Nigerian music star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has reaffirmed his monumental impact on the global afrobeats movement, stating that the genre cannot be discussed without acknowledging his contributions.
“Afrobeats can’t be brought up without my name. Impossible,” the award-winning artist declared in the latest issue of TheBeatJuice magazine.
As one of the three biggest names in afrobeats, alongside Wizkid and Burna Boy, Davido has consistently pushed the genre to international heights. However, the ‘Skelewu’ crooner has previously expressed concerns about the blanket categorization of African music under the afrobeats label.
Speaking on the Business Untitled Podcast, Davido emphasized his preference for the term “afro-fusion” to describe his music, while appreciating the global recognition afrobeats has brought to African artists.
“I don’t get offended when we’ve been categorised as Afrobeats. I mean, we need a genre. It could be R&B or Afropop,” Davido stated. “I call my music Afrofusion but I’m not big on ‘O put Afrofusion on my song.’ I know how long it took for African music to become mainstream.”
Davido’s remarks highlight his pride in the genre’s achievements while advocating for recognition of the diversity within African music.
