Wizkid Explains Rejection Of ‘Afrobeats Artiste’ Tag Amid Backlash

2 min read

Grammy-winning singer Ayodeji Balogun, widely known as Wizkid, has clarified his recent rejection of being labeled an Afrobeats artiste, following a storm of criticism.

Wizkid sparked controversy after he publicly distanced himself from the Afrobeats genre in a social media post.

However, in response to the backlash, the celebrated artist explained that his decision stems from his diverse musical repertoire, which encompasses various genres beyond Afrobeats.

In a series of posts on his Instagram story, Wizkid addressed the criticism, emphasizing his desire not to be confined to a single genre label.

“Listen, am I African? Yes! But I do make all sorts of music. Fine music! But I don’t want these labeled just afrobeats. That’s like saying every American artist makes rap. That’s stupid. This is why no matter how good or amazing the music we make be it RnB or whatever other genre, we all get nominated in one Africa category or the other.

“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!

“The word Afrobeats was made up by y’all to put all we make into one box.