'Til Shiloh

'Til Shiloh is the fourth album by Jamaican dancehall artist Buju Banton, released in 1995 by Loose Cannon Records, a short-lived subsidiary of Island Records.^[2] In 2019 the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

'Til Shiloh
Studio album by Buju Banton
Released	July 18, 1995
Recorded	1994–1995
Studio	Cell Block Recording Studio, Kingston, Jamaica Digital Recording Studio, Kingston, Jamaica Giant Studios, New York City Penthouse Recording Studio, Kingston, Kingston, Jamaica Studio 2000, Kingston, Jamaica[1]
Genre	Roots reggae dancehall[1]
Length	64:35
Label	Loose Cannon Island
Producer	Donovan Germain Lisa Cortes Bobby "Digital" Dixon Dave Kelly Sylvester Gordon Steely & Clevie
Buju Banton chronology
Voice of Jamaica (1993) 'Til Shiloh (1995) Inna Heights (1997)
Singles from 'Til Shiloh
"Murderer" Released: 1994 "Wanna Be Loved" Released: 1995 "Champion (Remix)" Released: 1995 "Untold Stories" Released: 1995

The album marked a significant change in Banton's artistry, going to a direction closer to roots reggae. 'Til Shiloh was widely acclaimed by critics, and is considered to be a classic album for reggae music.^[1]

Music and lyrics

'Til Shiloh was described as an introspective record.^[3] Its themes mainly explore Buju's then newfound faith in the Rastafari movement, with songs such as "Til I'm Laid to Rest", and "Untold Stories". This could be seen as a transition from the rude-bwoy style, made of glorifications of gun violence, to a more roots-oriented fashion.^[4] Jo-Ann Greene of AllMusic said that the album "consolidated his move into social awareness and adopted a more mature, reflective tone that signaled Banton's arrival as an artist able to make major creative statements".^[4]

The title track, which opened the album, was based on an introduction Banton had used in live shows. According to producer Donovan Germain, "'Til Shiloh mean forever."^[2]

The track "Untold Stories" was later covered by Sinéad O'Connor on her 2005 reggae album Throw Down Your Arms.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Guardian	[5]
NME	6/10[6]
Pitchfork	9.4/10[7]
Q	[8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[9]
The Village Voice	A−[10]

Angus Taylor of BBC Music commented that "this is a very listenable landmark, which reminds us that while lyrical topics may differ, musically, reggae is one".^[11] AllMusic's reviewer Jo-Ann Greene said that "this is a gentler album than its predecessor, although still very much in a dancehall style. Another masterpiece".^[1] Robert Christgau stated that the record is "The most fully accomplished reggae album since the prime of Black Uhuru", praising "how he perfectly articulates empathy, vulnerability, and concern".^[10]

The album was listed in the 1999 book The Rough Guide: Reggae: 100 Essential CDs.^[12]

Reissues

In 2002 the album an expanded and remastered edition was released on Island/IDJMG/Universal Records, featuring the tracks "Sensemilia Persecution" and "Rampage".

In 2020, the album was reissued on its 25th anniversary on December 18, including remixes of "Not an Easy Road", "Wanna Be Loved" and an unreleased track called "Come Inna The Dance" as bonus tracks.^[13]

Commercial performance

On the issue dated August 5, 1995, Til Shiloh debuted at number 148 on the US Billboard 200 chart.^[14] The album also debuted at number 27 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.^[15] The album was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for streams and sales equating to 500,000 units in the United States.^[16]

Track listing

'Til Shiloh track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Shiloh"	Myrie	0:19
2.	"'Til I'm Laid to Rest"	Dixon, Myrie	4:24
3.	"Murderer"	Dodd, Myrie	3:56
4.	"Champion"	Myrie, Sibbles	3:59
5.	"Untold Stories"	Germain, Myrie, Tucker	4:36
6.	"Not an Easy Road"	Myrie	4:01
7.	"Only Man"	Kelly, Myrie	2:51
8.	"Complaint" (with Garnett Silk)		4:01
9.	"Chuck It So"	Myrie, Tucker, Tyrell	3:57
10.	"How Could You"	Dodd, Myrie	3:56
11.	"Wanna Be Loved"	Browne, Kelly, Myrie	4:05
12.	"It's All Over"	Browne, Johnson, Myrie	4:05
13.	"Hush, Baby, Hush"	Myrie, Williams	4:21
14.	"What Ya Gonna Do?" (with Wayne Wonder)		3:43
15.	"Rampage"		3:46
16.	"Sensemilia Persecution"		4:03
17.	"Champion" (remix)	Ice Cube, Life, Myrie, QDIII, Sibbles, Wansel	4:32
Total length:			64:35

Personnel

Wayne Wonder – vocals Buju Banton – vocals Garnett Silk – performer 2 Friends Crew – backing vocals Carlton Batts – mastering Dalton Browne – guitar Glen Browne – acoustic guitar Junior Chin – trumpet Clevie – drums, producer Lisa Cortes – executive producer, editing Bobby Digital – producer, engineer Sly Dunbar – drums Dean Fraser – saxophone Donovan Germain – producer, executive producer Sylvester Gordon – producer, engineer, mixing engineer Marcia Griffiths – backing vocals

Leroy Mafia – keyboards Gary Jackson – assistant engineer Robert Lyn – keyboards Steely – bass guitar, keyboards, producer, mixing engineer Gary Sutherland – engineer Andrew Thomas – engineer, assistant engineer Handel Tucker – drums, keyboards Andre "Dreddy Ranks" Tyrell – drums, producer, engineer Lloyd "Gitsy" Willis – keyboards Junior "Left Toe" Don – bass guitar Mikey Williamson – engineer Prince Charles Alexander – remix Tony Kelly – mixing engineer Drew Lavyne – editing Geoffroy de Boismenu – photography Clive Allen – cover photo Dave Fluxy – drums

Charts

Chart performance for 'Til Shiloh

Chart (1995)	Peak position
US Billboard 200[17]	148
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[18]	27
US Top Reggae Albums[19]	2

Certifications

Certifications for 'Til Shiloh

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[16]	Gold	500,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.