Yemi Alade slams colleagues for downplaying Afrobeats genre

• Yemi Alade has slammed her colleagues for downplaying afrobeats genre of music.
• This comes as some musicians distanced themselves from the genre, while revealing their own style of music.
• Yemi Alade while weighing into the matter she called it “hypocrisy”, urging them to simply announce their genre without downplaying the role afrobeats has played in their life.

Nigerian singer Yemi Alade has berated her colleagues who downplay the Afrobeats genre.

She said that while it is not wrong for artistes to denounce Afrobeats especially if they feel it doesn’t define their art, however it is hypocrisy for them to downplay the genre.

Yemi Alade added that Afrobeats has contributed to every Nigerian artiste’s development.

On her X handle, the ‘Johnny’ crooner wrote:

“I don’t see anything wrong in informing your listeners of the genre of music an artist makes especially when you feel it doesn’t define your art.

“Just Announce your Genre in peace. Downplaying the role Afrobeats has played in every artist’s development is hypocrisy.”

Alade’s social media outburst is coming against the backdrop of some Nigerian singers including Davido, Wizkid, and Burna Boy denouncing the Afrobeats genre.

They all claimed that they ditched the genre because all African artistes are boxed into Afrobeats regardless of their musical styles.

Recall Davido stated that he is not an afrobeats artiste.

The singer like Wizkid, Burna Boy and Fireboy, clarified that he isn’t into such style of music.

Davido added that he is an Afro fusion artiste.

He said:

“The first place that accepted African music outside Africa is the UK before America later joined. The UK termed African music Afrobeats.

“Afrobeat is a sound that was originally pioneered by Fela Kuti. But now all African songs are termed Afrobeats. If an African artiste sings pure R&B, sounding like SZA, Summerwalker, they put them under Afrobeats. If an African rapper rapping like Drake, they still put them under Afrobeats.

“I don’t get offended when we’re being categorised as Afrobeats. I mean, we need a genre. It could be R&B or Afropop. I call my music Afrofusion but I’m not big on ‘Oh put Afrofusion on my song.’ I know how long it took for African music to become mainstream.”