The Age of Afrobeats

Burna Boy’s incident stands out even more, when you consider that a decade ago, fans had similar complaints regarding Afrobeats veteran, D’Banj’s Koko Concert. It was December 2012 and D’Banj had organized the concert on Eko Atlantic, the then-newly developed coastal city which had yet to develop proper public infrastructure such as roads. This meant fans had to embark on long, poorly lit treks to arrive at the venue. Nicholas Ibekwe reported in Premium Times at the time, ‘From tiresome trek along the sandy beach, inadequate parking space, to Dbanj’s fake American accent, the general perception was that the overpriced concert was a failure.’

The foregoing experiences could suggest that, by and large, Afrobeats has not made much progress over the last decade. Combined with recent tragedies such as MohBad’s death in September 2023, some could even argue the industry is regressing. Such claims would be wrong, of course, but not entirely. Nigeria’s music industry has evolved into a billion– dollar –industry that has gained the attention of global ‘superstars’ like Beyoncé. But the persistent lack of infrastructure points to the fragility of Afrobeats’ growth, its international bias and local neglect. What makes the connection between D’Banj’s and Burna Boy’s experiences even more noteworthy is that Burna Boy (who performed at the Koko Concert) went on to release his debut album, L.I.F.E, in 2013. A decade since, Burna Boy, who is arguably Afrobeats most successful ambassador—a Grammy award-winning artist, who has sold out international venues including Madison Square Garden—but who also has a fragile relationship with his local audience thus gives us a window to consider and possibly even question the growth of Afrobeats.

The purpose of this issue, however, is not simply to criticize Afrobeats; criticism being necessary to affirm Afrobeats’ proper place in cultural discourse. We mean, ultimately, to celebrate the genre; to venture further than thematic study into the lives, stories, worldviews and meaning of the very artists that make up the genre. As such, we have invited writers to zoom in on Afrobeats and spotlight key artists that represent the genre’s beginnings, its current trajectories and future possibilities.

From Asa to Wizkid, the artists covered in this issue and the writers who cover them, reveal Afrobeats to be more than an offshoot of Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat. They show that Afrobeats is more than a series of homogenous acts, and invite us to consider the various ideas, dreams, creativity, tensions, challenges and hopes that have given rise to perhaps the most infectious music genre present in the world today.

Our final issue of 2023, this issue features: Saratu Abiola on Asa; Dami Ajayi on Asake; Emmanuel ESomnofu on Ayra Starr; Olasubomi Olumofin on Burna Boy; Jide Salawu on Davido; Carl Terver on M.I; Ernest Nweke on P-Square; Zainab Kuku on Tiwa Savage; Patrick Ezema on Wizkid.

By no means exhaustive, this issue serves as a starting point for chronicling new, varied, individual and thus more specific and more human histories of Afrobeats. The issue also includes a first draft interview with Chris Adofo, the author of A Quick Ting on Afrobeats.