Jamaica started Afrobeats – Fat Joe claims

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American rapper Fat Joe has sparked controversy after claiming that Afrobeats originated from Jamaica.

The rapper made the claim in a recent episode of the Joe And Jada podcast, which featured Jamaican dancehall crooner Buju Banton as a guest.

“Jamaica started Afrobeats. Even though everything comes from Africa,” he claimed.

Banton failed to correct Joe and instead chose to talk about how Panamanian rapper El General pioneered reggaeton and how it influenced other genres.

Contrary to Fat Joe’s claim, Afrobeats is widely regarded as originating from West Africa and heavily influenced by Afrobeat, which was pioneered by Nigerian music legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

Buju Banton had previously accused Afrobeats artistes of stealing from Jamaican reggae and dancehall music without crediting their source.

In an interview with the Drink Champs podcast in 2024, Banton claimed that afrobeats music has no substance and would fade with time.

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Afrobeats

Fat Joe

Jamaica