Nigerian music stars Olamide and Tiwa Savage spoke publicly about their cultural identity, language, and the global rise of Afrobeats.
Olamide Gbenga Adedeji, known as Olamide, addressed the topic during an interview on BBC Radio 1Xtra with Eddie Kadi in London, United Kingdom.
The 36-year-old rapper explained why he continues to perform mainly in Yoruba rather than switching to English for wider global appeal.
Olamide said his decision is rooted in his pride for his Yoruba heritage and a clear understanding of his audience. He noted that earlier African musicians influenced him by remaining authentic in their music.
“Growing up and seeing the likes of Awilo Longomba and Brenda Fassie… They never tried to infuse English by force. They were just doing their thing,” he said.
“You have to identify your audience. Once you identify your audience, the rest of the world will catch up eventually.”
The founder of YBNL Nation is known for mentoring artists such as Lil Kesh, Fireboy DML, and Asake. He added that he will not adjust his sound or accent for foreign acceptance.
“I’m a Naija boy, Yoruba boy… If I want to wear my Agbada and my Dashiki, I will do it. I’m comfortable in my skin. I have H-factor and all that, and I’m proud about it.”
In a separate event, Tiwa Savage shared a related perspective on Afrobeats while speaking at the Unstoppable Africans event, where she reflected on her early years in London and how attitudes toward African identity have changed as the genre grows.
“Afrobeats is the fastest-growing genre in the world. We created it with nothing — no support, no infrastructure, no real belief even from our own people initially,” she said.
“I remember growing up in London and I was not happy being African. But now I’m so proud because of how big Afrobeats is growing.”
She also rejected claims that the genre is losing its appeal.
“There was a conversation that Afrobeats would have its 15 minutes of fame and fade away. But we are still here. In fact, we are filling stadiums and getting the biggest songs on the charts,” she said.
“I don’t know how true this is, but apparently one in every four Black persons is a Nigerian or an African. So, we are not going anywhere. The music is not going anywhere. We are Africans and we are unstoppable,” she added.
