Foremost Nigerian disc jockey, DJ Big N, whose real name is Nonso Temisan Ajufo, has joined the elongating list of musicians scrutinizing the Nigerian music industry.
He claimed that the genre has been at its lowest point in the last two decades.
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Speaking in a recent interview with Echo Room, DJ Big N explained that both artists and music executives are to be blamed for the current state of Afrobeats.
He noted that artists and labels diluted the genre in a bid to appeal to more international audiences, but instead got the reverse result because the quality of Afrobeats songs dropped and became less original.
“Afrobeats right now is at its worst position in the last 20 years. And everyone, from musicians to music executives, has a part to be blamed. The quality of music dropped. You have to understand that the quality of the product is important in every way.
“Also, the originality of the music dropped. Always understand that whatever you want to export has to be original, first and foremost. If you tried to export something else, it’s only a matter of time before you stop getting demands. You can’t sell foreign genres to foreign audiences. We have to embrace our originality,” he expressed.
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DJ Big N added that Afrobeats artists are overcharging, which is not sustainable.
He lamented that many Nigerian artists are no longer affordable, especially in their home country.
He urged Afrobeats artists to reevaluate their approach to save the genre from stunting.