Friends for Life

1	Paid Not Played 4:01
2	Tra la La 3:24
3	Teaser / Bounty Killer 3:39
4	Exerpt of a Speech by Marcus Mosiah Garvey 0:56
5	Up Ye Mighty Race 4:02
6	All Will Be Fine / Sons and Daughters 5:33
7	Maybe We Are 6:20
8	Mama Africa 4:47
9	Hooked on the Love 3:58
10	Get It On 3:30
11	Friends for Life 3:51
12	Good Times / Fat Joe 4:24
13	Damn 4:20
14	La De Da 3:22
15	Feeling Groovy 3:14
16	Pensive Wood 4:25
17	Spectacular 3:49
18	What Am I Gonna Do / Nadine Sutherland 4:03
19	Mr. Nine 3:36

Barnes & Noble

For a while, Buju Banton took his Rasta conversion seriously enough to convince even Bob Marley fans that the Gargamel was righteous reggae's new savior. But these days, Buju has left the blood 'n' fire to turbaned DJs like Capleton and Sizzla, content to show that he can rock a party as well as lead the revolution. Friends for Life is a fittingly amiable hodgepodge of tracks pledging Buju's friendship to everyone from hip-hoppers to lovers, rockers to roots radics -- even to ska fans. A number of the friends share the mike with Banton, including Fat Joe on the popular single "Good Times," which also features Beres Hammond; Jamdown diva Nadine Sutherland enlivens the Sly Dunbar track "What Am I Gonna Do?"; dancehall warlord Bounty Killer appears on "Teaser." Along the way, Buju is paired with a choir on the acoustic "All Will Be Fine," takes a bluesy turn on "Pensive Mood," and rides a Don Drummond ska rhythm on "Feeling Groovy." The old Rasta warrior emerges on powerful tracks such as "Up Ye Mighty Race" and his version of the Peter Tosh classic "Mama Africa," two valentines to Buju's roots constituencies. While some of these Friends for Life may prove to be of the fair-weather variety, it's clear that unlike the gun-talking youth he once was, dancehall's Mr. Nice Guy remains focused on hope and positivity. Mark Schwartz

All Music Guide

The smiley-face tone of this album title is not misleading. Although a couple of cuts tastefully skirt the edge of slackness and one (the very fine "Mr. Nine") is an angry denunciation of Kingston's gun culture, Friends for Life is more accurately represented by song titles like "All Will Be Fine," "Spectacular," "Good Times," and the twin throwaway tracks "Tra La La" and "La Da De Da." Banton remains a better DJ than singer. He acquits himself well in the latter category on the heavily Bob Marley-influenced "Maybe We Are" and on an amazingly powerful anthem of racial uplift entitled "Up Ye Mighty Race," but he shines brightest when delivering his trademark gruff-voiced toasting over hard-edged dancehall rhythms. He spars brilliantly with DJ Bounty Killer on the dark and funky "Teaser," but his combination track with singer Nadine Sutherland is something of a letdown. "Damn" is disposable dancehall loverman bluster, but the ska-inflected "Feeling Groovy" is a pleasant stylistic surprise. This is not his best album by a long shot, but it does demonstrate his clear superiority to most of the dancehall pack. Recommended. Rick Anderson