Often, Western media is quick to forget Africa is a large continent filled with different countries that preserve their individual qualities and cultures while still contributing to the African continent as a whole.
Wizkid’s latest release “Bad To Me,” which caused an uproar yesterday, exhibits issues that can unfold as a result of these misconceptions. The song’s P2J production leans heavily on drums and percussions popularized by South African Amapiano, a sound that’s been taking the world by storm.
Yesterday’s reactions reopened an ongoing conversation about ownership of Amapiano, and Nigerian music’s adaptation of it. South African fans rightfully feel credit should be given to their artists for the genre they’ve popularized. The question that lingers is whether there is, or should be a line between creators and adopters. Even the likes of Davido, DJ Maphorisa, KDDO and May D weighed in.
The broader misconception of lumping together various African places and practices still plays a big role in global perceptions. For example, African music in recent years has been conveyed under the encompassing term Afrobeats, even though a multitude of genres exist across the continent, sometimes coming together to create something a new.
