Ruggedman Critiques Misrepresentation of African Music

Ruggedman, a veteran Nigerian rapper, has expressed his concerns regarding the widespread use of the term "Afrobeats" as a blanket label for African music. In a recent interview, he articulated that this categorization misrepresents the diverse sounds originating from the continent.

Ruggedman noted that the term has been misinterpreted over the years, often leading to accusations of jealousy when he speaks out against it. He pointed out that the label has become a convenient cover for artists lacking depth, allowing talentless individuals to hide behind the Afrobeats genre.

He criticized the international audience, particularly in the UK, for embracing this label and tagging every African music artist as an Afrobeats artist. Ruggedman emphasized that many African artists do not identify with the Afrobeats genre and that the term fails to capture the richness of African music.

He also mentioned that some artists rely heavily on autotune and lack the ability to perform live without it.