The Rise of Afrobeats and the Black-on-Black Disdain It Faces

Afrobeats—the genre synonymous with explosive rhythms, catchy beats, and a fusion of Afrobeat, dancehall, and highlife—is undeniably taking over the global music scene. The genre’s rise is unstoppable, from Nigerian artists like Burna Boy, Rema, Wizkid, Tems, and Davido dominating charts worldwide to sold-out concerts in arenas once reserved for pop and hip-hop legends.

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But with this meteoric success comes some serious pushback, particularly from other African nations, Jamaicans, and African-Americans. It seems Afrobeats is threatening more than just musical charts—it’s causing friction and even resentment in places one might least expect.

The Afrobeats Frenzy: A Nigerian Creation Takes Over

First, let’s take a look at the facts. Afrobeats is a relatively young genre that exploded from Nigeria’s vibrant music scene. It began to take global audiences by storm around the mid-2010s. With artists like Wizkid collaborating with Drake, and Burna Boy bringing home Grammy awards, Afrobeats has charted in countries all over the world, even topping the Billboard charts.

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In 2020, Burna Boy’s Twice As Tall won the Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album, solidifying Afrobeats’ foothold as a serious contender on the world stage. But with this unprecedented rise comes a complicated relationship with other musical cultures, especially within the Black community.

The Jamaican Dancehall-Afrobeats Rivalry

For Jamaicans, reggae and dancehall are cultural cornerstones, beloved for their deep roots in the Black experience. So, when Afrobeats—a genre that blends Afrobeat, highlife, and sometimes Caribbean influences—suddenly starts making waves internationally, it’s easy to see why some Jamaicans feel threatened. Afrobeats’ success, particularly its dominance in the global spotlight, has led to comparisons with dancehall, a genre with a global legacy in its own right. Artists like Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, and more recently, Popcaan, have voiced their opinions that dancehall deserves more recognition. These stars argue that dancehall, with its rich history of political and cultural influence, should still be the genre at the forefront of Caribbean music. Beenie Man himself, in an interview with Dancehall HipHop in 2020, remarked, “Afrobeats isn’t superior to dancehall; it’s just the new flavor.” These remarks point to the belief that, despite Afrobeats’ rise, dancehall has “more substance” in its legacy. In fact, it’s not just the artists who are vocal about this. Jamaican music fans often flood social media with comparisons of reggae and dancehall to Afrobeats, claiming that Afrobeats lacks the depth and political edge of reggae or the unique, raw energy of dancehall. But let’s be real here: while both genres are undeniably important, the “competition” between them seems to ignore the fact that music can evolve in multiple directions. Jamaican artists don’t own the rhythm and energy of the Caribbean, just as Afrobeats doesn’t own all of Africa’s diverse musical landscape. So why the need to downplay one in favour of the other?

African Countries: A Bizarre Ban on Nigerian Music?

It’s not just Jamaicans who are feeling the heat. Other African nations have shown clear signs of resentment towards Nigeria’s dominance of Afrobeats. Ghana, in particular, has been quite vocal in their disdain for the Nigeria’s success. In 2019, the Ghanaian government stirred the pot by reportedly considering a policy to ban Nigerian music in favor of promoting more local Ghanaian tunes. The idea was seen by many as a direct jab at Nigeria’s Afrobeats domination, a way to push Ghanaian artists into the spotlight by sidelining their Nigerian counterparts.

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Fast forward to 2021, and the debate heated up again when artists like Shatta Wale openly voiced their frustration with Nigerian music taking over not just Ghana’s airwaves, but the global scene too. Shatta and others felt that Nigerian music, especially Afrobeats, was hogging all the attention and overshadowing Ghanaian talent. The result? A whole lot of drama and social media posts calling for change, with some even suggesting that banning Nigerian music could be the solution. But here’s the kicker: Ghana, along with many other African nations, didn’t propose a ban on Western music. So, while the music from the West continues to dominate their radio and music market, Ghana—and other African countries like Cameroon—decided to focus their ire on their African neighbour – Nigeria. It wasn’t just a cultural or musical clash; it became a regional competition of who could dominate the African music scene. Ghanaians’ unhappiness about Nigeria’s music dominance echoes a deeper rivalry. The Jollof Rice wars, the never-ending football rivalry, and now, the Afrobeats vs. Highlife vs. Hiplife competition. Perhaps, the Ghanaians see this as one more way that Nigeria is making waves globally, leaving Ghana in the dust.

African-Americans: Hip-Hop vs. Afrobeats

On the other side of the Atlantic, African-Americans, who once held the torch for Black music worldwide, also seem to have their own issues with Afrobeats. For many years, hip-hop was the dominant Black genre, shaping pop culture, social movements, and politics. However, in recent years, hip-hop seems to have been losing steam. Its top artists are no longer consistently topping charts, and in 2023, Afrobeats outpaced hip-hop in terms of global streaming numbers. For many African-Americans, this felt like a threat to their musical identity. In interviews, Black American music lovers and even some artists have expressed frustration at the “Afrobeats takeover.” In 2021, an opinion piece published by The Root lamented how the rise of Afrobeats “distracts” from the significance of Black American music. The feeling that Afrobeats’ influence was overshadowing Black American contributions to music, especially in the hip-hop space, fueled a sense of competition and sometimes resentment.

Why Does This Black-on-Black Disdain Exist?

Now, here’s the most interesting part: Why are Black people around the world seeing Afrobeats as a threat? Why is there this intra-Black rivalry? Could it be because of a shared history of racial and cultural displacement, where people within the African diaspora constantly feel the need to protect their musical and cultural identity? Or could it simply be about clinging to nostalgia and past glories?

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Either way, the competition has taken on an unhealthy dimension that sees Black musicians and fans pitting themselves against each other instead of celebrating the diversity of African and Black music worldwide. Interestingly, genres dominated by white artists, like pop, rock, and EDM, are not seen as competitors to Afrobeats. In fact, pop stars like Justin Bieber, Drake, Ed Sheeran and Beyonce have collaborated with Nigerian artists and embraced Afrobeats’ influence. The same can’t be said for Black communities, where the genre has been met with more scrutiny.

The Bottom Line: Music Should Unite, Not Divide

Ultimately, the rise of Afrobeats isn’t about one genre defeating another—it’s about cultural exchange, influence, and the exciting possibilities of global collaboration. The disdain many people express for Afrobeats, especially when it comes from Black people, is puzzling. Instead of feeling threatened, why not see Afrobeats as a victory for the African diaspora as a whole? After all, whether it’s Burna Boy’s Grammy-winning album, Wizkid’s Billboard hits, or the infectious rhythm of an Afrobeats song at a party, the genre has proven that it can unite global audiences. It’s about time we stopped pitting ourselves against each other and embraced the music as a testament to the power of Black culture in all its forms.

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