Jahaziel Myrie, son of reggae icon Buju Banton, is speaking candidly about a personal battle with his sexuality — and how his Christian faith pulled him through.
In a recent appearance on Sheena Power Talk, a faith-based podcast hosted by Sheena Lyn Hanson, Myrie described the moment his father’s controversial 1992 song Boom Bye Bye unexpectedly prompted him to return to church.
“My father’s song dragged back my memory — mi seh wait nuh, my father sing Boom Bye Bye? I got up the next day and walk go a church,” he said.
Boom Bye Bye, widely condemned for its homophobic lyrics promoting violence against gay men, was pulled from streaming platforms in 2019 when the elder Myrie — born Mark Myrie — issued a public apology following his release from U.S. federal custody on drug charges. Buju had previously stopped performing the song in 2007, saying it was recorded during his teenage years and originally directed at a man in his community accused of molesting young boys.
Now, it’s his son making headlines — not for controversy, but for vulnerability.
Jahaziel, who was baptised in 2024, described his struggle as spiritual rather than physical. “Almost turned gay because the enemy had my mind a way,” he told Hanson, adding that rejection from women had played a role in his confusion. “That door was closed at one point with women,” he explained.
Rather than placing the blame on external circumstances alone, Myrie acknowledged the inner work required for healing. “I checked that [baptism] could have helped me, but I realised that you have to do the inner work,” he said.
The young artiste said his faith has guided him beyond just his personal life, crediting divine intervention in his music career as well. “God always shows up every time I am about to give up,” he shared.
Myrie posted a clip from the interview to his Instagram page, where he has been increasingly open about his Christian walk since his baptism last year.
