Jamaican dancehall reggae singer Buju Banton has been convicted of 3 drug charges but his sentencing has been delayed to Thursday, June 23, 2011.
Buju Banton will be sentenced in by Judge James S. Moody Jr., in a Tampa, Florida court. He was found guilty last February of 3 charges including conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms of cocaine, using a communication facility in the commission of a felony, and knowingly and intentionally possessing a firearm in furtherance of and during the course of a drug-trafficking crime.
Banton was found not guilty on a 4th charge, attempting to possess 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.
All told, the charges could result in a sentencing of 30 years to life in prison.
The reggae singer, born Mark Anthony Myrie, is still in prison after being convicted. His defense attorneys have filed a motion for a new trial and an acquittal. The prosecuting attorneys are battling against it, claiming the motion is “without merit.”
Buju Banton recently won a 2011 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album for his 10th studio album, Before The Dawn.
This album had a large impact on dancehall music and proved that dancehall audiences had not forgotten the message that Roots Reggae expounded with the use of conscious lyrics . By now however he had been enshrined in the minds of reggae lovers as one of the most notable artists of his time and seemed to have earned the right to some artistic freedom..Several singles followed in the start of the new decade mostly without the trademark spitfire delivery typical of dancehall but displaying Bantons talent for a mellower more introspective approach.