Grammy winner, multiple Billboard chart-topping artist, and international reggae icon Buju Banton lights up a new single entitled “High Life” featuring Snoop Dogg—out now via Roc Nation Records/Gargamel Music/Def Jam Recordings.
With its message of being above the clouds yet firmly grounded, “High Life” notably marks the first official collaboration between these two legendary trailblazers, tracing a direct line between Jamaica and the LBC for the first time.
The track peppers a hypnotic and head-nodding dancehall beat with horns and hazy synths. From the jump, Buju gleefully carries an intoxicating and irresistible refrain only for Snoop to counter with reggae-inflected bars as he urges, “Oh Mary Jane, will you please take me home?” Fittingly, this smoker’s anthem arrives just in time for 4/20.
“High Life” sets the stage for Buju’s anxiously awaited fourteenth full-length offering later this year, his first album since 2020’s universally acclaimed Upside Down 2020, which garnered a Grammy Award nomination in the category of “Best Reggae Album” and earned rave “4-out-of-5 star” reviews on both sides of the pond from The Guardian and Rolling Stone, respectively.
Buju capped off a busy 2022 with his most recent fan favorite single “Si Mi Clean” featuring Busy Signal. It tallied over half-a-million streams and picked up plugs from the likes of BET and more.
Buju is set to perform his new hits “High Life” and “Si Mi Clean,” along with favorites from his legendary catalog, at his upcoming shows in Trinidad on May 6, St. Lucia on May 12, and the Bahamas on May 19.
Igniting 2023 with a bang, he joined Beres Hammond in concert on New Year’s Day at Grizzly’s Plantation Cove in Priory, St. Ann, Jamaica. It stood as the first time these two reggae stars headlined a concert together on the island. Plus, it followed his return to the worldwide stage with a much-lauded performance at Kingston’s Famed National Stadium.
The Long Walk to Freedom Concert was one of the biggest music events in Jamaica’s history and was the launching pad for the tour of the same name.
In 2020, he signed to Roc Nation and dropped “Steppa” and “Trust,” paving the way for Upside Down 2020. The latter featured collaborations with Stephen Marley, John Legend, Pharrell, and Stefflon Don. Making waves worldwide, he notably notched his fourth career GRAMMY® nomination for the album.
Buju’s Grammy-winning album Before the Dawn was released in 2010. Prior, he unveiled records at a prolific pace, beginning with his debut in 1992. Among many highlights, 1995’s Til Shiloh was certified Gold by the RIAA. He has been described by the Associated Press as “one of the most respected acts in reggae.” Moreover, The FADER hailed him as “a national hero,” going on to elaborate, “Buju Banton, born Mark Myrie, is more Jamaican than jerk chicken, Red Stripe beer, and a croaking lizard combined. He’s as much a singer as he is a hallmark of Jamaican culture.”
