Buju Banton’s son Leelo: Ready for Music Pt 2

This is the final of a 2 part series on Buju Banton’s son Jahleel “Leelo” Myrie and his music. Part One was published on Thursday, August 26, 2022, and can be read HERE.

Although Jahleel was always surrounded by music, it was the sudden illness of his grandmother which influenced him to write his very first song, “Heart and Soul.”

“In 2019 my grandmother had a stroke and my grandfather called me to take her to the hospital. This was the same time the producer sent me a riddim to put a song on it. Thinking about my grandmother I began to sing:

My heart and soul Inna music
Mi give it
Di life mi a luv it
Big fat porsche from di Honda Civic
Mi wish mi grandmother coulda see dis.

Jahleel completed the verse in less than one hour while juggling football. The song was released on March 7, 2022, on the Echo Beats Production imprint. This is complimented with a music video.

“This song will help me reflecting on my current position in life to help me stay motivated and experiment with different sounds.”

Jahleel also recorded another song “Melanin,” and this is his story.

“I was searching for a dancehall song to sample and came across my dad’s “Champion” and decided to use his vocals.”

In 1991, Buju Banton released “Love Mi Browning.” This did not go down well with some fans citing racial prejudice. He quickly fix what could have led to a fall out with his fans by releasing “Love Black Woman”.

Jahleel’s vocal comes close to that of his father’s in a few lines when he deejays:

Fine waist thick size
Smooth skin tap it off with the melanin
Mi spot yu from yu walk.
Mi waan see yu body every morning
Mi style she like
Mi seet she shy
She smile wen mi engage inna talking…”

The song is on Jahleel’s owned Leelo Records label.

Jahleel is working very hard to produce high quality songs which he hopes will take his music around the world.

(Photo courtesy of Brickii Kane)