Fat Joe did, however, acknowledge that the Afrobeats genre has its roots in Africa, notwithstanding his controversial assertion.
By Kehinde Okeowo
American rapper Joseph Antonio Cartagena, popularly known as Fat Joe, has set tongues wagging after asserting that Jamaicans started the Afrobeats genre.
The ‘All the Way Up’ crooner made the claim in the latest episode of the Joe And Jada podcast, which featured Jamaican dancehall star Buju Banton as a guest.
Afrobeats is widely believed to have originated in West Africa, pioneered by the late Nigerian music legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
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However, despite acknowledging that the genre has its roots in Africa, Fat Joe insisted that Jamaican singers started it.
“Jamaica started Afrobeats. Even though everything comes from Africa,” he claimed.
Buju Banton remained silent following Fat Joe’s controversial claim; instead, he chose to discuss how Panamanian rapper El General pioneered reggaeton and how it influenced other genres.
Banton’s perspective on the matter was perhaps expected, as he has previously accused Afrobeats artists of stealing from Jamaican reggae and dancehall music without crediting the source.
In an interview with the Drink Champs podcast in 2024, he claimed that Afrobeats music lacks substance and will fade with time.
