LIL’ WAYNE
The music genre “Afrobeats” has become so mainstream, that “mainstream” artists, or those who are most likely from the U.S. and aren’t directly linked with the genre, want to celebrate the genre and the millions who love it.
Afrobeats’ largest outdoor festival is Afro Nation, and once again it’s being held in Detroit, Michigan, this year (2024) from Aug. 17-18 at Bedrock’s Douglass Site. And while the lineup is mostly Afrobeats artists, this year, superstar Hip-Hop artist Lil’ Wayne will perform. So will Partynextdoor (who is from Canada), two artists that understand the power of getting in front of the Afrobeats audience. Some 40,000 people are expected to attend the two-day festival.
Last year (2023), “mainstream” U.S. artists Latto and Ari Lennox performed at Afro Nation Detroit.
And when Afro Nation was held in Portugal in July 2022, look who it attracted—Chris Brown and Megan Thee Stallion, who are from Virginia and Texas, respectively.
Some of the U.S. artists are actually putting out Afrobeats tracks. Take “Sensational,” a summer 2024 jam from Chris Brown. One listen and you can hear the Afrobeats vibe, not to mention the song features Davido and Lojay, two Nigerian singer-songwriters. In 2022, Chris Brown came out with “Call Me Every Day,” featuring Wizkid, another Nigerian singer-songwriter.
WIZKID AND CHRIS BROWN
One of the most well-known artists in the Afrobeats world is Burna Boy. His single, “Sittin’ On Top Of The World” was a huge hit in 2023, but it featured a popular U.S. rapper named 21 Savage.
And a few years prior to that, the incredibly popular rapper Drake came out with “One Dance” with Wizkid.
It’s obvious that Hip-Hop artists and Afrobeats artists are in the business of collaboration and cross-promotion.
Afrobeats itself is a force that cannot be ignored. In 2022, Spotify said the genre amassed 13 billion streams on its platform. Multiple media outlets reported that Afrobeats, the genre, amassed $100 million in revenue in 2023.
The vast majority of the people attending Detroit’s Afro Nation festival on Aug. 17-18 will be those who currently live in the U.S. But what’s been amazing to see, according to various radio program directors and those who follow the music industry for a living, is the increasing Nigerian and overall African population in the U.S. that is driving the overall passion for the concerts. Just seven years ago, it was estimated about 350,000 Nigerian immigrants called the U.S. home. In 2024, it’s estimated that the number has etched over 600,000.
Take that population and the ability for Afrobeats to top charts with songs like “Essence” by Wizkid and Tems, “Calm Down” by Rema and Selena Gomez and “Sittin’ On Top Of The World” by Burna Boy and 21 Savage, and that means more and more U.S. natives are loving Afrobeats and attending concerts. In fact, Burna Boy became the first African artist to headline a concert at “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” Madison Square Garden in New York City, in 2022. Wizkid then followed it up with a sellout show in November 2022, and Davido sold out the home of the New York Knicks in April 2024.
21 SAVAGE AND BURNA BOY
When the tens of thousands of fans converge upon Bedrock’s Douglass Site on Aug. 16-17 for Afro Nation Detroit, they won’t expect Lil’ Wayne to break out in Afrobeats like Rema or Ayra Starr will. But that’s OK. The audience loves Lil’ Wayne for his own style, and it’s obvious that non-Afrobeats artists like Lil’ Wayne understand the power of the Afrobeats genre and audience.
(Editor’s note: Other featured performers at Afro Nation Detroit include Rema, Ayra Starr, Asake, Adekunle Gold, Kizz Daniel, Omah Lay, Shenseea, Amaarae, King Promise and Ruger. On the Piano People Stage, scheduled featured artists include Scorpion Kings, Uncle Waffles, Musa Keys, DBN Gogo, Kelvin Momo, TXC, Kamo Mphela, 2WO-Bunnies, DJ Moma, Blakito, Donavan Glover and DJ Mobu. Detroit native Kash Doll is also scheduled to perform. For information and tickets to Afro Nation Detroit, visit detroit.afronation.com.)