Buju Banton is one of the world’s most renowned reggae artists, who only recently came out of prison. He was sentenced to ten years and one month in a federal prison for a cocaine trafficking conviction and was released on December 7, 2018, from McRae Correctional Institution in Georgia.

Since his release, he returned straight to music, launching “The Long Walk to Freedom” tour, and performed his first concert at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, in March 2019. The concert attracted over 30,000 people.

In a recent interview with the popular Revolt TV show “Drink Champs,” hosted by NORE and DJ EFN, Buju Banton made some claims that have sparked controversy. Whether driven by vitriol or misinformation, these statements have been widely debated.

During the interview, Buju made erroneous claims about Afrobeats, suggesting that African artists were connecting with everyone except reggae/Jamaican musicians. This claim is demonstrably false, as many Jamaican reggae artists have collaborated with Afrobeats stars, including Popcaan, Morgan Heritage, Sean Paul, Shaggy, Damian Marley, Busy Signal, Elephant Man, Vybz Kartel, and many more. In fact it is fair to say Jamaica has been one of the most, if not the most prominent collaborator off afrobeats.

Buju also boldly claimed that “Afrobeats is not freeing Africa, it’s fuckery!” Such a statement suggests either a lack of understanding of Afrobeats or a negative bias against the genre’s success. As J. Cole once said, “Idols become rivals.”

One of the most prominent founding figures of Afrobeats was Fela Kuti, whose music originated in the struggle against oppression. Modern Afrobeats began to gain commercial traction in the early 2000s, achieving extraordinary success in the 2020s.

Starting with that period Africans were laced with great pro African music such as J Martins ft P. Square & Timaya – Good Or Bad, 2baba – African Queen & See Me So, Timaya – Dem Mama, Duncan Mighty – Owhornu Ogwu, Asa – Jailer and much much more.

Although today’s Afrobeats scene is often dominated by commercial dance and love songs on the mainstream platforms, the spirit of Africa still thrives in the genre. Artists like Stonebwoy, Yemi Alade, and Burna Boy and more continue to create conscious music that speaks to Africa’s soul.

Yemi Alade’s latest album, “Rebel Queen,” is a testament to this, featuring a swirl of musical styles and languages from across the African continent. She sings in Yoruba, English, Igbo, French, and Swahili, expressing strong, progressive Afro-pride music.

Like every other genre, Afrobeats is broad and diverse, with both authentic artists and those focused on commercial success. What you hear is what you choose, but if you dig deeper, you will find the true spirit of Africa in Afrobeats. So is Buju’s claim a from a stand point of miseducation, or should Africa expect to see a range of raggae artists looking to join the band wagon of detractors of the unstoppable afrobeats movement?

See reactions below…

Message to Buju, Africa will rise, with or without the hatred in your heart.

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