Buju Banton Criticizes Afrobeats Artists For Not Respecting Reggae

Buju Banton was not playing around. The legendary dancehall artists went on Drink Champs and made it very clear he wanted smoke. Not with a single peer, mind you, but entire genres. Banton called out artists who work in the afrobeats and reggaeton genres for not putting more respect on the name of reggae. He also took afrobeats artists to task for their lyrical content. Banton went as far as to say that the genre lacks the inspirational qualities that make reggae so important to him.

“Listen, a lot of culture vultures out there,” Banton told the Drink Champs hosts. “We have sat and we have watched reggaeton taking reggae music. You have f*cked with our music so hard and stolen our culture.” Banton demanded that the artists who profit from these genres pay more respect to the genres that influenced them. “You don’t give us no respect, and you still expect us to kowtow and act like we take something from you,” he added. “This is the King’s music. Your music hall come and go, because it has nothing to do with soul; it has nothing to do with building energy.”

Buju Banton proceeded to take afrobeats to task for not addressing important social issues. “Which of these afrobeats songs can I relate to for a peace of mind,” he asked. “To tell me that I’m in the struggle, and we are gonna be better in the struggle. And even though it’s hard, we’re gonna overcome? Tell me.” N.O.R.E. did not have a response for the dancehall artist, but the internet certainly did. Twitter swarmed the clip of Banton criticizing other genres and labeled him out of touch. Some users even named songs that showcase the lyrical depth that Banton claimed was nonexistent.

Interestingly enough, Buju Banton doesn’t have a problem with hip-hop. He recalled hearing it for the first time as a teenager, and instantly becoming a fan. “We got exposed to hip hop,” he noted. “We were listening to Slick Rick [and] Doug E. Fresh’s ‘The Show’… hip hop has always been influential.” Banton added that he was further endeared to the genre when he learned about its originator, DJ Kool Herc. “I realized that Kool Herc was a DJ, a Jamaican, who made the fusion more palatable,” he noted. “I said, ‘OK, then it makes sense.’ So, we embrace it.”