Africa
The sound of Nigeria
Afrobeat and Afrobeats are different things separated by forty years and one letter: the first was political, horn-driven and album-length, the second is the dominant pop language of the continent. Both started here.
128 artists in the catalog.
What Nigeria does that nowhere else does
Genres far more common here than across the rest of the catalog. The multiplier is how much more common, weighted by how many artists carry it.
Five records to start with
Not a canon — a way in. Each one links to what it is, who it's for and where to go next.
Nigerian artists worth walking into
Ordered by how much we can tell you, not just by how well-known they are.
Fela Kuti
Afrobeat · highlife
Where to start →D'banj
Afrobeats · contemporary R&B
Where to start →Adekunle Gold
African popular music · Afrobeat
Where to start →Davido
African popular music · Afrobeats
Where to start →Rema
Afrobeat
Where to start →Falz
Where to start →Skepta
UK rap · grime
Where to start →Illbliss
hip-hop
Where to start →Toyin Sokefun-Bello
gospel music
Where to start →Mr Eazi
Afrobeat
Where to start →Dr. Alban
Eurodance · dancehall
Where to start →CKay
Afrobeat
Where to start →