The Rise of Afrobeats Music Genre

In the Aughts era, Afrobeats, a genre straight out of West Africa, has been making great strides in popularity internationally, finding appeal all over the world. Coined after the music done by the legendary Fela Kuti of the 70s, Afrobeats has tunes with elements of electronic and dance music set to African percussion, as well as including hints of highlife, dancehall, hip-hop, and R&B, the sum of all things in music expressed through the black experience. Afrobeats is usually sung in English, West African languages, and pidgin dialect, giving the songs variety and diversity in their styles. From Wizkid to BurnaBoy to Davido, Afrobeats grew in presence over the course of the 2010s with hit singles and albums releasing and breaking into international markets like the United States and United Kingdom.

How it started in popularity had much to do with the rise of MTV Base Africa as well as the Hottest Coalition of Nigerian DJs who wanted to promote the genre to the African diaspora abroad. It’s something they consistently pushed until Afrobeats grew in popularity within the decade. Many Afrobeats songs abroad started only in African spaces like weddings or birthday parties but started their osmosis into other event spaces like clubs as well as garnering notice on social media.

People like Wizkid and BurnaBoy went so far as to win Grammys and many American artists are interested in jumping into the scene and participating in crossovers and collaborations, such as the recent music video remake of “Calm Down” by Rema featuring Selena Gomez. Many of the artists that came into their own in Afrobeats originated in Nigeria, the largest country in population on the continent of Africa; however, many other Africans from other nations like Ghana have also participated in the scene.

Afrobeats also has an element of political activism and commentary about it, which is apt considering it’s based on the legacy of Kuti, who was very political. It has commentary talking about the legacy of colonialism that affected Africa, but it has also said a lot of the endemic corruption that causes strife throughout the continent. Afrobeats artists even bolstered activists’ movements like the #End Sars protests happening in Nigeria.

Knowing this, many people around the world, especially the African Diaspora have embraced the style, substance, and legacy that Afrobeats has given to world culture. More and more Afrobeats artists have come to the spotlight to join the old guard to ensure the legacy of African music stays alive in the modern world for years to come.