Veteran reggae singer Wayne Wonder has set social media alight after a series of lengthy, emotional statements—attributed to him and his management—were posted on his official Instagram account, taking aim at fellow dancehall figure Buju Banton.
The posts appear to respond directly to a recent interview in which Buju Banton, speaking with Queenz Flip, was asked about his relationship with Wonder and a “30-year issue.” Initially reluctant, Banton characterised friendships as inherently fragile, noting they had caused him “much pain.”
“No situation is ever permanent and life has ups and downs and flaws. Just leave it at that,” he said, adding: “No one was meant to be in your life permanent.”
Pressed further, he continued: “Because it is the reality… you never born with your friend. You born with your best friend? You born alone.”
Banton went on to suggest that loyalty must be reciprocal. “You hold on to who hold on to you,” he said, before adding pointedly: “Friendship cost me nuff pain, me good, cause in reality non a dem anuh me bredda… we just share a thing and some a them come and get greedy… Remember I tell you the top is lonely.”
He also stated that few people visited him during his time in prison, notably omitting Wonder’s name.
That omission, alongside references to “greed,” appears to have provoked a sharp rebuttal. In a series of Instagram posts published on Monday evening, a voice speaking on behalf of Wonder opened with: “Wayne is far too humble and decent to address this clown, so I’m doing it for him.”
The posts challenge Banton’s claims point by point, beginning with the allegation that Wonder had not offered support during his incarceration. “You also said Wayne never checked on you while you were in prison. Let’s tell the truth,” the statement reads, before alleging: “Wayne came to see you when you were in the Tampa jail… he came to visit you several times… he came almost every morning and spent entire days with you.”
It further claims that any subsequent distance was at Banton’s request: “You were the one who said you didn’t want him visiting because you didn’t like the guards having to pat you down.”
The dispute extends to longstanding questions over songwriting credits, particularly regarding the track “Murderer.” According to the posts: “Wayne, Frankie, and you, Buju, wrote ‘Murderer’ in Japan in 1992… it turns out that in 1995… Wayne’s name had been removed.”
“For over 30 years, royalties connected to that work were collected by you Buju while Wayne had no clue this had happened,” the statement continues. Other songs, including “Deportee” and “It’s Not an Easy Road,” are also cited, with claims of incomplete or altered credits.
The tone becomes increasingly accusatory. “You want to call Wayne GREEDY and accuse him of lying about wanting credit for work he helped create?” the posts read, before alleging broader hypocrisy and questioning his role a a father: “You Buju tried to take the roof from over the heads of your baby mother and five children… yet you’re calling Wayne greedy? Make it make sense.”
Beyond professional grievances, the statements venture into more personal territory. “You were blessed with a talent… yet it was never enough for you, you are so money hungry,” one passage asserts, followed by a warning: “Go ahead and come out and talk… and I’ll put your dirty laundry on the table for everyone to see.”
Despite the force of the allegations, the posts frame Wonder himself as having exercised restraint. “Wayne has never spoken publicly about many of these things because his heart and character would not allow him to tear anyone down publicly.”
In one of the more pointed passages, the statement concludes: “Wayne never wanted to maintain any kind of relationship with this unhappy fool… His stories are dark, and the things he has done are what haunt him at night.”
The posts suggest that although the dispute reflects years of unresolved tension, Banton had sought to reconnect professionally in recent times: “Last year you… called repeatedly asking Wayne to record songs with you… Wayne simply was not interested.”
This is not the first time Wonder is giving Banton flack. In a 2022 interview with DJ Klash, Wayne Wonder said his once-close friendship with Buju Banton has faded over time, particularly after Banton’s release from prison in 2018.
Wonder explained that although he supported Banton during his 2010 trial and they briefly reconnected around the 2019 Long Walk to Freedom concert, their relationship “is not the same.”
He noted that he initially gave Banton space after his release, but attempts to rebuild their bond were unsuccessful. “We tried… I tried,” he said, adding that they may have simply “grown apart.”
