If You Can’t Afro Beat Them… Of Ignorant Ebro’s, Drakes & Wizkids
by Contributor
Listening to AKA’s collaboration with Diamond Platnumz led me to a realisation: the advent of infusing Afro-rhythms in hip hop is here. AKA’s venture into Afro-Pop shows just how influential the genre is becoming. The prominent fusion of a diverse range of distinctly African sounds by mainstream musicians is upon us.
Although a growing number of artists have gone the Kwaito sampling route lately; most South African Hip Hop is still largely indebted to American inspired trap. This isn’t really a problem by the way, and here’s why: Both AKA and Wizkid provide a great example of the genre straddling we’re likely to see from artists. Wizkid’s inclusion on Emtee’s Rollup (Re-Up) shows he’s equally as comfortable on a trap anthem as he is on a full-on pop song like DJ Maphorisa’s Soweto Baby. And AKA seems to be following that formula too. Make Me Sing is undoubtedly a pop song, with a catchy hook and heavy Afrocentric undertone.
[button url=https://www.africanhhb.com/2016/04/akas-one-time-proof-now-south-africas-biggest-pop-star.html icon=windows]Read our article on how AKA is trying to go Pop[/button]
I’m excited to hear if this the angle AKA follows on his upcoming album. His alliance with Burna Boy as part of the A- Team can only help broaden his appeal as his song All Eyes On Me proved. So should we expect more of that sound on his new offering? I think so. With his planned domination of the African continent no secret, it’s no surprise that Afro-infusion is the route AKA is going. With over three million views of the Make Me Sing video, this is likely to translate into support on the ground. I definitely foresee a new trend emerging both locally and globally. For instance, Drake's One Dance ‘features’ Kyla and Nigerian sensation Wizkid with additional production work done by South African DJ Maphorisa. This song gave him his first Billboard number one after years of cuts that seemed destined for that position.
Enter Ebro Darden, popularly known as DJ Ebro, radio host at American station Hot 97. He recently took to Twitter to reveal how Drake opened the door for Afrobeat, but insists the music should be quality for it to stand a chance of further growth. Apart from the condescension towards genres that are considered peripheral to the mainstream, this serves as a great opportunity to clear the air. Perhaps dealing with the frequent use of misnomers proud genres are referred to by is necessary too. Labelling Dancehall as Tropical House seems to happen often and contributes to a long of history of erasure. Similarly, referring to Afro Pop as Afrobeat merely due to the geographical location of an artist is pretty lazy. Artists like Wizkid make pop the same way any pop artist would anywhere else in the world: influenced by the sounds that surround them. They aren't, however, automatically Afrobeat because they are African.
Ebro’s suggestion here is that Drake has given Afrobeat artists the opportunity they've all been waiting for... he single-handedly put a whole genre on! He is automatically a cultural gate keeper by virtue of his profession and comparative proximity to the music industry. His opinion has both value and reach! Now this isn't a review of Drake's Views. It is, however, about perspectives. It regards the unrelenting perceptions the west has towards Caribbeans and Africans. It also isn't about whether a Hennessy wielding Drake can take someone else's girl if he wants to. Although “no one man should have all that power”; he also shouldn't receive so much unnecessary credit: particularly with regards to the Afrocentrism I mention above!
Drake's music open the door for Dancehall & AfroBeat... But the music has to be great!
— Jon Snow Ebro (@oldmanebro) May 19, 2016
To single out Drake may seem unfair here, but his tendency to ride waves and adopt lingo, flows and tracksuit-wearing from others makes him a culture vulture par excellence. His affiliation with everything from sports teams to upcoming artists seems to be done in service of his success and not theirs. A case in point is Drake's use of patois in his Views album. It is both cringe-worthy and for lack of a better term; exploitative. Songs like Controlla, With You, Too Good and of course One Dance all have a Dancehall or Afro sensibility. Drake, however, didn't even have actual features of the artists that influenced these tracks. Popcaan was unceremoniously removed from Controlla with a Beenie Man sample preferred, whilst Wizkid is also sampled rather than featured on One Dance. Add to this the track 9’s interpolation of Mavado’s Dying and such things are hard to ignore as they mimic a long history of erasure!
Granted samples of Pimp C, Mary J Blige and DMX all make an appearance on Views; but Drake isn't credited with opening a door for RnB or growly-voiced rappers. It is simply regarded as a sample. Now I have nothing against sampling: I'm a fervent supporter of it actually; but it looks like something else is going on here. It seems Drake wants to use the pulling power of these artists and their respective genres for his sole benefit. From where I'm standing being associated with a Wizkid or Popcaan gives you a certain level of authenticity whilst your appropriation of a broader sound takes place. Drake seems to want to appeal to demographics that are represented by Afro and Dancehall artists without offering them an actual feature or even giving credit. In short, they have supporting roles in Drake's masterful act of being multi-cultural.
Apart from unwittingly hanging Drake out to dry regarding this, it would help DJ Ebro to have a less patronizing approach to peripheral genres; because they represent real people who are excluded from society in more ways than just musically. To try and reinforce a false superiority complex based on your predilections is not just careless; it is harmful by design. Regardless of where Drake's career (in music or acting) goes from here, or how Ebro's opinion evolves; there seems to be a global shift to be more Afrocentric. Gear up for it 'cause if you can’t (Afro)beat them...
If You Can't Afrobeat 'Em