Buju Banton, who plays Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on Aug. 25, 2024. Credit: Photo via bujuofficial/Facebook

Buju Banton spent a lot of time in Tampa thanks to court dates related to federal drug charges. The 51-year-old reggae and dancehall legend born Mark Myrie was freed from Georgia’s private McMcRae Correctional Institute in 2018.

Now, the first-ever arena tour from Banton—who, in the past, came under scrutiny for homophobic songs like “Boom Bye Bye”—is called “The Overcomer” tour and arrives 15 years after shows at The Ritz and Jannus Landing were canceled because of the lyrics Banton wrote when he was a teenager. Banton ended up playing The Cuban Club, where organizers contractually-obligated the singer from playing the “Boom Bye Bye,” a track that was removed from the artist’s catalog in 2019.

“I recognize that the song has caused much pain to listeners, as well as to my fans, my family and myself. After all the adversity we’ve been through I am determined to put this song in the past and continue moving forward as an artist and as a man,” he told Urban Islandz at the time.

Tickets to see Buju Banton play Amalie Arena in Tampa on Sunday, Aug. 25 are still available and start at $54.75.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=nsJufnlsTRI

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This article appears in Aug 22-28, 2024.