Nigerian singer BNXN has responded sharply to American rapper Fat Joe after he claimed on a podcast that he personally pressured the Afrobeats star into abandoning his former stage name, Buju.
Speaking during a recent episode of the Joe and Jada podcast alongside Jamaican reggae legend Buju Banton, Fat Joe described BNXN as the “fake guy using the Buju name,” claiming he had called the Nigerian artist out during his time hosting The Wendy Williams Show, and that the public criticism forced the name change. Fat Joe claimed that after the episode aired in Africa, BNXN had no choice but to rebrand, joking that the singer was now called “X1312 or something.”
BNXN initially fired back in a tweet that subsequently went viral before being deleted, accusing Fat Joe of spreading misinformation about African music. In a follow-up post that remains on his X page, the singer went further.
BNXN wrote: “The hate in your heart and your deliberate misinformation about African music and its artists is why your chromosomes are all f**ked up. Educate yourself bozo.”
He also thanked supporters, saying their messages of solidarity meant a great deal to him. Expressing his frustration, BNXN nonetheless said he still valued mutual respect, adding: “Even in my moments of rage, I never want to lose my sense of humanity. Respect me and I will respect you.”
BNXN, who originally built his following under the name Buju before rebranding to BNXN, pronounced Benson, has previously explained that the change was driven by branding and identity considerations as his career expanded internationally.
Fat Joe’s remarks also revived a separate debate after he suggested during the same podcast appearance that Jamaica played a key role in the origins of Afrobeats, a claim widely disputed by music historians and African artists.
NewsGhana reported on Wednesday on Fat Joe’s broader claims about Afrobeats origins made during the same episode.
