The Nigerian music industry, particularly the Afrobeats genre, has seen remarkable global success over the past decade. However, a new trend is emerging among some of the country’s leading artists who are facing an identity crisis and challenging the Afrobeats narrative.
Several prominent Nigerian singers, including Wizkid, Burna Boy and Fireboy DML, have publicly distanced themselves from the Afrobeats label. Wizkid, for example, has expressed frustration at being pigeonholed into a single genre, arguing that Afrobeats, while a sound in itself, does not encompass the wide range of music he creates. He describes his music as a “fusion of sounds,” resisting the oversimplification that comes with the Afrobeats label.
Burna Boy has been vocal about his perception that Afrobeats lacks substance and has criticised the genre’s superficial content. He prefers to identify his music as “Afrofusion”, which allows him to integrate a variety of influences without limiting himself to the traditional Afrobeats sound. Yemi Alade, on the other hand, has criticised other musicians for distancing themselves from Afrobeats, arguing that they undermine the importance of the genre in their careers. She considers these actions to be “hypocritical”.
Artists fear that if Afrobeats dies, they will be left behind. Their aim is to broaden their horizons and explore other genres to safeguard their musical legacy. Unlike genres like Galala, which lasted a decade in Ajegunle, Afrobeats has shown resilience and ability to evolve. The hope of most Afrobeats artists is to transcend generations and endure as the foundational genres of Afrobeat and highlife.
The desire of the standard-bearers of the Afrobeats genre is an aspiration to endure and transcend generations, similar to how Afrobeat, pioneered by legends like Fela Kuti, continues to influence music today.
Nigerian musician Fela Anikulapo Kuti, late That’s why determined music producer ID Cabasa, hitmaker of “Gongo Aso” and 9ice’s “Street Credibility,” is relentless in his mission to correct the identity crisis faced by artists in the genre. In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, he shares more about this and his knack for reimagining classics.
Creating a bridge
The producer expressed his determination to bridge the gap between Afrobeats’ past and present, ensuring that the genre’s rich history is not lost in the quest for global relevance.
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“I’m trying to bridge where we came from, where we are and where we’re going in the history of Afrobeats,” Cabasa explains.
His recent projects, such as reimagined versions of classics like Styl-Plus’ “Olufunmi” featuring Joeboy, Fireboy, Boj and OdumoduBlvck and 9ice’s “Photocopy” featuring Vector, are a deliberate attempt to maintain the fundamental roots of Afrobeats while advancing the genre.
He says he's “trying to relive time and some of the vibes we felt at a particular time in the early 2000s, the millennium and all that. It's a project where I'm trying to create a bridge between where we came from, where we are and where we're going in the history of Afrobeats.
“This is an intentional project that seeks to build a bridge between our origins. I bring sounds from our origins so that this identity crisis we are experiencing, where everyone tries to deny Afrobeats, ends. That is where the inspiration for what we are enjoying now comes from. We should create new things that can then be recreated from our origins,” he says, emphasizing the need to connect the past and the future.
Evolving with Identity
Cabasa’s approach highlights a fundamental tension within the industry: how to evolve and globalise while maintaining the core identity of Afrobeats. He believes that bringing Afrobeats to the world is crucial, but it must be done without losing sight of its origins.
“We should take Afrobeats to the world because everything you keep to yourself can die. As much as we take it to the world, we should preserve the narrative of origin,” he says, stressing the importance of controlling the history that accompanies the genre’s global journey.
“We need to clarify the identity and establish a narrative for the Afrobeats genre. These issues will define the sound and the ideologies behind what we do. We need to maintain that and be careful with the narrative so we don’t end up creating something that no one will remember we exist,” he said.
Cabasa says misconceptions about Afrobeats need to be addressed, such as the Grammys’ description of it as a sound from West Africa influenced by American pop culture. “In my head, we know that what they call the African diaspora is some of the things that were taken from here when they were taking people into slavery.”
Collaborations that matter
Known for his collaborations with veteran and emerging artists, Cabasa carefully selects his partners based on their talent and ability to contribute to his narrative.
He believes that while numbers and social capital are essential, the true essence of collaboration lies in the ability to tell a compelling story through music.
“The first and most important thing is to look for talent and ask myself, ‘Can you deliver the kind of story I want to tell? Can you deliver the content I expect? ’ I also look at how much you’ve helped yourself with numbers and social capital, because I come from a generation that wasn’t social media savvy; there was no social media,” he explains.
“Although I focus on talent, I also need numerical collaboration, so I am looking for talented and skilled artists with good and attractive numbers.”
Looking to the future
While Afrobeats continues to captivate audiences around the world, the questions raised by this identity crisis will only become more pressing. Cabasa’s efforts highlight the importance of balancing innovation with a deep respect for the genre’s origins.
His current projects, including the “Unfinished Business” series, aim to showcase established and emerging talent, ensuring that the next generation of Afrobeats artists can build on the foundations laid by their predecessors.
“Unfinished Business is a platform where I aim to bridge the gap between established and emerging artists in the industry. It is still a journey and I am still developing new artists. Probably, by the second volume of the Unfinished Business project that I am doing, the social capital will have been created. If I can start to bring more emerging artists into the project,” the producer shares.
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He is particularly excited about the new generation of producers, saying: “I now get to meet a lot of young producers, Gen Z kids who are doing cool stuff that some of us wish we could have done at their age. It’s heartwarming because you have to celebrate that talent if you want to grow.”
In advising producers aspiring to achieve recognition, he stressed that the goal should be more than just gaining fame; it's about building a solid body of work and continually honing your craft.