Reid Denies Fight with Banton

by Kevin Jackson (reprinted from EURweb.com)

Junior Reid denies a fist fight with Buju Banton…..and tells his side of what really happened in Miami

June 5, 2008 – Jamaican reggae artiste Junior Reid has denied media reports that he and Buju Banton were involved in a fist-throwing altercation backstage during the Best of the Best show at the Bicentennial Park in downtown Miami in late May.

He told one876entertainment that the whole situation stemmed from an incident in which Buju Banton maligned his name in front of Reid’s 13 year-old daughter, Destiny.

“I was there holding a vibe for the show and my daughter and her friends went over to Buju Banton because she is a big fan of Buju. She introduced herself as Junior Reid’s daughter, and Buju said, ‘who Junior Greed?’ My daughter was very embarrassed, and she asked me, ‘daddy, what you and Buju Banton have?’  I told her ‘no worry yourself, him no approach me to my face in that way’,” he explained.

He said that he regained his composure and prepared himself mentally for his onstage performance. After performing, he said he went to the press tent where he glimpsed Buju Banton. He began to do his interviews, and was surrounded by press personnel when Buju Banton, who had concluded his own interviews, attempted to hail him.

“He stretched out his hand to greet me, and mi say, mi nah go shake yu hand when yu stab mi inna mi back and laugh inna mi face. Buju, don’t play me dirty,” he said.

Reid said he was surprised that Buju Banton would address him in such a way given the fact that he had been involved in reggae music for almost three decades.

“Yu caan diss a living legend, mi set the trend. Yu affi pay respect to a man who ah set the ting. Him mussi did tink say mi career done, all the while, dem waan see yu go down, dem no waan yu de pon no show, or have no music on the radio. But mi step up mi game, Alicia Keys crazy power play all over the world and AMA performance, Mims who sell four million ring tones, The Game album which was #1 on Billboard,mi mek the 52 states look like 14 parishes,” he said.

Reid is known for the dancehall anthems, ‘One Blood’, ‘All Fruits Ripe’ and ‘Listen to the Voices’. He was particularly incensed by the insinuations that he was greedy.

“How can he call me greedy? And me never do a show or a transaction with him yet. Mi voice fi him and never charge him a cent. Dem caan stop what is going on for him, the world like mi formula, so is just straight bad mind dem a deal wid, dem a try play me dirty,” he said. “Is a yute weh mi always show respect, mi go fi him studio, him never yet come to my studio.”

He said that there were some elements in the business that “eat and dem belly full and ah dem alone waan eat eat, mi ease off and mek the yutes dem do dem ting, and now when is my time fi eat, dem no waan see that happen’.

“But look on the time, this name quarter to seven, 6:45, the time never change, the yutes dem still a mad over me, ah two generation love me, the parents and their children, so ah just my time now. Mi no greedy ‘cause yu caan force yuself on the people, mi just have the formula fi give to dem right now,” he said.

He issued a challenge to Buju Banton as well, and reiterated that he will not be intimidated.