Reggae star Buju Banton returned to his native Jamaica in early December after serving seven years in a US prison on drug charges. Banton got a hero’s welcome, despite his infamous, 1993 anti-gay song “Boom Bye Bye,” which called for the murder of gay people.
“Boom Bye Bye” was one of Banton’s first recorded songs about 25 years ago. Since then, he has rejected violence against the LGBTQ community. In June 2007, Banton signed the Reggae Compassionate Act, agreeing “to not make statements or perform songs that incite hatred or violence against anyone from any community.”
But Banton still can’t shake off his homophobic reputation, which makes his story complex for many Jamaicans, including Staceyann Chin, an LGBTQ activist and poet from Jamaica, who now lives in the US. Chin says Banton’s legacy is complicated.
Photo credit: Derrick Steward: DC- MGM Theater: Jill Scott Summer Tour 2017