'Til Shiloh (Expanded)

After Voice of Jamaica turned Buju Banton into the Jamaican equivalent of Snoop Dogg or Ice Cube, the dancehall stylist turned away from the sordid themes that had made him a superstar. He used 1995’s ‘Til Shiloh to impart a more spiritual form of reggae. With a slightly reduced version of the same gruff delivery with which he'd once espoused tales of lust and gunfire, Banton offered “’Til I’m Laid to Rest,” “Untold Stories,” and “Not an Easy Road” as messages of determination, compassion, and perseverance. “Wanna Be Loved” might be the sweetest and most vulnerable song of Banton’s career, while the '50s-style pop of “Hush Baby Hush” is a surprisingly convincing approach to a reggae pop song. But while Banton may have softened, he hadn’t relented. As if to reaffirm his ferocity in the face of detractors, ‘Til Shiloh contained a string of intense dancehall tracks, including “Rampage,” “Only Man,” and the magnificently rambunctious (and catchy) “Champion.” While Banton helped push reggae into the modern era, his merciless delivery also reanimated the vintage rhythms of “Murderer” and “Complaint,” two of the album’s most evocative songs.