A fresh controversy has emerged around the authorship of the classic dancehall anthem murderer, as veteran dub poet Mutabaruka steps forward claiming a key lyrical line as his own.
Speaking on IRIE FM’s Wake-up Call programme, on Wednesday March 19 with Courtney Mac and Trisan Wilson, Mutabaruka asserted that the iconic line …’kill I today, yuh can’t kill I tomorrow’- made famous in Murderer by Buju Banton, was originally taken from his 1992 poem Bone Lies. The poem, which features reggae heavyweights Freddie McGregor, Cocoa Tea, and Dennis Brown, predates the release of Murderer and is now central to his claim.
Recently, representatives for Wayne Wonder alleged that Murderer was written as early as 1992 in Japan by Wayne Wonder, Buju Banton, and Frankie Sly. According to the claim, Frankie Sly was never credited, while Wayne Wonder’s contribution was allegedly removed in 1995.
However, Buju Banton pushed back against these assertions during a recent Instagram live, dismissing the claims outright. However, his response contrasts with an earlier interview on onstage with Winford Williams, where he appeared to acknowledge both Wayne Wonder and Frankie Sly as contributors to the 1993 hit.
