Jamaican dancehall artist Spice has expressed her admiration for Afrobeats, countering recent criticism from her fellow Jamaican musician, Buju Banton. In a recent interview with Nigerian media personality Daddy Freeze, Spice made it clear that she values the genre and considers herself a fan of prominent Afrobeats artists, including Grammy winner Burna Boy.
“I don’t think Afrobeats is ‘f**kery’. It’s quite absurd to say that,” Spice stated, responding to Banton’s remarks. She emphasized that Afrobeats is a legitimate and influential genre, featuring artists like 2Baba and Falz who create meaningful, conscious music. Spice noted that just as Jamaica has artists who produce both conscious and party-oriented music, Afrobeats encompasses a range of styles and messages.
Banton had criticized Afrobeats for allegedly lacking cultural depth and failing to reflect the struggles of African life, contrasting it with the socially impactful music of earlier African artists like Fela Kuti, Salif Keita, and Youssou N’Dour. He also mentioned that Nigerian artists do not collaborate enough with their Caribbean counterparts, despite the influence of Dancehall and Reggae on Afrobeats.
Spice, recognizing her own status as the Queen of Dancehall, conceded that while Dancehall remains her domain, Afrobeats is currently the more prominent genre globally.