KINGSTON, Jamaica – ONE of the top reggae acts coming out of the Caribbean, Buju Banton, has been detained in a Miami prison following his arrest last Thursday (Dec. 10) on drug charges.
According to AllHipHop.com, Banton, whose real name is Mark Anthony Myrie, was booked with another unidentified man after a surveillance camera caught them in the process of a drug transaction.
Authorities claim to have found the singer with five kilos of cocaine and charged him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute.
The charges shine a dim light on Banton’s career which was on a highpoint for 2009, after recently being nominated for a Grammy Award. The nomination is for his ninth studio album ‘Rasta got Soul’.
He also recently did a successful North American tour. AllHIpHop.com stated that during the tour, Banton also attempted reconciliation with the gay community and that the singer’s popular 1992 ‘Boom Bye Bye’ tune, which endorses violence against gay men, is also one of the reasons the gay community is against the artiste.
After receiving years of protest, Banton finally conducted a sit-down with the gay community this past October. According to reports, the meeting remained civil and productive despite Banton’s refusal to renounce his past views.
If convicted of the pending drug charges, Buju Banton faces up to 20 years in prison.
