Frankie Sly opens up on fallout with Buju Banton

Veteran dancehall artiste Frankie Sly has stepped into the simmering fallout between Buju Banton and Wayne Wonder, releasing a pointed new single, Dutty Heart, that lays bare old wounds and highlights broken friendship.

There have been tension between Buju Banton and Wayne Wonder amid renewed questions over the authorship of the 1993 hit Murderer. Frankie Sly insists it was a collective effort, maintaining that all three artistes contributed creatively.

"Him talk it outta his mouth, so him caa tek it back now," Frankie Sly said, referring to an earlier interview on Onstage with Winford Williams, where he seemingly acknowledged both Wayne Wonder and Frankie Sly as contributors to the iconic track.

"We wrote songs together collectively because two or three heads are better than one. That is just reality. We were friends, so why would you sit there and write a song by yourself, especially since Pan Head, who died, was all a we friend?" Frankie Sly asked.

He also hinted at personal contributions to the track, including lyrical elements drawn from scripture, while stressing that the truth cannot be erased.

"Me all go inna my hotel room for the Bible and added Psalms 121 [which] is my favourite Psalms, and me incorporate that line deh in particular. People nuh stupid. You can't hide from the truth, but at the end of the day, I'm not bitter, I'm better."

Frankie Sly told THE STAR that he has stayed out of the matter "as I didn't want to get involved in the drama". Instead of the back-and-forth, Frankie Sly said he chose to speak through the pen, crafting Dutty Heart as both a personal reflection and a broader commentary on betrayal and changing loyalties.

The veteran, who was once part of a tight-knit circle with Buju and Wayne Wonder, suggested the song reflects betrayal and the changes fame can bring. He described their past as a brotherhood that spanned years of touring and collaboration, but admitted the relationship with Buju has long gone cold.

"All of us used to roll together. We toured the world together, but at the end of the day, he is who he is, and it's sad to see it end up where it has," Frankie Sly said.

He explained that the idea for Dutty Heart came from sitting with the situation and processing the unfolding controversy, using music as his outlet to address the emotions surrounding the dispute.

"Everything in it is a fact, but at the same time I didn't want to make it seem like it was all about him (Buju), as a nuff people have experienced having a friend that did them wrong," Frankie Sly said.

While his relationship with Wayne Wonder remains intact, Frankie Sly said things have not been the same with Buju Banton.

"He and I haven't spoken in years. I can't even remember when was the last time. I don't like negative energy, and if a pure negative energy you bring, then me rather nuh see you or be in your space," he said.

"Dem seh some fren rich and switch, well dat a him. A him tek wey himself, enuh. Me and Wayney Wonder still par. Nothing changed about our relationship, and we did a par before him come 'bout," Frankie Sly added.