Nigerian superstar Wizkid known in real life as Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun recently made it known to his fans and followers while announcing his sixth studio album, Morayo, that he is “not an Afrobeats artiste”.
The 33-year-old expressed his frustration, stating, “Lost people always want someone to educate you. You got your phone, Google research sh*t, or take a flight and see the world; don’t be ignorant and stupid all the time.”
In a statement, the Essence singer emphasized his versatility, asserting, “Am I African? Yes! But I do make all sorts of music. Fine music!” He rejected being pigeonholed as just an Afrobeats artiste, likening it to assuming every American artiste makes rap. He criticized the tendency to categorize African artistes solely under the Afrobeats label, highlighting the diversity of musical styles he explores.
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He continued “I’ve made songs from different genres of music. Made in Lagos is not an ‘Afrobeats’ album. That’s a fusion of different sounds. Real music!”
Wizkid criticized the term “Afrobeats,” attributing it to a simplification that fails to capture the complexity of African music.
He quipped his statement with sarcasm: “Now y’all drink some milk.”
Wizkid’s redefinition of his music is not new since he is not the first to take such a stance.
Fellow Nigerian acts, Tems and Burna Boy have also called in for their crafts not to be streamlined as just ‘Afrobeats’.
In a conversation with Kendrick Lamar for Interview Magazine, Tems opened up about her decision to establish herself as more of an R&B artiste.
Burna Boy also sought to claim his genre of music as Afro-fusion on the Million Dollars Worth of Game podcast two years ago, when he was about to dominate the US market with Last Last and Love, Damini.
