Nigerian highlife artist Chinedu Okoli, known as Flavour, has voiced his agreement with Jamaican reggae star Buju Banton's controversial view on Afrobeats music. Banton had recently described the genre as "f*ckery," criticizing it for lacking substance and predicting its eventual decline.
In a discussion on the ‘In My Opinion’ podcast, Flavour echoed Banton's sentiments, attributing the perceived shallowness of Afrobeats to what he sees as a lack of effort from its artists. “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,” Flavour remarked, suggesting that Banton's comments might be intended to provoke a deeper reflection within the genre.
Flavour also made it clear that he does not identify as an Afrobeats artist, but rather as a highlife musician. He criticized the tendency of Western media to lump all African artists into the Afrobeats category, underscoring his distinct musical identity.
