Are African Artists Right to Reject the “Afrobeats” Label?

In the last decade, the popularity of African music around the world has grown exponentially. Central to that popularity is the genre commonly referred to as Afrobeats. Not to be confused with Afrobeat—the more politically charged genre created by Fela Kuti in the 1970s—Afrobeats (with an ‘s’) is an exciting, fluid sound that combines West African beat, hip hop, dancehall, R&B, and electronic music. However, as Afrobeats continues to gain global traction and popularity, more and more African artists are not just questioning the term “Afrobeats” but are outright rejecting it. This essay will look to understand how the artists are right, and what rejecting “Afrobeats” reveals about issues of cultural representation, artistic autonomy, and the global consumption of art by African creatives.

The Origins and Ascendance of Afrobeats

Afrobeats as a term originated in the early 2000s and early 2010s, mainly in Nigeria and Ghana, and the UK African diaspora. The term became a useful umbrella to throw all of the upbeat, infectious, rhythmic, and danceable music coming out of West Africa beneath one catchy term that would resonate with contemporary consumers. It served to help market these artists to global audiences that were unfamiliar with the immensely diverse musical traditions of Africa. For these particular artists—and through this lens—Afrobeats was a form of genre, but it was also a marketing strategy, an attempt to package Africa’s musical and sonic ontology as a global commodity for Western ears.

The global music industry moved quickly to embrace Afrobeats. From Wizkid’s sold-out shows at the O2 Arena and Burna Boy winning a Grammy to Beyoncé working with African artists on The Lion King: The Gift album, it was a cultural explosion. Streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music reported explosive growth in Afrobeats listens, while the major record labels opened offices in Lagos and Accra. But with that rapid success came new challenges.

The Case for Rejection

Some African artists contest that Afrobeats is reductive. It creates a category that homogenizes a continent full of diverse musical styles, languages, and cultural expressions into one fuzzy label. Artists like Wizkid, Burna Boy and Mr. Eazi, who consider their music to be Afrobeats but blend it with reggae, dancehall, highlife, or trap, have said that it can be weird being classified into a genre that does not fully reflect their artistry. For them, the term removes the nuance of their sound and identity.

Furthermore, many of those artists also feel like Afrobeats is being defined and interpreted through a Western lens. As the genre has grown and spread globally, there are more and more concerns regarding consuming it willy-nilly without context, where audiences and even industry gatekeepers cannot even tell the difference between sub-genres or different languages, or even countries of origin. While useful for commercial purposes, labeling it “Afrobeats” provides an instructive pathway to cultural flattening, one that prizes access, rather than authenticity.

This is especially troubling when the global narrative on Afrobeats is counter to the terms that the artists themselves identify with. That is, by accepting the label Afrobeats without recognizing its limitations, there is potential to mollify the complexity of African artistry and promote a singular representation of African music.

The Significance of Artistic Autonomy

At the base of this discussion is artistic autonomy. Artists, like all creatives, want the autonomy to create their identity. Labels (musical or cultural) are both liberating and limiting. They are clearly a helpful form of marketing and means of discoverability, yet they often enclose an artist’s expression by putting them into a place of expectation based solely on origin. An artist who may want to explore jazz, funk, or soul may always be expected to deliver “Afrobeats” regardless of their intentions.

This is an especially important discussion in a time where digital platforms allow for the blurring of genres’ boundaries more than ever. African artists, like all artists, are exploring vast conceptual design territories. By resisting the Afrobeats label, they are not rejecting their heritage, but trying to regain agency over how their output is classified and understood.

Counter Arguments: The Label is Beneficial

However, it is naive to act as if the label of Afrobeats has no value. The Afrobeats label has provided an invaluable platform for many young African artists who have used it as a means to launch their artistic careers onto an international stage. It has positioned Africa back into the center of global music dialogue, arguably a welcome and significant diversion from previous eras of cultural marginalization.

The label has also generated a form of collective identity. Under the umbrella of Afrobeats, musicians, producers, and artists from Nigeria, Ghana, and elsewhere are mobilizing together to create a real cultural force. This collective aspect has created a realm for collaboration, exposure, and larger influence that likely would not have occurred otherwise. In this sense, rejecting this label may seem ungrateful or divisive.

Furthermore, audiences often need broad categories to engage with unfamiliar content. Categories/labels, such as Afrobeats, act as a pathway. Once listeners are drawn to engage with the content more deeply, they can begin to explore the complex layers of and diversity within the music. Thus, while the label is not de facto, the label does have stakes.

Balancing Recognition with Respect

The solution, however, is not simply to reject or accept the label. The true solution is to strike a balance. Artists, industry actors, and audiences must continue the education process concerning the diversity of African music. Instead of collapsing all sounds of Africa into “Afrobeats”, we could do as industry actors and raise to the audiences notice genre tags such as Alté, Afro-fusion, Highlife, Gqom, Amapiano, and Hiplife, as these terms respect the artists’ identities while acknowledging the diversity of African creativity.

There is also a role for media, streaming platforms, and award shows. Algorithms and categories must occur because of cultural realities, not simply for commercial usability.