Afrobeats artists lazy – Nigerian artiste Flavour

Nigerian highlife sensation Flavour, Chinedu Okoli, has echoed sentiments expressed by Jamaican reggae legend Buju Banton, suggesting that afrobeats music falls short in terms of depth.

This comes after Banton's recent interview sparked debate, where he described afrobeats as uninspiring and lacking substance, asserting that it fails to uplift Africans and will eventually lose relevance. 

Reacting in a recent episode of the ‘In My Opinion’ podcast, Flavour said Banton was on point, further asserting that Afrobeats lacks depth because its artistes are lazy. (Related article:  Afrobeats is uninspiring and doesn’t raise the hope of Africans, says Buju Banton)

“I understand what Buju Banton is trying to say. Kids of today [present crop of afrobeats artists] don’t want stress; they just want to vibe,” he lamented.

“Maybe Buju Banton is trying to awaken our spirit.”

In a move to establish his unique identity, Flavour distinguished himself from the afrobeats genre. 

He noted that his music style is rooted in highlife, a distinct genre from afrobeats. Flavour also expressed his disapproval of the Western media's tendency to categorise all African artistes under the afrobeats umbrella, highlighting the need for greater recognition and respect for the diversity of African music genres.

Meanwhile, Flavour has distanced himself from the afrobeats genre.

He clarified that he’s a high-life artist and not an afrobeats artist.

He faulted the boxing of every African artist under the afrobeats genre in Western media.