Patoranking and Buju Banton unite Nigeria and Jamaica on African Soldier

African Soldier lands as a solidarity record first and a duet second, folding Nigeria and Jamaica into one roots reggae statement about African pride, resistance, and Black unity. Patoranking’s pairing with Buju Banton gives the song immediate weight, but its real force comes from how clearly it reaches back to reggae and dancehall foundations while speaking to the shared language of struggle across the diaspora.

The single arrived as the second release from Patoranking’s forthcoming fifth studio album, and the setup matters. Patoranking, who has spent much of his career moving between Afrobeats and Caribbean-derived sounds, used this record to return to the music that shaped him. He pointed to reggae as his core influence and linked African Soldier back to earlier songs such as Alubarika and No Jonze, records that helped establish his blend of uplift, street realism, and spiritual muscle.

That foundation shows in the production. Jazzwad built the track around live drums, bass, guitar, keys, and horns, with Jamaican session musicians brought in to keep the recording rooted in authentic reggae feel. Bonzai handled the mix and master, and the video, shot in New York City by Nigerian filmmaker UAX, extended the song’s pan-diasporic reach. The result is a release that feels assembled across the Black Atlantic, with Nigeria, Jamaica, and the United States all present in the frame.

Buju Banton’s appearance sharpens the message. Mark Anthony Myrie, born in Salt Lane, Kingston, has dominated reggae and dancehall for more than three decades, and his voice still carries the authority of a man who helped define the genre’s modern political edge. His history includes one GRAMMY win and eight nominations, among them Best Reggae Album for Born For Greatness at the 66th GRAMMY Awards. He also remains tied to major career milestones, from the Long Walk To Freedom tour stop that drew a sold-out crowd at Kingston’s National Stadium in 2019 to his 2024 U.S. comeback, his first U.S. show since 2011.

Patoranking’s own public work makes the collaboration feel even less like a one-off feature and more like an extension of his civic voice. UNDP named him its first Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Africa on July 9, 2024, in a two-year role centered on youth innovation, enterprise development, the timbuktoo initiative, and the Sustainable Development Goals. His foundation says it has directly impacted more than 5,000 young people and awarded 253 scholarships. On African Soldier, that public mission and his reggae instincts meet Buju Banton’s long-standing lineage in a track that speaks plainly about liberation and Black pride.