American rapper Fat Joe has claimed that Afrobeats originated from Jamaica.
The veteran hip-hop artist made the assertion during a recent episode of his Joe and Jada podcast, which featured Jamaican dancehall legend Buju Banton as a guest.
“Jamaica started Afrobeats. Even though everything comes from Africa,” Fat Joe declared.
Buju Banton did not correct the statement and instead redirected the discussion to the origins of reggaeton, crediting Panamanian rapper El General for pioneering the genre and influencing others.
Afrobeats is widely recognised as a genre that emerged from West Africa, particularly Nigeria and Ghana.
It is deeply rooted in Afrobeat, the revolutionary sound created by Nigerian music icon Fela Anikulapo-Kuti in the 1970s, while blending elements of highlife, hip-hop, R&B, and other global influences.
The claim has triggered strong backlash on social media, with many accusing Fat Joe of historical inaccuracy and diminishing the African origins of the hugely popular genre.
This latest controversy came after Buju Banton previously criticised Afrobeats artists.
In a 2024 interview on the Drink Champs podcast, the dancehall star accused them of borrowing from Jamaican reggae and dancehall without proper credit.
He also described Afrobeats as lacking substance and predicted that the genre would eventually fade away.
