Ghanaian rapper Dadie Opanka has shared concerns about the current state of Afrobeat and the lack of global recognition for Ghanaian artistes within the genre.
Speaking in an interview with Nana Romeo on January 14, 2026, Opanka said Afrobeat as a movement appears to be declining, not because artistes are not working hard, but due to limited international exposure for Ghanaian musicians.
According to him, when the genre is mentioned outside Africa, many people immediately associate it with Nigeria, overlooking the significant contributions of Ghanaian artistes.
“Afrobeat is dropping and the reason is, when you talk about Afrobeat abroad, they think of only Nigeria,” he said.
Opanka explained that although many Ghanaian artistes are actively producing Afrobeat music, they remain largely unknown on the international stage.
He noted that Nigerian artistes, on the other hand, benefit from strong global visibility, even if they have only one or two major hit songs.
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“There are many Ghanaians doing Afrobeat and Nigerians are also doing Afrobeat but people abroad don’t know the artistes in Ghana. For Nigerian artistes, it’s one or two hit songs they know that will make people abroad know they’re doing Afrobeat,” he shared.
He further mentioned that during his time abroad, Afrobeat playlists were dominated by a few Nigerian superstars.
“People hear of Afrobeats through Davido, Rema, Burna Boy and Wizkid. When I was abroad, the only afrobeat songs they normally played were always from these four. If these four artistes do not release anything big, to them, they don’t hear any Afrobeat,” he explained.
The rapper said this over-reliance on a handful of Nigerian artistes has affected the perception of Afrobeat globally, making it seem inactive whenever those artistes are not releasing major hits.
Opanka, however, clarified that Ghanaian artistes are putting in the effort and are consistently producing quality music, but the problem lies in the lack of international investment and promotion.
“We are really working hard but we are not recognised globally. I wouldn’t say artistes are not trying but if we should get people to invest in us to gain recognition worldwide, even if these four artistes don’t release songs, some of Ghanaian songs can also be played. I believe that’s what has affected our industry,” Opanka added.
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