Nigerian music sensation Bella Shmurda has voiced his dismay over the recent disparagement of Afrobeats by prominent artists, emphasizing the importance of respecting the genre regardless of one’s status in the music industry.

His remarks come in the wake of Wizkid‘s Instagram rant, where the superstar expressed his reluctance to be labelled an Afrobeats artist and urged Afrobeats fans not to listen to his music, echoing sentiments similar to Burna Boy‘s previous comments about the genre.

Speaking on The 90s Show in a recent interview, Bella Shmurda addressed the trend of prominent artists disrespecting Afrobeats, expressing his disappointment with their remarks. While he contemplated speaking out on social media, he refrained from doing so to avoid potential conflicts.

“We all artists should respect Afrobeats. This is our thing you can’t downgrade it no matter what level you’re. The country is bad, the government is bad and this (Afrobeats) is the source of our happiness and you can’t downgrade it,” Bella Shmurda asserted, highlighting the significance of Afrobeats as a cultural phenomenon and a source of joy for many.

Furthermore, Bella Shmurda criticized big artists who undermine Afrobeats in an attempt to differentiate themselves, pointing out their reluctance to support local awards or perform in Nigeria while seeking recognition on the international stage.

“We have Headies Awards, we have AFRIMA, they call you and you don’t want to perform because you’re too big but when you go for these international awards you try to give Africa shoutouts and make it look like you’re representing Africa. Leave the shoutouts, it’s for yourself. You’re not real and you’re not representing Africa because if you’re representing Africa, you will be at an African award,” Bella Shmurda passionately asserted, underscoring the importance of authenticity and genuine support for African music initiatives.

You can watch Shmurda’s comments on the Afrobreats issue in the YouTube Video below: