Poverty In Buju Banton's 'Untold Stories'

In Buju Banton’s “Untold Stories”, he speaks on the hardships that many people face in the country of Jamaica, and clearly opposes the exceedingly high rate of poverty that consumes his nation. Banton’s notions surrounding poverty depict what life is like from a victim’s point of view; though there are many instances involving poverty that were spoken of, there are endless stories that can validate the suffering in these communities and the fullness thereof can never be told in its’ entirety. The extremities of poverty differ with geographical location and globally affect citizens of every nation; many are working towards lessening the factors of poverty to end world poverty all together.

Destitution in today’s society varies by location and earned wages. In the first verse of the song, Banton says:

It’s a competitive world for low budget people,

Spending a dime while earning a nickel

With no regards to who it may tickle

My cup is full to the brim

I could go on and on the full has never been told. (27-31)

Banton makes it so that his listeners can take from this song and understand the many complications that poor people face in their everyday lives. Anup Shah, the founder

Paul Collier, an Economics professor at the School of Government, and author of “The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done about it” states, “This book is about four traps that have received less attention: the conflict trap, the natural resources trap, the trap of being landlocked with bad neighbors, and the trap of bad governance in a small country.” (p. 5) In “Untold Stories” Banton speak on how he feels that the government consciously sabotages the livelihood of those who fall below the poverty line, and in the wickedest of ways, the government strives to maintain this living standard. Banton’s lyrics