Byron Messiah and Burna Boy’s popular dancehall songs “Taliban” and “Taliban II” have been removed from YouTube, sparking controversy on social media.
Fans and critics alike have accused Byron Messiah of plagiarizing Jamaican artist Jeff Fleury Haute’s song “Big Guns.” These songs were reported and reported by Jeffrey Grant, also known as Jeff Fully Auto, who filed a copyright infringement claim on YouTube.
Jeff Full Auto fans pointed out similarities between “Taliban” and “Big Guns,” including shared characteristics and riddims. Byron Messiah, a singer from St. Kitts and Nevis, shared the YouTube takedown notice on his social media and responded with the caption “God only knows” and a praying hands emoji. Many of his fans rallied to support him, suggesting that copyright issues may have been raised long after the song was released.
YouTube cited copyright infringement as the reason for removing the song, and said the removal was in response to a formal complaint. As a result, the official video for “Taliban” is no longer available on Byron Messiah’s channel or elsewhere on the platform.
Originally released in January 2023, “Taliban” was a breakthrough work for Byron Messiah, catapulting him to stardom in the dancehall scene overnight. The track received widespread recognition, earning gold certification in the UK and Canada, and also featured Messiah in Times Square. The song's success caught the attention of Nigerian music star Burna Boy, who collaborated with Messiah on the remix “Talibans II”. This remix further increased Messiah’s profile in 2023 and cemented his place in the global music industry.
Listen to “Big Guns” by Jeff Fully Auto. It is this song that Byron Messiah and Burna Boy sampled to create “Taliban.”
Both tracks are currently not available on YouTube, but Jeff Full Auto claims there are significant similarities to his own work. Following the deletion, Jeffrey Grant released a statement asking Byron Messiah to resolve the matter amicably. Grant emphasized that he intends to give Messiah a chance to justify his actions, adding that a settlement is needed to get the songs back on YouTube. “The official video has been removed,” Grant said. “But if he wants his truck back on the platform, he has to make peace with me.”
