- Tems, a Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, explains afrobeats as a genre designed for escapism.
- The genre in Nigeria aims to provide an escape from the harsh reality, rather than preaching against societal ills, according to her.
- In a recent episode of the ‘Shopping The Sneakers’ podcast, the ‘Love Me Jeje’ crooner responded to Jamaican reggae legend Buju Banton’s criticism of afrobeats.
Temilade Openiyi, the Grammy-winning Nigerian artist better known as Tems, has articulated her perspective on afrobeats, describing it as a genre designed primarily for escapism.
She emphasized that in Nigeria, the genre aims to provide a respite from the challenging realities of life, rather than to serve as a platform for addressing social issues.
This statement was made in response to Jamaican reggae icon Buju Banton’s recent critique of afrobeats during an episode of the ‘Shopping The Sneakers’ podcast, where Banton asserted that the genre lacks depth and is destined to diminish over time.
“I understand where Buju Banton is coming from. Reggae is not afrobeats and afrobeats in Nigeria is specifically for escapism; that’s the purpose of afrobeats,” she said.
