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“For Your Consideration,” Buju Banton Campaigns For 2021 Grammy Nomination

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Buju-2
Buju Banton

With the first round of voting for the 2021 Grammys closing tomorrow, Buju Banton is ensuring that members of the Recording Academy don’t overlook his 20-track album Upside Down 2020.

On October 9, the Gargamel brazenly tagged the Academy in posts to his social media, captioned “For your consideration”, showcasing highlights– from the making of the album and his subsequent appearances.  Investment into ads and messages are a common-place practice by records labels, managers and artistes, and are intended to reach members of the awards voting groups.

Buju‘s 54-second highlight video uses the album’s fourth song, Blessed , as its soundtrack, and the singer (born Mark Myrie) declares: “We ago make it, make it… win the prize and take it take it.” He showcases his appearances on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and the cover of Vibe Magazine, and features endorsements and work that was done with Pharrell Williams, Stephen Marley, Sean Paul, Dj Khaled, Fat Joe among others.

While the Recording Academy did not engage the posts on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, the fans of the Gargamel flocked the posts with their votes of confidence.

“You deserve a Grammy and so much more. 2020 may be upside down but it is your year for continued success!” one fan said in response to the tweet, while thousands liked and commented on the other two platforms.

Released in June of this year , Upside Down 2020 is the artiste’s first album since his 10-year hiatus from music while he served his prison sentence in the US for federal drug charges. It features collaborations with established acts such as Stephen Marley, John Legend, Pharrell Williams, and Stefflon Don, and was published under exclusive license to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. 

The Guardian, in giving a 4-star review rating to the album, said it is as good as the Banton has ever been.

“These days Buju tries too hard to appeal to everyone, but the twitchily paranoid Trust and 400 Years’ majestic howl of rage are as good as he’s ever been. Is that enough?” they question. RollingStone, on the other hand, spoke highly of the body of work, saying: “From the political sermons tracks to the love songs, he sounds spry and engaged. It’s like he never left.”

While it is anticipated that this project will be nominated for the Best Reggae Album award, as three of his previous albums including the 2011 winner Before the Dawn did, it will not be a walk in the park. Other formidable projects which were also released during the period of eligibility and are expected to be top contenders for the Grammy include: Protoje’s In Search of Lost Time , Skip Marley’s Higher Place , Tarrus Riley’s Healing , Toots & The Maytals‘ Got to Be Tough and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s Heavy Rain.

As there is still not a separate category for predominantly Dancehall albums at the Grammys, we must also consider the likelihood of albums such as Popcaan’s Vanquish or his FIXTAPE , Dexta Daps’s Vent , and Vybz Kartel’s Of Dons & Divas being included in the running. Throw in any number of the international Reggae acts, unbeknownst to Jamaica, who from time to time are nominated in the category, and Upside Down 2020 has as good a shot as any.