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“They connected with everyone else except us. But when we look at what they are doing, their music is not freeing Africa! Is f-ckery!”
“The music needs to free Africa. If I am all the way in Jamaica and my country and my people fight fi free your continent with word, sound and power and you have the ability now, and all you are singing is f-ckery? You don’t sing a song to free Africa all now?”
Those were the words uttered by Buju Banton in a recent Revolt TV ‘Drink Champs’ interview, as he unwittingly joined Burna Boy and Foota Hype in harshly criticizing Afrobeats artists for producing shallow and unsubstantial music that lacks content aimed at liberating Africa, in stark contrast to Reggae and Dancehall.
Moments before, Buju had listed Nigeria’s Fela Kuti and South Africa’s Lucky Dube as among the greatest African artists, then pointed out that African artists who came after did not want to “go beyond the pale” of what those musicians were doing.
He added that in 1991, he traveled to Africa and spent three weeks educating university students from Ghana and across the continent about Reggae music and Dancehall.
According to the Champion artist, he was pleased that they recognized music as a bridge connecting cultures but expressed disappointment that Afrobeats artists did not seek to connect with Jamaica, the roots of the music, but instead opted to forge connections elsewhere.
Buju pointed out that while pursuing wealth is important, it is crucial for Afrobeats artists to consider the legacy left behind, as without making a meaningful impact, future generations may remember them as having achieved little.
“We want more from dem. You want the money? Go and get it! But what is gonna be said about you later on and your posterity? You didnt make any impact! So Reggae music still stands predominant. It is still the kings music,” he said laughing again and evoking a round of applause.
Putting on a serious face, Buju then stated: “Let me ask you a question: tell me one Afrobeats song that can uplift us. Kenya is suffering. The young men of Kenya are revolting; South Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, you name it. But which one of these (Afrobeats) songs can I relate to for a peace of mind, to tell me that I am in the struggle and we are gonna be better in the struggle and even though the struggle is hard, we are gonna overcome. Tell me!” he demanded.
The Gargamel’s comments came after one of the co-hosts said he had heard Buju say in the past that Afrobeats gave props back to Reggae to Dancehall.
“Do they?” he had replied sarcastically, staring at the interviewer as a pregnant pause ensued.
“I never said that. I said they don’t give f-cking props back to Dancehall and Reggae… I don’t think they do,” he added.
During the Revolt TV interview, Buju Banton took his critique a step further by pointing out that much contemporary Jamaican music, like its declared Afrobeats counterpart, has also lacked depth.
“We should have a more tighter relationship with Afrobeats, given… listen, when Nelson Mandela was locked up in South Africa, we was the voice of Africa in terms of the music. Jamaicans singing consistently making the world aware about the African plight. Ethiopia you name it Angola… So we are integral in world affairs and our music speak to the demographics of the globe,” the African Pride artist stated.
“So when we hear African brothers and sisters doing music that we can identify with, but we’re not hearing nothing to free Africa, or to free the mind of African [people]. We are concerned. Because if we are in Jamaica, and we’re singing about sexuality and violence and they can say to us, ‘My brothers in Jamaica, we remember when you used to speak to us from your heart,” he continued.
Added Buju: “Now you’re speaking to us from your lips. And we have to pull ourselves up from the bootstrap’… Then, we must be able to speak to our brothers across the pond and say, ‘My brothers, if we’re lacking, pull us up’”.
Some sentiments similar to Buju’s were raised in August last year by Burna Boy, who described the lyrics of Afrobeats songs as lacking substance.
The African Giant, whilst speaking in an Apple Music interview, had said that the majority of Afrobeats artists’ songs are not only devoid of real-life experiences but lack deeper meaning, and only depict having an amazing, blissful time, which is not what life is like in reality.
“Half of them, 90 per cent of them, have almost no real-life experiences that they can understand, which is why you hear most Nigerian music, African Music, or Afrobeats, as people call it, is mostly about nothing, literally nothing,” the Last Last artist had declared.
“There is no substance to it, there’s like nobody’s is talking about anything; it’s just a great time, an amazing time. But at the end of the day, life isn’t an amazing time… ,” Burna had added.
A few months prior, outspoken veteran music selector Foota Hype had also raised concerns that despite the struggles Africans are undergoing, Afrobeats artists music has been focused solely on women, sex and squandering money on women, and liberation of the Motherland.
Foota, in responding to remarks made by Bounty Killer that Afrobeats had surpassed Dancehall due to unappealing, silly content, had asserted that whilst much Jamaica’s new music is substandard, it was Jamaican artists, not Afrobeats musicians, are the ones still liberating Africa through meaningful songs, unlike the fluff often found in Afrobeats.
“Afrobeat aint sing sh*t weh inspirational! Afrobeats a sing bout love a gyal carry yuh tings give har; everything weh yuh have and tun wutliss. Dat a weh it a sing bout. Afrobeats a seh when yuh have a woman gi har everyting weh yuh have an tun eediat. ‘Buy Lamborghini for you; I do everything for you’. A dem ting deh dem a sing bout,” the Dark Knight producer had said.
“Suh we (Jamaicans) a sing the revolutionary music weh a uplift black people. An a unify back people suh why we shoulda change dah concept deh, fi get Babylon acumen?” he added.
Continued Foota: “Even now African music don’t sing nuttn bout African struggle, don’t sing nuttn bout African content, don’t sing nuttn bout African demise. African music nuh sing nuttn bout dem tribulation. Dem coulda care less bout how much a dem black bredda a dead”.
English (US) ·