A TALE OF TWO MEN-Part II

The DeLorean DMC-12 was sort of a cool car in that early 80’s way, but one that proved to be a bad business venture. The car is best known as the time machine in the movie, “Back to the Future.” The all stainless steel body and gull wing doors were stock items. I guess a killer stereo and time machine capabilities were options. John DeLorean was the inventor and head honcho of the DMC-12. John DeLorean learned all this auto industry know how coming up the ranks of first Chrysler then General Motors. They claim he was the brain behind the Pontiac GTO, which spurred on the muscle car stop light war. His many successes led to John being nick named the Prince of Detroit. Eventually Johnny D got bored working for the General, so he became self-employed by firing himself from GMC. He figured his car would be a challenge to the big three automakers. He indulged in a rock star lifestyle complete with snagging a young model wife. (She would leave him once the money evaporated into thin air.)
Although all was not well within DeLorean Enterprises, poor Johnny D. owed a lot of people huge sums of money. Seems the money somehow ended up paying for houses in the country and penthouses in the big city. The British government even loaned him 156 million. That is one helluva bag of cash! Turn of events did not turn Johnny D’s way so our Prince of Detroit found a solution.
Johnny D was caught with a briefcase full of cash. 1.8 million says the FBI agent who led the sting operation. This was to be exchanged for 100 kilos of cocaine at wholesale. (Cheaper to buy product in volume). His 1.8 million dollar investment flipped would be worth 24 million on the street. Actually the US Department of Drug Sniffers was looking for a smuggler named William Hetrick. William unknowingly led the authorities straight to Johnny Boy. John suggested that Ford or one of the other big three auto empires had framed him. He even claimed he might have been set up by the British intelligence.
A jury of his peers found John DeLorean innocent. He apparently had no idea that meeting someone in a secluded spot like a back alley at midnight might possibly be mistaken as engaging in illegal activities. I guess he figured he was buying Girl Scout cookies at wholesale cost. Think of the mark up when Johnny Boy would push them on his friend’s kids. Who could say no to Chocolate Mint?
I am sure the man was an asshole in real life, but I must admit I almost like the guy. I mean he stared the US Government down and then a few years later, Johnny Boy even beat a tax evasion charge.



First off- even if Buju is guilty, why is he being PERSECUTED by the U.S. Judicial System, instead of being PROSECUTED by them? What happened to due process? Even if he was trying to save Gargamel Records by some shady business practices, what happened to innocent until proven guilty? Ever think that he might be completely innocent? In fact I would find it all to easy to believe that the American Government does personally have it out for him. Conspiracies are not just for paranoid crazies. Someone sitting comfy in a seat of power feels threatened by Buju. Hmm, lets see- Mr. Buju Banton is a proud outspoken Black man. Mr. Buju Banton, a Bobo Shanti Dread, is a successful music artist with the youth listening in. That makes him dangerous to White bred America.
Buju Banton aka Gargamel was born Mark Myrie. No one can deny that Buju is credited with bringing roots and culture values back into Dancehall. Huge international sellers like Til’ Shiloh and Inna Heights proved to the unsuspecting world that real reggae did not die with Marley. Hippies and critics might have believed so, but it was safe in Buju’s hands. Safe in Buju’s lyrics.
I remember a time not too long ago when those living in the Reggae world were suspicious of Buju’s conversion to Rastafari. Some figured it was a marketing move by a record company. Many figured he was a thug cashin’ in on Roots revival. My argument then and my argument now is- if he was a youth making fistfuls of cash rockin’ the mic as a slack DeeJay, why even bother pretending to find Jah? He got wiser as he got older. He got wise to the fact that there is more to life than slack ways. And with that newfound wisdom, he found Jah in his heart.
Hopefully Mark Myrie gets a fair trial by his peers. I know that Buju Banton the Rasta will not.