Despite bloggers’ impassioned calls to “set the captive free” [1], the jury in the Buju Banton drug trial yesterday returned a guilty verdict on three of the four charges [2] against him. The recent Grammy winner [3] could be facing a sentence of as much as fifteen years behind bars. For many bloggers, the long-awaited verdict [4] is an uncomfortable case of life imitating art – the critically acclaimed Before the Dawn [5], which won Banton the Grammy award for Best Reggae Album, includes “a song in which Banton proclaims he is wrongly convicted though God knows he is innocent.” [6]
Still, the verdict left Jamaica Salt [7] “kind of surprised”:
I thought things may have gone the other way after the last trial, but the audio and video evidence could not be overcome.
Girl With a Purpose [8] adds:
It is said that he could get a minimum of 5 years for the firearm possession charge to a maximum of 40 years for all three charges.
Tallawah [9], meanwhile, was monitoring Twitter and re-posts the reactions of “several members of the Jamaican music industry”. Twitter (under the hashtags #bujubanton [10], #buju [11] and #jamaica [12]) was also the platform on which ordinary Tweeple and fans of Buju's music posted their post-verdict thoughts, including several tweets to “free Buju Banton” [13]:
@kingharvest99: Buju Banton convicted in cocaine distribution case
http://t.co/4n15DaB [14]@blazon11: Damn I am still in shock about the news about the voice of Jamaica Mr Buju Banton [15]
@imDJB: After hearing that news about Buju Banton its only right that i play one of his songs [16]
@tonya1908: Prayers for Buju Banton. [17]
Unsurprisingly, speculation over a gay conspiracy longing for retribution over Banton's now infamous anti-gay song Boom Bye Bye [18] found its way into the commentary [19], but the most candid reactions came from Jamaicans themselves. @JamaicaGleaner [20] posted this series of tweets:
Buju verdict goes viral http://tinyurl.com/4msu628 [21]
#Online response to #Buju Banton verdict #Jamaica http://tinyurl.com/65yq64k [22]
Two of blogger @anniepaul [25]‘s comments got retweeted:
…to which @Selectajerry responded:
International depression #reggae @anniepaul RT National depression. #Jamaica #Buju [26]
A date for sentencing is still to be announced.