Singer Ric Hassani recently voiced his concerns regarding the state of the Afrobeats genre, highlighting a significant decline in its quality over the years.
In an interview on Channels TV’s Rubbin’ Minds with Ebuka, Hassani expressed his viewpoint on the evolution of Afrobeats music, stating that while it was once synonymous with quality, the current landscape is saturated with subpar offerings.
According to Hassani, the hit songs of yesteryears upheld a standard of excellence, whereas contemporary hits fall short in terms of musical merit. He emphasized that the influx of new artists seeking to capitalize on Afrobeats’ global popularity has led to a dilution of quality.
“Afrobeats is Nigerian music. Our guys are top 10, and I feel like because of that, the quality of music might stop dropping because more people want to get in. So the quality is really dropping,” Hassani remarked.
He lamented the shift from “serious music” to a trend where “almost anybody is just coming in,” resulting in a proliferation of mediocre tracks dominating the airwaves. Hassani attributed this decline to the complacency bred by Nigeria’s longstanding dominance in the music industry, suggesting that artists are now prioritizing commercial success over artistic integrity.
“Back in the days, hit songs were serious music, but now almost anybody is just coming in. Most of the hit songs in Nigeria now are not very good music. Back in the days, it wasn’t like this. I feel like because we have been number one for so long, everybody is just dropping whatever they like and throwing money behind it,” Hassani observed.