Afrobeats isn’t monotonous. You can be laid back, vibrantly energetic, raving… or embody these three elements. There isn’t a perfect recipe for cooking a certified afrobeats song, but with these helpful ingredients, you can’t miss.
Know your sound
From afrotrenches to afroadura to afrowahala, there’s a niché you can comfortably fit if you know your strong suit and what you want to sound like. Dedicate your 10,000 hours to doing what you love, recognise what you want to sound like, soak in gems from your faves, and keep working and reworking. It’ll eventually come together, and you’ll know when it happens.
Get your beat right
Number one pro-tip: do away with free beats. Holla at dope producers like Sarz or Andre Vibez to pattern something sweet for you. Can’t afford them? Take what you have to that dope producer in your neighborhood. Combine your hunger, make jams and you guys might make it out the hood together. See Asake and Magicsticks, Seyi Vibez and Dibs.
Sample Fela’s music
There’s hardly any Nigerian musician in the last decade that isn’t influenced by Baba Fela. And tbh, it’s better than calling yourself the young or new Fela, because from where to where?
Don’t think about numbers
You’re not Tems, so why are you thinking Tems’ numbers? It’s good to dream about celebrating a billion streams on your jam, but don’t forget it’s a journey. Focus on making the perfect song first.
Lyrics
Don’t join the lie that Afrobeats songs have no substance. From 2Baba’s reflective lyrics to Bloody Civilian’s storytelling, there’s always something to say. Or just be like Wizkid, swing between smug brags and what your babe tells you.
Lamba should choke
A lamba is the ultimate, flattery — it’s a bunch of words you tell to make people feel good. Lamba will add spice to your song. We don’t even have to fully understand whatever you say. E.g “Hossana sussana sutana / Sister life is deeper / Deeper life is sister” (Davido, Like Dat).
Lay emphasis
This is a great hack. As an artist, you want people to sing your words back to you, so make sure certain lyrics are repetitive and easy to stick to memory. Why do you think Wizkid is doing multiple “kolobi, ko, ko” and “mo fo oo-ooo” on Ghetto Love?
Adlibs
These are short phrases you throw across a song, especially after a hot line. You can moan it or yell it with reckless abandon. E.g. Davido’s “shekpe” and Zlatan Ibile’s “ayiiii” and “kapaichumarimarimachupako.”
Throw your signature on it
Your signature is like the watermark photographers put on their photos. It can be in your intro or in one of your verses or end of the song. For example, “OluwaBurna”, “O.B.O — baddest” and Rema’s “another banger”.
Send your jam to distro
The distro = distributor that puts your music online. Not the free download site. If your jam isn’t on music streaming platforms, there’s no evidence you dropped a jam. Because what’s a jam if people can’t find it?
Don’t forget to position your work for playlisting (editorial or regular) too. You may just be a playlist away from being discovered or signed.
Burning Ram is coming. Don’t say I didn’t tell you.
