Nigerian singer Bella Shmurda has weighed in on the recent controversy surrounding Afrobeats, urging his colleagues not to undermine the genre with derogatory remarks.
The controversy was ignited by comments made by Burna Boy and Wizkid, who distanced themselves from Afrobeats.
Burna Boy stated that Afrobeats lacks “substance” and emphasized his identification with Afrofusion instead of Afrobeats. Similarly, Wizkid expressed reluctance to be labeled solely as an Afrobeats artist.
In response to the controversy, Bella Shmurda addressed the issue during a guest appearance on the London 90 podcast.
He called on Nigerian artists to show respect for Afrobeats, emphasizing the importance of honoring the genre that has gained international recognition.
“Recently, I heard something, I saw something that made me feel bad. I wanted to tweet but I don’t want to be in a position whereby I have issues with people. But for real, We artistes should respect Afrobeats. This is our genre, we can’t downgrade it. No matter your level in the music industry, you can’t downgrade this thing that God has given us,” Bella Shmurda remarked during the podcast.
