American rapper Fat Joe has revealed that he and others deliberately pressured Nigerian singer BNXN, formerly known as Buju, to abandon his former stage name out of respect for Jamaican dancehall icon Buju Banton.
Speaking during a podcast interview alongside Buju Banton, Fat Joe admitted that they publicly called out the Nigerian artist and pushed him to rebrand, claiming there was only room for one “Buju.”
“There was a fake guy in Africa using the Buju name. We dissed him on TV, shut him down, and he changed his name. I told him there is only one Buju Banton,” Fat Joe said.
Buju Banton explained that the name “Buju” carries deep personal meaning because it was given to him by his mother, unlike many artistes who create stage names for themselves. He added that he later attached “Banton” as a tribute to Jamaican DJ Burr Banton, whom he admired.
“Most artists get their names from friends or create them, but my name came from my mom. I added Banton because of my admiration for Burr Banton,” he said.
BNXN, who began his career under the name “Buju,” eventually rebranded amid reported trademark and copyright disputes, following mounting pressure over the similarity to Buju Banton’s name.
