Fat Joe has stirred controversy after asserting that Afrobeats has its roots in Jamaica, sparking debate within the music industry and online.
While speaking on an episode of the Joe and Jada podcast alongside Buju Banton, Fat Joe suggested that Jamaica played a key role in shaping the genre. “Jamaica started Afrobeats. Even though everything comes from Africa,” he said during the discussion.
He went further to criticise Afrobeats, claiming it lacks depth and predicting that it may not stand the test of time.
Buju Banton did not directly dispute the statement but instead referenced the influence of Panamanian artist El General on the development of reggaeton and its global reach.
Fat Joe’s comments quickly generated reactions, with many pointing out that Afrobeats is widely acknowledged to have originated in West Africa, particularly in countries like Nigeria and Ghana. The genre is also closely connected to Afrobeat, pioneered by legendary Nigerian musician Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
The discussion has also brought renewed attention to previous remarks made by Buju Banton, who in 2024 criticised Afrobeats artists for allegedly drawing heavily from reggae and dancehall without proper acknowledgment, while also questioning the genre’s longevity.