In a recent interview on the Drink Champs podcast with hosts N.O.R.
E. and DJ EFN, Buju Banton, a Grammy Award-winning artiste, has expressed his profound disappointment at the “lack of respect and homage” from Afrobeats artistes. He accused them of borrowing heavily from reggae and dancehall without giving proper recognition, a fact that deeply saddened him.
Banton, 51, born Mark Myrie, is one of Jamaica’s most respected and influential artistes. Afrobeats is a popular music genre that blends African sounds with Western styles like hip-hop and dancehall. Nigerian music stars Burna Boy, Rema, and Wizkid have spearheaded its global success.
It (Afrobeats) is often confused with Afrobeat, an older genre pioneered by Fela Kuti in the 1970s that combines traditional African music with jazz and funk. Unlike the dance-oriented Afrobeats, Afrobeat is known for its complex rhythms and political themes. In his interview, the best-selling album artiste argued that the rise of Afrobeats owes much to the influence of Jamaican music, despite claims by some that the genre is wholly distinct from reggae.
“Everyone wants to take from reggae; you want to ostracise us (Jamaican music) and underpay us. Afrobeats did not stem from Africa but from Jamaican influence. I’m sure Afrobeats artistes would say to you, ‘Afrobeats is Afrobeats and has nothing to do with Jamaica,’ we say to them, ‘Our music has everything to do with Africa.
’ We don’t dichotomise, we don’t separate our.