by Clarence MacEbong
We can all remember Wizkid’s infamous Instagram rant in March about his forthcoming sixth album Morayo, where he seemingly denounced Afrobeats, stating that he no longer wished his music to be bound by the confines of the genre he has created so much success in. Much like his frequently used eagle emoji, he wishes to fly out of a cage that has been forced on him, which is only a natural consequence of being one of the biggest Afrobeats acts to ever dwell in the genre.
People didn’t really like that, with some criticising the tone of his message while others believed that separating Wizkid from the genre borders on impossible. As an artist who has achieved all there is to do within Afrobeats, Wizkid seeks to impose a new musical identity on the world, and many within the Afrobeats fandom are having a hard time coming to terms with this shift in perspective. When you look at the plethora of records, moments, and the image of Afrobeats possessing an artist like him within its ranks, can you really blame them?
Wizkid’s career is an accurate measure of what it is like to be really good at what you do for a really long time. Emerging on the scene as a self-proclaimed Superstar, his entire musical journey has proved prophetic on many occasions. Not to mention that his breakout season coincided with the start of Afrobeats’ coming-of-age era in which many other culture-defining artists were thrust into the mainstream, giving the genre new things to be proud of.
His debut album had a bit of everything — trap-leaning drum progressions on Say My Name and the R&B-coded Gidi Girl sandwiched between Afrobeats classics like Pakurumo and Bad Guys, coupled with sprinkles of EDM on “What You Wanna Do?” to top it off. Although donning a cloak of Afropop gbedu, his artistic garments have always been stitched with the threads of world music appeal, which became more prominent as he secured more international collaborations.
The Skepta and Drake-assisted Ojuelegba remix was as obvious a pointer as any that Wizkid would soon be globally sought after. A straight line can be drawn from that record to his star-studded, globally acclaimed magnum opus, Made In Lagos, although Sounds From The Other Side marked the turning point in Wizkid’s musical approach. Despite this, there is a division within the Afrobeats fandom regarding success on the world music stage.
For someone who made it to the summit of this genre riding on the love of his people and the entire continent, Wizkid has morphed into one of the most polarising characters in the Afrobeats space, with both sides of the love/hate spectrum often expressing their opinions to hyperbolic proportions. However, it is increasingly evident that Wizkid is not entirely concerned with the opinions of the masses. He is going to do what he has always done since he set the scene ablaze in 2010 with Holla At Your Boy — make music that reflects the full range of his identity and artistry.
Now, how that music resonates with the rest of the Afrobeats fandom is a matter of personal preference or — dare I say — public decision. Fans often decide to accept or reject the music depending on their feelings about the artist himself, just as a section of them decided, for some reason, that More Love, Less Ego was not good enough. The best part about holding artistic power is that one can decide to start making music that the whole world can like instead of catering to just a set of people.
That’s why Wizkid can have an R&B-leaning record with Brent Faiyaz and subtle Afropop gbedu in Kese on the same project. While his Instagram rant might’ve been in bad taste, we need to understand that he has stayed on top for so long due to his fluid artistry. He is not leaving us; he is simply including everyone else, representing a trajectory he has been on since the days we felt he could do no wrong.
Nobody truly knows what to expect from Morayo. He became a prisoner of his own success when More Love, Less Ego didn’t quite hit the phenomenal heights that Made In Lagos did. He truly was guilty of a tepid approach in sections of his last album, but it was nothing so grievous to dampen what was otherwise a solid showing. One theme that has stayed consistent since Superstar is that there will surely be something for everyone. Come January 2nd, 2025, it will be 15 years since Holla At Your Boy was officially released, and you only need one hand to count the number of times Wizkid has missed.
As Friday creeps towards us, the public would give you the impression that there’s some form of target on Wizkid’s back, with several people watching to see if he still has it and a good number of them silently hoping that he doesn’t. But Wizkid never lost it. He just recreated it in a way that lost some people but gained many others.
Afrobeats fans are of the impression that if Wizkid hits the sweet spot in his quest for global music domination, then he ceases to become ours, leaving the genre without its most prized icon. So every time he attempts to sour higher, these people want to hack at his eagle wings like they’re the main character, saying, “If we don’t like it here, they won’t like it there.” But deep down, we all know that that is a huge lie.
Whether Morayo exceeds expectations or divides opinion, one thing remains certain: Wizkid’s legacy as one of the greatest — if not the greatest — Afrobeats acts of all time is already sealed. His journey from the streets of Lagos to global arenas has not only transformed the genre but also expanded its reach to corners of the world once untouched by its rhythms.
Wizkid’s ability to adapt, evolve, and challenge boundaries is what sets him apart and keeps him relevant. Even without Morayo, his name is etched in the annals of music history as an artist who defined, elevated, and transcended Afrobeats. In truth, he doesn’t need another album to prove his greatness; his work already speaks for itself.
But knowing Wizkid and his ridiculous skill set, there is every reason to expect Morayo to add to his indelible legacy.
