10 major things Buju missed

When reggae artiste Buju Banton was imprisoned nine years ago, it cost $89.65 to purchase US$1. Bruce Golding was the prime minister of Jamaica, and Chik-V was unknown to the Jamaican population. However, the reggae star, who is now 45, returns to a very different Jamaica than the one he left.

Here are 10 major things that Buju would have missed while he was locked up abroad.

1. There has been major infrastructure upgrade: The Gargamel may not be able to drive himself around the island right away. The North-South leg of Highway 2000, for example, is one road he sure will not recognise.

2. The Tivoli Gardens incursion and subsequent extradition of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke to the United States in June 2010.

3.The political arena has also seen its fair share of action. The Manatt-Dudus affair led to Bruce Golding resigning as prime minister in October 2011. It was the first resignation by a Jamaican prime minister. Buju also missed the retirement of Portia Simpson Miller after 40 years in politics, and the rise of Andrew Holness as Jamaica's youngest prime minister.

4. Ganja, the sacred sacrament of the Rastafarian faith, was decriminalised in 2015. The country has since taken the bold stance of establishing a medical marijuana industry.

5. Entertainers Vybz Kartel and Ninja Man have been imprisoned for murder.

6. The rise of lotto scamming, an illicit activity which involves bilking vulnerable United States citizens of their money.

7. Jamaica's glory years in sports which included Jamaica's 1-2-3 in the men's 200m final at London Olympics in 2012; much of Usain Bolt's and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce's expolits on the track; the Reggae Boyz got their first ever win over the USA, and the Reggae Girlz have qualified for the World Cup in France.

8. A new generation of entertainers, to include Rygin King, Alkaline, Chronixx and Protoje, has been born. CD players are almost obsolete, and music is mainly sold by digital downloads. Tessanne Chin won the Voice in 2013 and Dalton Harris won the X Factor earlier this month.

9. Historic Falmouth - the cruise port in the Trelawny capital -was opened in March 2011, and has contributed significantly to the increase in visitor arrival on the island.

10. Gas prices have gone through the roof. When Buju was arrested, the price quoted by Petrojam for a litre of 87-Octane was $69.89 while a litre of 90-Octane was going for $71.33. The prices have since climbed to $123.46 for a litre of 87-Octane, and $126.30 for a litre of 90-Octane.