Yemi Alade, the renowned Nigerian songstress, has taken a firm stand against fellow artistes who downplay the essence of Afrobeat in their musical development.
She has labelled such persons as hypocrites and urged them to be honest about the genre that made them popular.
In a statement shared on her X page, Yemi Alade emphasised the importance of acknowledging the impact of Afrobeat on artists’ careers, regardless of their personal preferences or genre choices.
She urged artists who do not wish to be associated with Afrobeat to openly declare their preferred genres instead of undermining the genre’s influence.
She challenged artists to be transparent with their fans about their musical identities and encouraged them to promote the diversity of genres.
She wrote, “I don’t see anything wrong in informing your listeners of the genre of music an artist makes, especially when you feel it doesn’t define your art,” Alade stated in her tweet.
She added, “Just announce your genre in peace. Downplaying the role Afrobeat has played in every artist’s development is hypocrisy.”
