‘Jamaica started Afrobeats’, says Rapper Fat Joe
American rapper Fat Joe has stirred controversy by claiming that Afrobeats originated from Jamaica. The veteran hip hop star made the remark on a recent episode of his “Joe and Jada” podcast while hosting Jamaican dancehall legend Buju Banton. “Jamaica started Afrobeats. Even though everything comes from Africa,” Fat Joe declared during the conversation. Buju Banton did not directly challenge the statement. Instead, he steered the discussion towards the roots of reggaeton, crediting Panamanian rapper El General as a pioneer whose work helped shape the genre and influence others. However, Afrobeats is widely recognised as a sound that emerged from West Africa, particularly Nigeria and Ghana. The genre draws heavily from Afrobeat, the revolutionary music style created in the 1970s by Nigerian icon Fela Anikulapo Kuti, while blending highlife, hip hop, R&B and other global influences. Fat Joe’s comment has […]