original dance hall must always be represented, you know,
Starting point is 00:06:04 whatever we do. Because that's how we bring our culture forward. Hip-up has changed in a significant way. Yes, but it's still hip-up. And they are still holding on to the rudiments of all the drum plays and how the cadence flow. We don't want to morph into something unrecognizable. What inspires you now?
Starting point is 00:06:23 You know, coming from a place before was a lot of times it was I have to get out my environment. I want to make it. out but what inspires you now getting out of my environment was never my inspiration as a youth you know i didn't grow up under those kind of situation i grew up loving music i didn't even know that there was even money in music yeah we just love music and wanting to hold the microphone and want to see people happy until i saw people fighting over something that was actually man in the big a rift be developed between two good friends and i realized oh wow you guys are actually fighting over someone want to keep it a secret from me and then that's when i started to start with you
Starting point is 00:07:00 started reading my Bible, this business of music and get myself more integrated in both sides of it, the business of music and the business of music. You know? So what motivator is not the things of this earth. What motivator is what the music do for people, what the music brings to the people's life would make them feel. Our music now is not teaching, it's not educating, it's not uplifting, it's just a whole bunch of eyes.
Starting point is 00:07:24 So we want the music where you can wind under your woman and still feel like you can whisper in your ears. you hear the man I say, I mean, I'm talking about, you know, and she's still
Starting point is 00:07:32 all your tight and you know, say, you know what I mean, the music will speak for you on that level. So what inspired me
Starting point is 00:07:38 more is the preservation of our culture. You know what I mean? It's a great joy to be up inside but many bourgeois times get to come inside the breakfast club.
Starting point is 00:07:46 This is not our platform. You know what? We're invited guests so when we're come over to take opportunity and talk about the greatness of our music and preserve it.
Starting point is 00:07:53 That means the next generation will come. We'll have a foot through your door to do the same. I remember Well, the good thing about it is I can't dance, so I just stay in there and let my wife whine on it, which is the best thing about it.
Starting point is 00:08:05 But who was the first person to bring Buju into a studio? Who was the first person to see the vision that says, you're going to be great? There was this great revolutionary from Brickston, England, who actually the man, they started the Brickston riot. They came to Jamaica and opened a record in the studio car Blue Mountain Recording Studio, and this gentleman was like a mentor.
Starting point is 00:08:28 to me, you know. I always try to go in my book bag and try to question me if I went to school or am I going to school because at school bell ring, I'm in the studio as it been not been before. So one rainy day, he said to Clement Irie. It was 1986 August of 60. Take Bucreban, time with you to the studio. So he can see what the studio looks like. Clement took me to the studio with him and it was actually 56 slide in the penthouse regarding studio.
Starting point is 00:08:58 Robert French was running the studio time and that was my first experience but Mr. Harris always you know what I mean a next good friend of mine was a person by the name of Uncle Sid Uncle Sid reside in Boston Uncle Sid saw Bojubanton in Jamaica
Starting point is 00:09:17 in those days there was a rental call a 3-2-3 Mazda that the foreigners would come to Jamaica and rent it was a car a very popular car for foreigners to rent Uncle Sid would show up in the get us and he would always encourage me and tell me no matter what your time must come and your time will come and i want to say uncle said rest in peace because time did come in the way you're not here to see and share it in the moment but these are some of the people who saw about your bontan before
Starting point is 00:09:44 no one did uh when you when speaking of your family i know you talk about like your mom and your dad like you got your entrepreneurial spirit from your mom right yeah yeah and your charm from your dad You talk about your uncle, Sid. No, Sid was not my uncle, you know, we call him Uncle Sid. Sid was just a foreigner now, come to Jamaica, because I used to be in a sound system owned by Flower Garden and Red Dragon them. So Sid and Flourgan them, you know, those were the superstars when I was coming up. But he always used to tell me, you, you got it.
Starting point is 00:10:17 I was going to ask about sound system culture. So when I was preparing for this interview and I was researching, what I realized is that sound system culture is not just like a culture. It's like really a place. I guess people could kind of go. to and get information a bit. Like it was almost like a community. Can you talk a bit about sound system culture and how,
Starting point is 00:10:34 so you have your actual family, but then you're growing up in this culture where like music and dance becomes a family as well too and what you take from that to give to people as they listen to your music. Jamaican music possess many teachable moments, so to speak. And the music has always been a very important teacher. The dance is a place where the information is disseminated
Starting point is 00:10:55 and the people take that and it is widespread. The dance is pivotal to us. Now, in the sense, we are every entity, you know, there are stages to this thing. Oh, I grew up. You didn't grow up and just run straight into a recording studio. It was never, ever the case.
Starting point is 00:11:12 Never, ever, ever, ever. You have to go into the dance hall. The people have to certify you is that I'll pump it or dump it. Or they tell you straight up, go work on your craft. You know what I mean? And when you leave the dance hall, you go to the dance hall, you go to the dance hall.
Starting point is 00:11:27 studio. It's like stages and you move from the studio, you go to the stage. So now that aspect of our culture has slowly been taken away where we have now the dance style is there, but entertainers are not readily approaching the mic to wound their craft like that. And then for us, it was also our livelihood. I was employed on a sound system. We have to work Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday night, and Sunday night, and go back home on Monday. So it was not only for listening to the music, you were actually, man, running the dance. When the selector plays the A side, he plays the B side, which constitutes the version, and you'll be playing your craft.
Starting point is 00:12:07 You do that from 9 o'clock until 7 o'clock in the morning. And if you are playing in four different locals, you could not go to the four locals with the same four songs. You have to have new songs. So it keeps your creativity as an artist, and that I think is a major aspect of our artist development, that has been taken away. How do you do that now?
Starting point is 00:12:30 You can't do that now. Like I just said, it has been taking away. No one is doing it now. For us, the art is not brave enough. And they all think they are stars, which the people make us who we are. And we cannot be a loove from them. So when you find yourself not being connecting, because you figure that, oh, you're bigger than this,
Starting point is 00:12:47 then we have a clear disconnect. I think it's this too. I don't think nobody wants to get embarrassed. No, well, you see, that's where we face the embarrassment in the dance aisle and we hone our craft. But it's over after that. And then because, you see, there are certain phobias
Starting point is 00:13:02 that people have like, holding the microphone in front of the people standing and looking at the audience. And over passage of time, the dancer will help you to be so material that that is a non-factor. Communicating the people who come second nature. You know, it's like you just know how to be
Starting point is 00:13:18 the people's person because you have been so... Look at all the entertainers from that era the Shaba, Tantam Metro, Peter Metro, all the gentlemen. an entertainer some that time who came through that era of holding the microphone in the dancer they're more elephant all of them being a man bounty killer yes even vibes because me and vibes used to dance come from Africa bucking up in a delaviga city big up delaviga heights and that is what was our first introduction to the mass is so it's not around anymore
Starting point is 00:13:50 i mean no he could still be a budge bandan passed through but how many budge buchabandans are there to pass That's true. You know, I got so many questions. I'm glad you came. You're the youngest of 16? Yeah. So you had 16 siblings and you're the youngest boy. They were all women, right?
Starting point is 00:14:08 How was being raised in a house with 16 girls? Well, you have to understand. How was that? How was that? How is raising the house with 16 children? I said up something like a kitten with some kittens. My family has a structure. We are bigger, elder sisters, sisters.
Starting point is 00:14:23 And they come down. No, I was the baby. in the family, you know what I mean? But then I had bigger sisters who were in their 30s who, when my mom goes to the market, they're droplet to make sure that the Bojo are right. So it was a great feeling, you know what I mean?
Starting point is 00:14:37 And you get bumps around a lot because you can't grow like a sissy. You have 60, you have some sister who I can make sure so them brother know everything we need for know. So what made you grow your hair? What make I grow here? The reason I ask that is, you know, So when I hear you were coming, I reach out to all my family,
Starting point is 00:14:57 and I'd be like, if you had one question for Bougi, what would that question be? And one of the questions was like, ask what made them growers here? Life changed my life, you know. I and I come from a rough place in time, and this music, yeah, is not just the people's music. Reggae is the king's music. It's come from the Latin world, Raghina. Yes, and our king is Isla, Salasia, we come, we represent the Ethiopian Tiawado, church, you know what I mean, the Orthodox faith.
Starting point is 00:15:22 So we grew over here. a symbol to all ones and once are for another right, you know what I mean? So you we are in a room where we don't understand them just hear and locks and say them who are ear and locks, but it is deeply symbolic and it is
Starting point is 00:15:38 identifying with I and I culture as a true African. Now you named a bunch of dancehall artists. I feel like with dancehall sometimes it's hard to get everybody on the same stage and same platform. Why do you think that is? Because there's so much in the
Starting point is 00:15:54 stage with breakdown. We're a lot, you know. But just like in your hip-up culture, there's not much unity either. This is widespread. It's the way of the world where one generation come work hard to create unity and next generation come trying to maintain
Starting point is 00:16:11 the next unity and another generation come didn't understand what the first and second did and when to do their own thing. And then we start having fragmentation. And this is exactly, you know what I mean? But at the end of the day, we all come together when we see each other
Starting point is 00:16:25 and we all support each other because I am and support the culture and the culture is bigger than any one individual when I just came into this music 1986 the most famous stock was entertainers come and go but the music stays forever
Starting point is 00:16:40 and that stock is still relevant today I love that you guys are brought the head out on a tour currently on a tour currently on the tour currently on the roots and rhymes reggae tour, which comes your way tomorrow also in the UBS arena featuring Steve Amal, Graham Smoggan and Stili Beng shall be passing through. So the UBS arena tomorrow
Starting point is 00:17:01 we're going to be celebrating two years since I performed. They're performing the whole New York City era. I've been in this side of the world in the last two years to share my music with the masses and it's on the heels of my brand new album, Too Too Bad. I mean, I don't know if there's enough time for us to go out of Dalville some songs tomorrow and I from the album, if the mass of them. is adept and pick up your album already and know their songs and know they choose their songs
Starting point is 00:17:26 so we're going out there tomorrow with an open mind to share some music and some divine add and give thanks for life because I celebrate and there the solar return so it's a whole package of joy salute to a source Get Bell Pure Fiber Internet
Starting point is 00:17:42 with Crave Netflix and Disney Plus from $94 a month price guaranteed for two years on internet with a two-year term and auto pay credit visit bell.com for details Entercheck availability. Bell. Connection is everything. I'm Nick Totoro. You probably know me from NYPD Blue, the longest yard, or Spike Lease Black Klansman. But I'm also from Queens, which means I know pizza.
Starting point is 00:18:04 And on my new podcast, delivering happiness with Nick Tatoro, I deliver pizza from Prince Street pizza to a new guest. Are you delivering pizza now? Then we sit down for a real conversation. I've shared a slice with everyone from Seth Rollins. What are you doing my belt? To Alex Rodriguez. Just to let you people know, we're talking to one. of the goats here. To Bill Burr. I don't think I've ever met somebody
Starting point is 00:18:25 so exactly out of their mind as I am. And now we even have more great guests coming up, including the great John Tuturo. It's called Happiness, Delivering Happiness. Mariano Rivera. Oh my God. And many, many more. Open your free High Heart Radio app.
Starting point is 00:18:40 Search Delivering Happiness with Nick Totoro. And listen now. This is Chelsea Handler from Dear Chelsea. Every week, the news gets worse. The world gets crazier. And Yamanika is here to tell whoever's responsible, you're the problem. If you come over here to play games, I'ma check you.
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Starting point is 00:19:26 So join Yamanika each episode as she answers one question. Who's the problem? I'm Yamanika, and I'm out. Listen to You're the Problem with Yamanika on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? I'm sports journalist Ari Chambers. Hey, what's up, y'all? It's your girl, Sam J. And we're the host of everyone watches women's sports. new podcast from Together and I Heart Women's Sports.
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Starting point is 00:20:21 Naomi Osaka showing out She beat Sabalinka Shout out to you Naomi You get the palm Naomi! You get the palm for that Because we're not just interested in what happened We're interested in why everyone's talking about it
Starting point is 00:20:34 Because everyone watches women's sports Listen to everyone watches women's sports On the IHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast Seeing friends show out in Boston Right I was listening to you on them a couple days ago Yeah And you were talking about what brings you peace
Starting point is 00:20:50 And you said the ocean brings you peace Yes, I? Break that down a little bit. There's nothing breaking down in it. The ocean bring our peace. You know what I mean? What bring our peace may not bring you, peace might bring you chaos.
Starting point is 00:21:01 But just be near the water, because I'm a water sign. I'm a cancerian, you know? So there's nothing much of saying. I just search of the universe. The universe made it that way. That is where we settle our mind. You also talk about on this show
Starting point is 00:21:16 the importance of watching sunsets and the fact that you watch the sun go down as well. But don't you see you know, one look up anymore they only look down in their phone unless people look up unless they are told that something is up there and take a look at it and then they go and look at their phone and look at it on their phone like i land in new york city couple nights are going when i wake up in the morning i see the sun red as blood how many people take note of that you know so we have to keep looking up and looking at the things that the father me because you know a lot of people just go through life
Starting point is 00:21:50 It's worse when in a concrete jungle like this, it's thrown it by so many building. When they see a peep of the sun, you have to run to meet it. Yeah. And you always feel like you gotta catch up or stay up with something when everything's so busy and so moving.
Starting point is 00:22:04 Huh? I said when everything is moving, especially like living here in New York, you just always feel like you gotta stay busy to stay caught up. You never take a time to smell, Rosie. Don't pick it.
Starting point is 00:22:13 Don't pick it. Just take some time and smell it. Your last album was in 2023, correct? Yes, ma'am. So in that three years, what did you take time to, like, Really? Well, when I put out a record, I don't really rush to go back into the studio to make. I'm not chasing my tail. You know, music is something that comes with a vibe. You know, I could have put out a record every day because we do own our own recording studio. But that's not the, that's not. We want the right songs at the right moment. And I'm not in a race with anyone. Sometimes you got to take a break and let other people do their stuff. And then we can't crowd the thing, you know what I mean? So I take a break every time I put up. record at least a minimum of two years. This one took a little bit longer during the, you know, what happened.
Starting point is 00:22:56 Everyone was on a lockdown. So if you wanted, too, it could not have. So as a result of that, we are here now. And with all the music that you put out, is there an artist that you say, I want to work with that artist, or I wished I worked with that artist at all? Well, there are many people out who are creatively, powerful, you know. I mean, I always want to work with people who are very, very creative, like a man like Stevie Wanda.
Starting point is 00:23:18 We smile. This I have to do some real. Before Steve, we take a short cut. You know what I mean? Because when them take a shot cut, that's that. You know, a great singer like Maxwell, like she mentioned. That's what I said, she's onto something. You know, these virgins are virgins who we grew up on
Starting point is 00:23:34 and we kind of listen to their cadence and know that this can work. So, yeah, enough respect. Got one more question before we get into the album. Your name Bujubanta. How did you come up with the name Bujubantam? First of all, I did not came up with the name Bujubon. First of all, I did not came up with the name. name Bujo. My mom gave me the name
Starting point is 00:23:50 Boodjo. The name was given to me from birth. It's a maroon word. We are the maroon revolutionaries from Jamaica who fought the British for 40 years. Call them into a peace treaty and went back to fight them again for 40 more years because the law after war said if you sustained a war for
Starting point is 00:24:06 80 years, which we did and they cede our land back to us. We have treaties that is signed by the king that designate our population as an indigenous population of the maroon cockpit country. So my name is deeply rooted
Starting point is 00:24:22 toward heritage and the warrior side of my people. Now, the bantan came from my admiration for Buru Bantan was a very prolific DJ when I was a young man going to school and we like his flow. So we took the bantan because bantan actually means someone who's lyrically inclined. So you were born into the movement that you now are such a leader of
Starting point is 00:24:45 and into music and it's like a like you were called to do it almost. I am here. If I was called, I did answer. I'm happy I did. Now let's get into the album. Too Too Bad. Favorite record on there is House Call for me.
Starting point is 00:25:01 Oh yeah? I mean you haven't listened to it in its entirety. No, I give you space. We did. I give you space. You know what House? I'll give you grace. As a DJ,
Starting point is 00:25:09 you just, it just, the tempo was everything. You just know when you play that record, club goes crazy. Oh, yeah. Well, there's so much. I try to me. make this record possess something for everyone.
Starting point is 00:25:20 So I wouldn't point to one particular track and say, this is it. Because then I could say, wild woman is it? Because them sang there. You know, we make music from our city. At a position we want the ladies happy, you know. I'm not into the sausage fresh, fuck. I like to see when the ladies them whine and dance
Starting point is 00:25:36 and enjoy themselves because ladies bring life, they are the true portal. Man can bring life. So when the portal is happy, the world is happy. She loves bad Pum-Pum. Good Pum-Pum. I'm the bars. You know what I mean?
Starting point is 00:25:53 So, you know, everyone have something on this record that we can identify with hopefully because you go down to you be good. You go down to, you know, Northman or so you want to bring to this album, brother and sisters. Let me tell you, go out and get your copy.
Starting point is 00:26:10 Listen now and we talk about it later. How about that? You guys, I know you had another. one on the album that you love? I think it was Winner Player. Either that or butterflies. Well, this, like I said, this album possessed something for everyone.
Starting point is 00:26:27 I'm giving you 12, 13 tracks on the CD, 12 tracks on the album, and unlimited amount of tracks on the streaming platform. So, to speak, so you're getting three different approach, and vinyl, rather, so I should say. You're getting three different
Starting point is 00:26:43 approach to the music. It's a whole body of work that aims to solidify dance for the younger generation kids who born in 2000, 2010 and they love dance on music. This is where it's coming from.
Starting point is 00:27:01 This is what we used to do it and this is what we want you to learn from it and take a page from this so we keep our heritage solid and we keep our music banging. That's all I'm asking. You feel like they're listening
Starting point is 00:27:14 the younger generation? Well, if they don't listen, other people will listen. Because at the end of the day, you know, you cannot say teachers didn't come your way to teach you. Yeah. I was going to ask, what did you want the next generation of dance? Just preserve it. Preserve it.
Starting point is 00:27:27 Preserve our rich culture, our rich heritage. It cannot be based on just keyboards and high frequencies, songs. You have a cadence with our drums and our bass that we are joined to at the hip. And did you think people got too caught up with titles? Because everybody at one point wanted to be the king of dancehall. I'm the king of dancehall. I'm the king of dancehall. Do you think it created too much of a...
Starting point is 00:27:48 We are all kings in the dance. We're all kings in the hip-hop. We are kings in R&B. You know? The father himself said, you know, you are all gods, but you shall die like men. So, I mean, this title, when I was growing up in my country,
Starting point is 00:28:06 used to have, you see, posters on the light posts, on the light poles and posters on the wall, the crowning of early black, the crowning of this entertainer. The crowning. And these crownings were never something initiated by the individuals. It was always something initiated by the outside factor. That is why the dance all was so important.
Starting point is 00:28:26 The dancer chose who was king. Like Papa San, the dancer said, you are the fastestaka. Like ninja man, the dancer said, okay, we're going to give you a 14 gun panties. You know, like yellow man, the dancer said, you are the king, king yellow. You know, this is not something I man ever see myself gravitation towards, because I'm a servant.
Starting point is 00:28:49 You can't be two things, you know, and I want to serve my people. I want to be loud and king over them. A whole different thing I'm on the pun. Now, when you make music now, of course, is there a difference of what you understand of how you make it, like how it affects people, right? Maybe before, I would say some of the songs, you might be like, you don't care.
Starting point is 00:29:09 But now is, are you intents to what songs you make because you know who follows you. You know that there's youth listening. You know that. We make music always from a position of caring. I never have a time in my life where I say I admit music and I don't care. I wouldn't be sitting in this chair because those music goes nowhere and those music take you nowhere.
Starting point is 00:29:27 That's because we care. That's why we're sitting in this chair. So that will never change. You did Driver A on the colors platform, the show that they placed on like YouTube and social. And the response that you got to it, I mean, you're one of the greatest. but people were like in awe of how great you sounded, how I see people in the comments just talking about how like it brings back memories just watching you perform it. And they're looking through their computers. When people come and they see you at the show to UBS Arena and all these different places, does that.
Starting point is 00:29:57 Reggae artists to sell up. Yeah, like that feeling of like warming people's hearts in that way and connecting to so many of their memories. Like what does that do for you when you're in there creating the music that you know is intentional? It's a great feeling because you know that there's a population out there and people all day. who's expecting great works. I don't want to ever sit down and do a body of work that I cannot wholeheartedly represent platforms like this. So we have to make sure that we take the time in the studio,
Starting point is 00:30:23 make all the mistakes, do all the effing up in the studio. Because there's a place where you spend time with experience so we can have a good end product like we're having now. So everything is factored in. Yes. You know, it's not just a slam-bam, thank you, mom's kind of situation. You know what I mean? that thought goes into the music that we make for the people
Starting point is 00:30:44 a lot of production goes into the music that we make and that will never change. It's crazy that people are surprised by that when that is the way that you build great music in a great music career. Like even your breath control that you had when you were performing in colors, people were like wild by. And I'm like, but this is what artists that develop into the greatest.
Starting point is 00:31:02 This is what the dance song holding the microphone in the dance song does. You're in a dance song and you're singing and the crowd is with you you cannot stop that song unless they say pull up and they are the way of saying pull up whether you're going to hear some shots in the air or the fence is going to be laid flat on the ground
Starting point is 00:31:22 or you're going to hear so much nice and it helps you to develop a good bread control and a good long capacity to deliver you know it's crazy when you have an artist that has legacy and catalog like you it's so amazing to see that
Starting point is 00:31:42 I feel like you almost get more now than you did when you first came out to see you on the road to see sold out shows to see sold out arenas how does that feel to see that from so many decades to where you are now that it still continues on even more
Starting point is 00:31:58 well from my part I must say when I started out in this music I started out playing some 200 my first concert in New York City was the Biltmore Ballroom. Then I find myself playing a Hammerstein ballroom, Raider City Musical.
Starting point is 00:32:17 And I used to do, like, respect to that with Levy. We did two shows in Madison Square Gardens in one night, one show at 8 and one show at 11. I mean, I don't know if anyone remember those good old days when that used to be running harder, you know? We're happy knowing that we can still reach the masses. Most importantly, we are happy that the music, that we make, surpass and last the test of time,
Starting point is 00:32:44 that we can still sound like it's yesterday. It was made. All these things, excuse me, are important because you don't want to go around the microphone and sing something, and people say, oh, man, you're singing the same songs all the time. So you've got to keep inventing yourself, back to my point, to keep it relevant strong.
Starting point is 00:33:06 You know, and you said one time, you said your mission's been the same since 1990. to uplift, educate, eradicate negativity from the minds of my people. Absolutely. And feed them musically. Hasn't changed. It won't change. Won't change.
Starting point is 00:33:22 Won't change. I see ourselves as a last of the Mojikana. I come from a time where I was discussing before where dance all was pivotal. You know, that's not happening anymore. So we have to make sure that we impart this knowledge on the younger youth. So see what Bojibanton is doing. See what a vibe is doing. what a bounty or a being is doing, but want to do it.
Starting point is 00:33:43 Let them know that this is where it come from. So you want to do it, it can be the fly by day and the pitch by night. But if you want the long haul for the long run with longevity and stability, this is how it's done. They asked, heard the interview and they asked about your legacy. What did you want your legacy to be? I mean, I don't really go with us something there, you know. And I mean, on our plan for get rid of you there already.
Starting point is 00:34:03 Why did you answer like that? Because I don't really subscribe to them to them because people are fricking, you know. I grew up in a time when talent speak. No, talent don't speak anymore. It's follower as voice. You heard more than near more than everything. Anything else. I don't go with that narrative, you know.
Starting point is 00:34:19 We make our music and we hope that the music reaches the masses. Because when our work is done, other people work is just going to start. We have to move on and other people go into the same thing. You know what I mean? So we just do good works and leave the work and leave it in the ether, in the universe, you know? That's right. Well, let's get into a joint off the album. right now. Now you're performing tonight.
Starting point is 00:34:41 No, I'm performing tomorrow night. The UBS Arena. Saturday night, UBS Arena. Yes. First dance hall or reggae artists that sell out the UBS Arena. Oh man, that was exciting times. You know what I mean, UBS Arena, they've been nice to us. And I'm going to say, the people of New York City has been tremendously nice to us, you know, in Brooklyn, massive, the Queens massive, the Bronx massive,
Starting point is 00:35:00 Jersey, massive, Connecticut, massive. Because, you know, reggae music, dance and music, I used to drive and pass all these venues. and I asked myself, when is dance and music going to be on these marquise? Now, dancer and music is on these marquies.
Starting point is 00:35:18 Our job is to make sure that when people come out, they're satisfied, receive a good presentation, we do our best to entertain them, so they can come back, keep a foot in the door that other brothers can come up and have the same, same experience.
Starting point is 00:35:32 So what record do you want to hear of that album, brother? I'm on. Everything dance. Okay. I want to hear house call. Every time, Zabonjabandan. What did you want to hear? Butterflies.
Starting point is 00:35:47 I lie. Let's get it to them all. All right. It's Buja Bontan, new album, Too Too Bad is out right now. Yes, I'm Saturday. Get there early. UBS Arena in Long Island, right on the border of Queens. Just right there.
Starting point is 00:35:59 We've been there before. That's right. My wife will be there Saturday. I won't be there. I'm watching the kiss. I'm letting her go. I got the kiss. So she'll be there.
Starting point is 00:36:04 She'll have an amazing time with her friends. Yeah, sometimes we've got to switch the roll around, you know? Just a little bit. I'm not mad at that. I'm just a little bit. It's the Breakfast Club as Bujabanta. Hold on. Every day I wake up.
Starting point is 00:36:15 Wake your ass up. The Breakfast Club. You're all done? Hey, Portlandia fans. Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen here. The Dream of the 90s is alive in podcast form. We're launching Podlandia, A.O. rewatch, our brand new podcast where we revisit every episode of Portlandia together,
Starting point is 00:36:32 breaking down sketches, going deep on our iconic characters, and pulling back the curtain on how it all got made. And we'll also be joined by the people. who helped bring it all to life. Guest stars, collaborators, and friends, including director Jonathan Chryssel, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin,
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Starting point is 00:37:02 Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Nick Terturo. You probably know me from NYP. P.D. Blue, the longest yard, or Spike Lease Black Klansman. And on my new podcast, Delivering Happiness with Nick Titoro, I deliver pizza to a new guest. I've shared a slice with everyone
Starting point is 00:37:19 from Seth Rollins. What are you doing? My belt. To Bill Burr. I don't think I've ever met somebody so exactly out of their mind as I am. And now, we even have more great guests coming up, including the great John Tituro. It's called Happiness. Delivering Happiness. And many,
Starting point is 00:37:35 many more. Open your free high-heart radio app. Search Delivering happen is with Nick Duturo. And listen now. This is Chelsea Handler from Dear Chelsea. Every week, the news gets worse. The world gets crazier. And Yamanika is here to tell whoever's responsible, you're the problem. Do you know I just found out who Sidney Sweeney was? If he got a bunch of women, then I should have a bunch of men. Do better or do less so I don't have to do so much. I'm Yamanika, and I'm out.
Starting point is 00:38:02 Listen to You're the Problem with Yamanika on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. On Raiders of the Lost podcast, we explore cinema like no one else, including huge interviews with stars like Ryan Gosling on Project Hail Mary. It was like the Jaws Shark. Didn't always work, came with its own problems. That's what made it great. The cast of obsession. On set, there was so much magic happening with each scene we were putting together. Deep dives into classics like 2001 of Space Odyssey or Fight Club, plus weekly episodes on all industry news. to Raiders of the Lost
Starting point is 00:38:41 podcast on the IHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts and for more follow at Raiders of the Lost podcast and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok This is an IHeart podcast Guaranteed human

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