Nigerian highlife singer Chinedu Okoli, widely known as Flavour, has expressed his agreement with Jamaican reggae icon Buju Banton’s criticism of Afrobeats music, echoing the sentiment that it lacks depth.
Banton had sparked controversy by stating in an interview that Afrobeats music is “f*ckery” and that it lacks substance and longevity.
Reacting to this in a recent episode of the ‘In My Opinion’ podcast, Flavour sided with Banton’s viewpoint.
In his words:
“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 further emphasized Banton’s point, suggesting that the Jamaican artist might be trying to inspire a revival in musical depth:
“Maybe Buju Banton is trying to awaken our spirit.”
Flavour also took the opportunity to distance himself from the Afrobeats genre, clarifying his identity as a highlife artist:
“I’m a high-life artist and not an Afrobeats artist.”
He expressed his displeasure with the tendency of Western media to categorize every African artist under the Afrobeats genre.
