Joeboy, a well-known performer from Nigeria, has expressed disagreement with Burna Boy over his claim that most afrobeats musicians don’t write songs with meaningful lyrics.
Burna Boy claimed that most Nigerian musicians create songs “without substance” in a recent interview with Apple songs’s Zane Lowe, according to OBASANJO NEWS24.
Joeboy, who recently appeared on the Zero Conditions podcast, refuted the Grammy-winning musician’s assertion.
The host questioned the performer, “For you as an afrobeats artist, how much balance do you do with living life because following the conversation of Burna Boy saying [afrobeats artists] don’t have substance, how much experience do you try to garner as an artist?”
Joeboy retorted, “I think everyone has substance. It just depends on what individuals can relate to. People sometimes think you are just having fun when you create a fast-paced, danceable music. Alternatively, if you don’t sing in English.
“I used to read comments [on social media] when people would say things like, ‘Ah pinging!’ when someone was singing in plain English. What is pinging? Considering that he sang in English?
“Every artist out there, if you want people to think you are a brilliant songwriter, simply write in plain English. I guarantee that once they hear this, the fans will exclaim, “Oh, this guy is the best songwriter ever.” And when someone sings in Pidgin, the admirers will exclaim, “Ah! This one dey do lamba.”
It’s not lamba. Actually, it’s still making connections. I realise that not all types of music will appeal to you. But I can assure you that anyone who has the capacity to conjure something up from nothing has substance.
