Mark Myrie is a deejay who emerged on the dancehall scene in the early 90's and since then has ascented to higher levels as each year passes by. In the dancehall he is called Buju Banton. His mother who was a Maroon, gave him the name Buju because he was born a chubby child and Buju is the Maroon word for Breadfruit. However, before he chanted the mic in the dancehall, his greatest inspiration came from the legendary Burru Banton from which he got the latter part of his name. Nonetheless, Gargamel is another name which he is popularly called which was bestowed from friends like Wayne Wonder and Frankie Sly as they ran the streets of Sheffield Road in Kingston.

The DJ was born out of a family of fifteen and sometimes he still reminisces on some of the hardships they encountered. During certain stages in his life he could remember when the whole family lived in a one room apartment without running water. But Buju cleverly employed his microphone ability to elevate himself from out of the ghetto and in the meantime he has assisted those who are left behind both personally and through his music. 

Musically, he tries to bring unknown talented artists into the limelight by voicing them on his 'Gargamel' Label. Another big project is 'Operation Willy' which is a foundation he has pioneered to assist and support children with AIDS in Jamaica. On numerous occasions himself along with members of his fan club would visit some of these children, offering moral support as well.

Even though Buju Banton only became a household name approximately seven years ago, the deejay has seriously been trying behind the scenes long before we even dreamt of him. He was a member of the Flourgan, Sanchez, Red Dragon and Daddy Lizard team when they were rocking the dancehalls back in the late 80's. After all, as far as break is concerned, he feels that there is no time like the present time but he still gives thanks and praises for what transpired over the passage of time because it currently has a magnificent effect on his career right now. Buju Banton just feels that things happened at the right time. He got his break the traditional way by juggling around different studios and producers like Mixing Lab, Winston Riley, Dave Kelly and Penthouse, but it was Donovan Germain and Dave Kelly who really showed interest in his art and was ready to help in getting it nurtured. It was from the loyal and positive relationship that they had working together which made him develop into the artist who he is today.

One of the major tunes that got him much respect in the primordial part of his career was 'Brownin.' It was co-written by himself along with Dave Kelly who was the real owner of the 'Brownin.' It was Dave who came up with the idea so they expanded on it and created a chartbuster. They continued to write together for sometime and one of its influential results was the launch of an album called 'Mr Mention.'

After 'Mr Mention' came 'Voice Of Jamaica' and just before 'Til Shiloh' the deejay went through an evolution in embracing the Rastafarian Faith. Because of the mark that 'Voice Of Jamaica' made on the world the deejay felt like there was a load on his shoulders where he needed to speak out for his truths and rights. The father had shined the light upon him so that he could uplift his people and show them their destiny and so he adopted the faith as a protocol to get the warning out.

"Til Shiloh' was the first vehicle that was used to deliver the message but its objective was never fully achieved under his standards. He wanted the album to go further than its current destination and he still feels that it has the potential to do so. With 'Inna Heights,' its main mission is to boost the morale of 'Til Shiloh' and strengthen his people by bringing them closer together. In Buju's opinion, the music was never a money thing, its just a medium to which a job is outlined. But the deejay feels that his music is getting a fight because he is not popularly featured on regular promotions, but Jah has given him and his music the strength to overcome many obstacles along the way. He has now accumulated extensive knowledge of having a direct influence on the direction his career. Recently, with assistance from Germain, they have completed a project which will make a significant step towards attaining better results.

Even though many may find 'Destiny' to be the most gratifying track on his new album 'Inna Heights,' Buju prefers 'A Close One Yesterday' above the rest. This is simply because it has many sentiments attached and it reminds him of the lifestyle of a lone cowboy going through on a battlefield or on a dusty trail. Nevertheless, he recently had a single that created a lot of controversy in the dancehall arena. It was called 'Run The Place.' Buju feels that certain times he speaks there are some that cannot take the fire from his speech and therefore they rebel. The deejay said the tune really had no meaning, it was just for the people to give them joy, because others claim that they are running the place when a lot of their brothers and sisters are dying in the place.

In conclusion, Buju says that the next three years will mark a decade since he has been in the business singing and working for the people. He kindly extends his gratitude for the excellent support giving him the strength and courage to proceed. The deejay's advice to his fans is to be strong in this time and not to get deceived, hold faith and have courage. Be of strong heart because it is important for us not to be weak. Finally, Buju states that we should eat right, exercise and go to bed early.