![]() ![]() ![]() But that's not to say he's got a bunch of crossover smashes here - fact is, he doesn't even have one". According to Robert Christgau Banton on the album "skillfully skirts the crude sexism and gangsta-influenced posturing that are today's ragga norm. He's dealt with the controversy for years, but the 2005 cancellations of some European shows seem to have been the " casus belli" for him, sparking in him the inspiration for Too Bad. ![]() Critics defined the musical choice as "provocative" and a "screw you world" move following the controversy around his 1992 homophobic track "Boom Bye Bye" rearing its head again. Album DescriptionMusically the album marks a comeback to straight hardcore dancehall music for Banton, that follows his departure to a more roots reggae direction. See More Your browser does not support the audio element. If it's Buju being whimsical, he should really give a wink, but it's a small complaint on an album that makes one wonder what other treasures are locked in the Gargamel vault. That blunder is saved for the cheeseball instrumentation on "Mary," which starts off with a doo wop intro and then goes downhill with a fake, synthetic string section. Anyone spiritually lost at sea will be done right by the comforting "Optimistic Soul," one of the many numbers here that finds an especially positive Buju being sweet but not sugary. "Bedtime Story" is a heart-wrenching story of abandoned children that delivers its message perfectly, while "A Little Bit of Sorry" reclaims ska for the Island of Jamaica as the lyrics deceptively persuade the big-headed masses to tone down their egos. Rasta Got Soul is mature, almost a throwback effort with plenty of horns, plenty of references to the Rastafarian lifestyle, and songwriting on the level of 'Til Shiloh, his 1995 masterpiece. One listen to 2009's final product and it's obvious the rumors were true, but it also suggests that Banton was hedging his bets after some time off and launched Too Bad instead to make sure the fast-living Jamaican youths came back to the Gargamel fold. While the great "Magic City" single previewed the album during this time, two years later the more contemporary effort, Too Bad, arrived and what was rumored to be an awesome album seemed lost forever. Buy the album Starting at $15.69Īn instant classic released out of order, Rasta Got Soul could have been Buju Banton's 2004 album if an arrest for ganja possession hadn't sent the singer into exile. Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs. ![]()
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