Buju Banton is greatly displeased with the themes and lyrical content of Afrobeats.
Appearing on Drink Champs, the Reggae/Dancehall legendasserted:”It fu—ery. Music needs to free Africa,” admonishing Afrobeats acts, also, “They don’t sing a song to free Africa.”
He threw a challenge to the Drink Champs hosts to name an Afrobeats song that was uplifting.
“Tell me one Afrobeats song that can uplift us,” he asked, observing: “Kenya is suffering; young men in Kenya are revolting. South Africa, Sudan, South Sudan – everywhere is struggling. But which of these Afrobeats songs can relate to me for a peace of mind, and that we’re gonna be better in the struggle, and that even though the struggle is hard, we are gonna overcome! Tell me.”
The Battered and Bruised hitmaker highlighted Jamaica’s legacy of socially conscious music, lamenting Africans who now have worldwide attention are not living up to that important standard.
“The music needs to free Africa. If I am all the way in Jamaica and my country and my people fight to free your continent with word, sound and power, and you have the ability now, and all your singing is – fu—ery – you don’t sing a song to free Africa now,” he charged.
The Jamaican star born Mark Anthony Myriechastised Afrobeats acts for choosing money over what he views as the weightier matters of music.
“You want the money? Go get it. What’s gonna be said of you later on? And your posterity? You didn’t make any impact? So reggae music is still the kings music,” he said.
The Destiny hitmaker also admonished contemporary African music makers on the continent for not connecting with their diasporan brethren in Jamaica.
“I was happy to see when they came to their senses to realise that music is the bridge that’s gonna connect us but what I was disappointed in? They didn’t try and connect with Jamaica, the roots. They connected with everyone else except us,” the 51-year-old bemoaned.
Buju Banton was releasedfrom the McRae Correctional Institution, Georgia, USA,onDecember 7, 2018. In 2011, hewas sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison for a cocaine trafficking conviction. Upon his release, he commenced The Long Walk to Freedom tour, performing his first concert at National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, March 2019, with more than 30,000 people in attendance.
