Afrobeats Magazine · Culture · 12 min deghẹ u play lele

Vbe u ma he tie ẹmwẹ ọkpa vbekpae Afrobeats, gie ima beat ihinrin. Tap, click ra hit space ẹghẹ hia ne ring na flash.

U miẹn pocket na

Vbọ ọre Afrobeats? Letter ọkpa, avbe eni nọkhua kevbe avbe urhu ọgbọn ne u ghi họn

U ghi ya obọ ruẹ gbẹn ẹre nia. Beat erẹnrẹn nokaro gie ruẹ Afrobeat, sound ne Fela Kuti ru vbe Lagos vbe 1970s. Beat nọ ghi lele, ọ gie ruẹ S. Letter ọkpa nii, okha ọvbehe ọre. Ọ suẹn vbe radio studio ọkpa vbe London.

Tie sayọ ↓
01 — Letter na

Letter ọkpa. Ukpo 50.

Emwa nibun mix avbe eva na. Avbe radio host vbe ru ẹre. Afrobeat kevbe Afrobeats, ẹgbẹe ọkpa ẹre iran khin. Sokpan iran i re ọmwa ọkpa.

Afrobeat, nọ i mwẹ S, ọghe Fela Kuti ọre. Vbe 1969, ọ rrọọ Los Angeles vbe odẹ uki igbe. Ọ miẹn activist Sandra Smith, ọ rẹn Black Power movement gbe, vbe ọ werriegbe Lagos, musician ọvbehe ẹre ọ ghi khin. Emwi nọ ghi ru, ọ mix highlife, jazz, funk kevbe Yoruba rhythm kugbe, ọ ghi rhie eni nẹẹn: Afrobeat.1 Drummer ọghẹe, Tony Allen, ẹre ọ re engine na. Ọ kpe ema vbe pattern ne i hoo rrọọ ehe ne Western backbeat ya rrọọ.1

Ihuan na loud, ọ vbe gu ẹmwẹ politics. Ọ vbe long. Ọ long gbe.

Ihuan Fela Kuti
ọ gha sẹ 10–30 minutes
Hit ọghe ẹghẹ streaming
odẹ 3–4 minutes

Fela vbe ya owa ọghẹe ru ẹvbo nekherhe. Ọ tie ẹre Kalakuta Republic, ne ọ suẹn vbe 1970: owa, studio kevbe stage vbe ehe ọkpa. Vbe 1977, odẹ soja 1,000 raid ẹre, iran ghi guọghọ avbe instrument kevbe master tapes.1 Sokpan, ọ vbe gha play ihuan.

Fela Kuti — Water No Get EnemyTap ne u load player na ke YouTube

Nia, S na. Vbe 16 April 2011, DJ ọkpa vbe London ne a tie Abrantee Boateng suẹn show ọkpa vbe asọn vbe Choice FM. A biẹ ẹre vbe Croydon, erha kevbe iye ọghẹe ke Ghana rre. Ọ tie show na Afrobeats with Abrantee.2 S na, ẹwaẹn ẹre ọ ya ru ẹre: ẹmwẹ ọkpa ne ọ ya mu avbe pop ọgbọn hia ọghe West Africa ne ọ gha play, ke hiplife ọghe Ghana ya sẹ club records ọghe Nigeria. Ọ ru ẹre ne emwa Britain ne ma he mwẹ eni ne iran ya tie ihuan na.3 Emwa vbe Lagos kevbe Accra he gha argue vbekpae ọmwa nọ rhie eni na. Sokpan eni na rrọọ ya sẹ ẹrẹ.

Afrobeat, genre nọ mwẹ ọmwa nọ suẹn ẹre. Afrobeats, ẹbu ọkpa nọ i mwẹ urho.
Inọta ọkpa. Fela Kuti kpe…

Ẹẹn, ẹmwata ọre. Nia, u rẹn emwi ne emwa nibun vbe internet i rẹn.

Ẹo, ọ i re ẹre. Fela kpe Afrobeat, nọ i mwẹ S. S na rre vbe London vbe 2011, ukpo 14 iyeke ne ọ wu.

Wanniẹn ne u sẹtin tie sayọ

02 — Vbene ọ khua hẹ

De vbene ọ khua sẹ hẹ?

Ukpo nibun, avbe record shop ya ihuan Africa ye “world music”, vbe iyeke shop na. Nia, ẹghẹ ọni fo.

Ma ma he tama ruẹ number na. Guess vbe okaro. Ghẹ gualọ ẹre.

De number ọghe streams ne Afrobeats miẹn vbe Spotify vbe 2022?
1 billion
100 million50 billion
13 billion

Ọni ọre number ne Spotify ghi ta vbe 2022. Ke 2017, genre na grow vbe Spotify ya sẹ 500% kevbe sayọ.5 Vbe ẹmwẹ ọvbehe: vbe ukpo ọkpa, dọmwadẹ ọmwa vbe agbọn miẹn stream 1.5 kevbe sayọ.

Lock guess ọkpa ne u sẹtin tie sayọ

Vbe 2022, Billboard suẹn US chart ọkpa ọghe Afrobeats kẹkan. Iran gu festival Afro Nation ru ẹre. No. 1 nokaro ọre “Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)” ọghe CKay.7 Iyeke ọni, ihuan ọkpa ma hoo kpa top chart na.

59

uzọla vbe No. 1: Rema & Selena Gomez, “Calm Down”7

Vbe iyeke ọni, ihuan ọkpa vbe rre top gberra ukpo ọkpa: “Water” ọghe Tyla.7

Vbe September 2023, “Calm Down” ghi re ihuan nokaro nọ mwẹ artist Africa vbe okaro nọ sẹ 1 billion streams vbe Spotify. Nibun vbe streams na ke US, India, Mexico, Brazil kevbe UK rre.6 Ghee list na vbe. Nigeria i rrọọ vbe ẹre. Ihuan na kpa owa, ọ ghi miẹn ẹbu ọgbọn vbe continent hia.

Poster AFROBEATS: King of Men kevbe performer ọvbehe, black and white
03 — Avbe eni

Ru crate ruẹ.

DJ hia mwẹ crate: avbe record ne ọ khian mu ladian deghẹ erhẹn ghi rrọọ club. Ọna ọre artist ehan ne iran ya sound na ladian ke West Africa.

Hannọ eha ne crate ruẹ. Deghẹ u hoo, press play vbe okaro. Ọmwa ọkpa i ghee ruẹ.

Ọmwa ọghe stadium

Burna Boy

Ọ miẹn Grammy vbe 2021 rhunmwuda Twice as Tall.9 Vbe 3 June 2023, ticket ọghe London Stadium fo, emwa 80,000. Ọ ghi re artist Africa nokaro nọ ru ẹre.10 Ọ gu live band ọghẹe tour, musician odẹ 12.11

Last Lastọ load YouTube
Agbọn hia, ẹmwẹ kherhe

Wizkid

Ọ rrọọ “One Dance” ọghe Drake vbe 2016, No. 1 vbe ẹvbo 15.3 Iyeke ọni, “Essence” ne ọ gu Tems ru ghi re ihuan Nigeria nokaro nọ la top ten ọghe Billboard Hot 100, vbe October 2021.8

Essenceọ load YouTube
Ọmwa nọ break record

Davido

“Fall” ladian vbe 2017. Vbe December 2018, ọ ghi re music video nokaro ọghe Nigeria nọ sẹ 100 million views vbe YouTube.12

Fallọ load YouTube
Urhu nọ rrọọ “Essence”

Tems

Ọ so hook ne agbọn hia gha so vbe 2021. Vbe 2025, ọ miẹn Grammy ọghẹe rhunmwuda “Love Me JeJe”, vbe category Best African Music Performance.14

Love Me JeJeọ load YouTube
Billion club

Rema

“Calm Down” ọre ihuan nokaro nọ mwẹ artist Africa vbe okaro nọ sẹ 1 billion streams vbe Spotify, vbe 2023. Nibun vbe streams na ke ehe ọvbehe rre, ọ i re Africa.6

Calm Downọ load YouTube
Nokaro vbe 100 million

Yemi Alade

Ihuan ọghẹe “Johnny”, vbe 2014, ẹre ọ ya ọ re okhuo Africa nokaro ne music video ọghẹe sẹ 100 million views vbe YouTube.13 Ẹẹn, hit ne a tie Johnny. Ma bẹghe ẹre.

Johnnyọ load YouTube
Crate ruẹ: 0 vbe 3

Hannọ eha ne u sẹtin tie sayọ

Eni ehan i sẹ list na hia. Asake, Ayra Starr, Tiwa Savage, Olamide kevbe emwa nibun ọvbehe ya sound na khian odẹ ọghe iran ukpo hia. Industry na he gha lele ẹre. Grammys ma mwẹ award Best African Music Performance ya sẹ 2024.3 Tyla ọghe South Africa miẹn ẹre ugboro eva, vbe 2024 kevbe 2026. Ẹghẹ hia ne ọ miẹn ẹre, emwa vbe internet gha argue deghẹ pop ọghẹe, nọ mwẹ amapiano vbe ẹko, re Afrobeats.15

Argument nii ẹre ọ re ẹmwẹ na. Ọmwa ọkpa i mwẹ ehe ne ihuan na ya fo. Ọni ẹre ọ viọ ima rre odẹ ne ọ lele.

04 — Odẹ na

Lagos. Accra. London. Munich.

Afrobeats ma khian vbe straight line. Ọ ladian, ọ werriegbe rre kevbe accent ọgbọn, ọ vbe ghi kpa.

Lele odẹ na. Tap stop hia, ọkpa ọkpa.

Suẹn vbe stop 1

Emwi hia suẹn vbe ẹvbo eva vbe ẹghẹ ọkpa.

Fo odẹ na ne u sẹtin tie sayọ

Record eva ke abọ ọghe UK, deghẹ u hoo họn vbene 2012 ye vbe night bus ọghe London:

D’banj — Oliver TwistTap ne u load player na ke YouTube
Fuse ODG — AntennaTap ne u load player na ke YouTube
05 — Ẹdo

Ọba ghi hoo ihuan ọkpa.

Inọta ọkpa ọvbehe. Ọna, ọghe owa ọre.

“Laho”, hit ọghe Shallipopi, ẹmwẹ Ẹdo ẹre. Vbọ ẹre ọ ta?

Ẹẹn. “Please, don’t let me fall” (ghẹ gi mẹ de), ra “don’t let me down”. Vbe odẹ, ọna ẹre u ta ẹghẹ ne u gha nọ iyobọ ke ọmwa ọvbehe. Ẹghẹ nibun, iyobọ ọghe igho.17

U kẹrẹ, sokpan ẹo. Ọ ta “please, don’t let me fall” (ghẹ gi mẹ de), ra “don’t let me down”. Vbe odẹ, ọna ẹre u ta ẹghẹ ne u gha nọ iyobọ ke ọmwa ọvbehe. Ẹghẹ nibun, iyobọ ọghe igho.17

Wanniẹn ne u sẹtin tie sayọ

Nia, roro ẹre. Vbe 4 April 2026, Shallipopi la Ẹguae Ọba. Ọ ma he ru concert ọghẹe vbe Ẹdo. Ọba hoo ne ọ so “Laho”. Ọ so ẹre vbe ehe nii. Ọ ma mwẹ band, ọ ma mwẹ backing track, emwa ẹguae ghi so ẹre kugbe. Iyeke ọni, ọ kneel, Ọba ghi na erhunmwu ne ẹre.18

Ẹmwẹ ne a ta vbe odẹ vbe Ẹdo, ọ ghi khin hit record, a ghi so ẹre ne Ọba. Deghẹ u hoo ehe ọkpa ne u ya rẹn vbene Afrobeats ye vbe 2026, ọ sẹtin re ọna. Shallipopi ta ẹre vbe ẹmwẹ kherhe: urhuẹvbo ọghẹe, accent ọghẹe, hia “ke owa rre”.19

Shallipopi — LahoTap ne u load player na ke YouTube

Ẹdo ma ghi suẹn ru hit nia. Vbe 1965, Victor Uwaifo, “Guitar Boy” ọghe Ẹdo, rhie “Joromi” ladian. Emwa nibun tae wẹẹ ọ re gold record nokaro vbe Africa. Ọ mwẹ ukpo 24.16 Iyeke ọni, ọ ru hotel vbe Ẹdo, ọ lecture, ọ sculpt, ọ re commissioner ọghe arts kevbe culture vbe Edo State, ọ vbe gha ru rhythm ọgbọn ya sẹ ẹghẹ ne ọ wu vbe 2021, vbe ọ mwẹ ukpo 80.16

Sir Victor Uwaifo — Joromi (1965)Tap ne u load player na ke YouTube

Ke “Joromi” ya sẹ “Laho”, ukpo 60 ọre. Ẹvbo ọkpa. Urhuẹvbo ọkpa. Kevbe sound ne u i miẹn vbe ehe ọvbehe.

King of Men gha khian, vbe orange kevbe violet motion blur

Eva ke owa ima

King of Men ọre artist, DJ kevbe promoter nọ rrọọ iyeke magazine na. Track eva na rrọọ Audiomack page ọghẹe. “KING OF MEN SALUTE” mwẹ Peter the Rock kevbe Junior Victor Uwaifo. “Father of All” mwẹ Bro Osaivbie Sunday.24 Play ọkpa loud.

King of Men — KING OF MEN SALUTETap ne u load player na ke Audiomack
King of Men — Father of AllTap ne u load player na ke Audiomack
06 — Emwa ne ọ ghi dee

Eni enẹ ne u ghi ta vbe okaro.

Avbe eni nọkhua i lọghọ. Emwi nọ ye gbe ọre: ne u họn artist ọkpa, vbe avbe ọse ruẹ ma he họn ẹre.

Emwa enẹ na so ihuan vbe urhuẹvbo Ẹdo. Iran gha rrie Nigeria, iran gha rrie Europe. Ye headphones ruẹ ehọ.

Don Vs vbe shirt nọ fuan, ọ mudia vbe ẹbu; foto black and white

Don Vs

Stage nokaro ọghẹe ọre TV show vbe Ẹdo ne a tie Beat and Laugh, vbe 2004. Ọ tie ihuan ọghẹe “traditional pop”, ne ọ so vbe urhuẹvbo Ẹdo. Ẹdẹ ọkpa, ọ ta vbọzẹe ọ na ru ẹre vbe ẹmwẹ ọkpa: “I see music as a medium to add value to others.” (Ihuan ẹre ọ ya ru iyobọ ne emwa ọvbehe.)20

Outsideọ load Audiomack
Famous Akaba gha ghee okhunmwu, vbe orange background

Famous Akaba

PhilTown Production ẹre ọ produce “ESUNU”, ọ ladian vbe 2019. Vbe ma ghee vbe September 2026, ọ sẹ 1 million plays vbe Audiomack.21 Ọ maan gbe. Sokpan playlist nibun ne i re ọghe Ẹdo ma he họn ẹre. Ẹghẹ ma he sẹ.

ESUNUọ load Audiomack
Okuku Scott kevbe King of Men, foto black and white

Okuku Scott

Ọ ke Edo State rre. Ọ tie ihuan ọghẹe Afrobeat kevbe highlife. Ọ gha rhie ihuan ladian ẹghẹ hia: “Ekia”, “Izozo”, “Sohegbe”, kevbe “Ehi” vbe July ukpo na. Suẹn vbe “Awiki”.22

Awikiọ load Audiomack
07 — Stamp

Afrobeats passport ruẹ.

U ma tie ọna kẹkan. U play ẹre. Ọna ọre record na.

kingofmen.life · Afrobeats Magazine
Ehọ ọgbọn
Timing
U skip beat na
Fela
—
Guess ruẹ
—
Crate ruẹ
—
Odẹ na
—
Laho
—
Ru emwamwa ugie Afrobeats

Afrobeats i re rhythm ọkpa, ẹvbo ọkpa ra generation ọkpa. Ihuan Africa ọre nọ gha khian, nọ gha mix, nọ gha viọ emwa rre ọgua ọkpa. Vbe King of Men, ọna ẹre iwinna ima hia: artist, ugie kevbe emwa, ke Ẹdo ya sẹ Munich, ọ vbe werriegbe.

Ewanniẹn kherhe

Afrobeats, vbe inọta ehan

Vbọ ọre Afrobeats?

Afrobeats ọre eni ọkpa ne a ya mu pop ọgbọn hia ọghe West Africa, nọ suẹn vbe 2000s. Nibun vbe ẹre ke Nigeria kevbe Ghana rre. Ọ mix highlife, hiplife, jùjú, hip-hop, dancehall, R&B kevbe house. Eni na ke radio show ọghe DJ Abrantee vbe London rre, nọ suẹn vbe April 2011, ọ ghi khian ehe hia.234

Vbọzẹe ne Afrobeat kevbe Afrobeats i re ọkpa?

Afrobeat (nọ i mwẹ S) ọre style ne Fela Kuti kevbe drummer Tony Allen ru vbe odẹ 1970: ihuan nọ long, ne band kpe, nọ mwẹ jazz kevbe funk vbe ẹko, kevbe ẹmwẹ politics. Afrobeats (nọ mwẹ S) ọre sound ọghe 2000s kevbe 2010s: ọ khua sẹ ẹre gbe, ihuan na i long sẹ, pop ẹre ọ lele.13

De avbe artist Afrobeats nọ khua sẹ?

Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Tems kevbe Rema ẹre agbọn hia rẹn sẹ. Asake, Ayra Starr, Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade kevbe Olamide lele iran vbe iyeke.

De ihuan Afrobeats nokaro nọ sẹ 1 billion streams vbe Spotify?

“Calm Down” ọghe Rema, kevbe remix ọghẹe ne Selena Gomez rrọọ ye, vbe September 2023. Ọ ghi re track nokaro nọ mwẹ artist Africa vbe okaro nọ la Billions Club ọghe Spotify.6

Vbọ ẹre “Laho” ta?

“Laho” ọre ẹmwẹ Ẹdo. Ọ ta vbene “please, don’t let me fall” ra “don’t let me down”. Shallipopi, nọ ke Ẹdo rre, ya ẹre ru hit ọghẹe vbe 2025.17

De ehe ne I sẹtin họn Afrobeats live vbe Munich?

King of Men ru emwamwa ugie Afrobeats, ọ vbe book artist Africa kevbe artist diaspora ne club, venue kevbe ugie ọghe ẹgbẹe. Gu ima ru emwamwa ugie.

Ehe ne ma miẹn ẹmwẹ na

Ma ghee link hia vbe 25 September 2026. Number ọghe streams kevbe views na, vbene ọ ye vbe ẹdẹ nii ọre. Ọ gha change ẹdẹgbegbe.

  1. Fela Kuti — Wikipedia
  2. Abrantee Boateng — Wikipedia
  3. Afrobeats — Wikipedia
  4. Afrobeats — Encyclopaedia Britannica
  5. Afrobeats: Journey of a Billion Streams — Spotify
  6. Rema’s “Calm Down” becomes the first track led by an African artist to join Spotify’s Billions Club — Spotify Newsroom, 11 Sep 2023
  7. Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs — Wikipedia
  8. Wizkid’s “Essence” becomes first-ever Nigerian top 10 song on Billboard Hot 100 — Hypebeast, Oct 2021
  9. Burna Boy wins Best Global Music Album for “Twice as Tall” — GRAMMY.com, 2021
  10. Burna Boy is the first African artist to sell out London Stadium — OkayAfrica, 2023
  11. Why Burna Boy is the first African artist to sell out stadium shows in the UK and the US — The National, 5 Aug 2023
  12. Davido’s “Fall” is first Nigerian music video to hit 100m YouTube views — TheCable Lifestyle, Dec 2018
  13. Yemi Alade’s “Johnny” rakes 100 million views — The Guardian Nigeria, 2019
  14. Tems wins Best African Music Performance for “Love Me JeJe” — GRAMMY.com, 2025
  15. Grammys 2026: Tyla wins Best African Music Performance — Music In Africa, Feb 2026
  16. Great lyricist Victor Uwaifo, ‘Guitar Boy’, dies at 80 — The Guardian Nigeria, Aug 2021
  17. Music review: Shallipopi’s “Laho” is hustler’s anthem drenched in street reality — Premium Times
  18. Oba of Benin requests “Laho” as Shallipopi visits palace — Premium Times, Apr 2026
  19. Shallipopi, the Afrobeats artist bringing Benin City to the world — Dazed
  20. From Benin City with music: story of Don Vs' humble beginning — Independent (Nigeria), Nov 2021
  21. Famous Akaba — “ESUNU” on Audiomack
  22. Okuku Scott on Audiomack
  23. Stanley O. Iyonawan on Apple Music
  24. King of Men (Kingofmen-Regards) on Audiomack