Buchaman has revealed that Jose Chameleone, Bobi Wine, and Bebe Cool nearly joined the Army after their beef spiraled out of control.
Veteran dancehall star Buchaman has revealed that in the early 2000s, the country’s so-called “Big 3”- Jose Chameleone, Bobi Wine, and Bebe Cool – nearly traded microphones for military uniforms after their beef spiraled out of control.
In a no-holds-barred interview with Shalom 256, the former Firebase Vice President painted a dramatic picture of how the trio’s competition went far beyond lyrical battles. What started as musical rivalry soon turned violent, street brawls, sabotage, and even organized gangs shadowing artists wherever they went.
“The President was told about how chaotic things had become,” Buchaman revealed. “He said if they feel unruly, they should be taken to General Saleh and signed to the army.”
Yes, you read that right. The Commander-in-Chief himself reportedly directed that Uganda’s biggest stars at the time be handed over to the military for “discipline.”
According to Buchaman, that was the turning point. General Salim Saleh, then deeply involved in supporting peace initiatives, decided to intervene, not with guns, but with microphones.
“Saleh gave us the option to stop with the gang violence or go fight Kony,” Buchaman said. “We chose peace, and that’s how the Reunion Show at Nile Hotel in 2003 came about.”
That event, now etched in Uganda’s pop culture memory, marked a rare moment of unity among the country’s musical giants. Fans watched in disbelief as Bobi Wine, Chameleone, and Bebe Cool shared one stage, the same men whose loyal camps had been on the verge of all-out street war just months earlier.
Buchaman also revealed that it was during those heated years that Firebase Crew helped introduce what he called “gang culture” into Kampala’s music scene. Artists moved around with tight entourages for protection, not for showbiz flair, but for survival.
“The camps were real. Firebase had its people, Leone Island had its soldiers, and Gagamel had its defenders. You couldn’t go to certain areas wearing the wrong T-shirt,” he recalled.
Looking back, Buchaman says those were wild but defining times when Ugandan music was raw, fearless, and dangerously alive. The tension between the Big 3 may have birthed chaos, but it also forged the legends that would go on to shape an entire generation of sound and style.
Two decades later, the rivalries have mellowed into mutual respect. Yet Buchaman’s revelations peel back the curtain on a time when fame, politics, and street power were inseparable and when Uganda’s biggest stars almost became soldiers instead of superstars.
Enock Mugabi aka iWitness is a Journalist, Seasoned Writer and Music Analyst with a passion for sports.
Connect with him on social media using the links below in bio.
