This archive report was first published on 25 December 2019.
Reggae and dancehall icon Buju Banton, set to perform in Nairobi on February 8, 2020, has ruled out performing his breakout hit 'Boom Bye Bye'.
The song, released in the early 1990s, sparked widespread criticism for its lyrics advocating for the killing of gay people.
According to reports, Buju Banton wrote the song when he was 15 years old, and it was initially about a pedophile who molested young boys in his neighborhood.
The song's release led to the formation of the Stop Murder Music Campaign in the UK and the cancellation of approximately 28 of Buju Banton's concerts worldwide.
He has since removed the song from his catalog and vowed never to perform it again, a promise he has kept since 2007.
However, upon his release from prison in 2019 after serving a seven-year sentence, the song resurfaced in the media, prompting Buju Banton to speak out and show remorse.
"In recent days, there has been a great deal of press coverage about the song 'Boom Bye Bye' from my past, which I long stopped performing and removed from any platform I control or have influence over," Buju Banton said in March 2023.
"I recognize that the song has caused much pain to listeners as well as to my fans, my family, and myself. After all the adversity we've been through, I am determined to put this song in the past. I affirm once and for all that everyone has the right to live as they so choose," he added.
