BNXN Denies Dropping Stage Name Because of Fat Joe’s Criticism
Nigerian singer-songwriter BNXN has dismissed claims that he changed his former stage name because of criticism from American rapper Fat Joe.
The clarification follows comments made by Fat Joe during a recent episode of the Joe and Jada podcast, where he discussed a past incident involving Jamaican reggae icon Buju Banton and the Nigerian artist formerly known as Buju.
During the podcast, Fat Joe suggested that his public remarks about the similarity in names played a role in forcing BNXN to abandon his original stage name. He claimed that his earlier comments contributed to the Nigerian singer’s decision to rebrand.
However, BNXN, whose real name is Daniel Benson, strongly rejected the narrative via his official X (formerly Twitter) account. He stated that the claim was inaccurate and misrepresents the reason behind his name change.
The singer also expressed frustration over what he described as a lack of understanding of African music culture and its global contributors. He urged Fat Joe to properly educate himself before making statements about Afrobeats artists and their decisions.
BNXN emphasized that his rebranding was not influenced by external pressure but part of his personal and artistic growth as a musician.
The discussion has also drawn reactions from fellow Nigerian artist Joeboy, who criticized Fat Joe’s comments, describing them as misleading and disrespectful toward African musicians.
Joeboy further suggested that the tone of the remarks reflected a broader issue of misunderstanding and misrepresentation of African artists in global conversations.
The exchange has since sparked debate online, with fans defending BNXN and calling for more accurate representation of African music history and artists in international media.
As the conversation continues, BNXN remains firm on his stance, insisting that his identity and career decisions were not shaped by external criticism.
