Gospel singer Gaise Baba believes gospel music should be seen as a message, not just a music genre.
He shared these thoughts during an interview with TheCable at an event by the United States Mission in Nigeria, held at the US Consul General’s residence in Ikoyi, Lagos, to mark 250 years of American independence.
The singer said that labelling gospel as a separate genre limits how far it can go and leads to unfair treatment compared to other genres.
“Gospel is not a genre, it’s a message,” he said.
“If I make rap music and my content is gospel, the product I’ve made, the genre is rap. So you should put it side by side with any other rap song.
“It shouldn’t be secluded or segregated because of the content. When someone else raps about drugs or raps about a female’s body, you don’t segregate it. You treat it on the basis of the art.
“So, treat my art on the basis of the art. If I make Afrobeats, Afro fusion or any Afro sound, then put it side by side with every other song and judge it based on excellence.
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“I feel like the terminology and the classification as gospel limits gospel music from getting to where it really needs to get to.”
Speaking on Nigeria’s entertainment industry, Gaise said the country has the creativity but lacks the structures needed to support artists.
“We’re really good with the creativity. We’re really good with the art right now, but the structures behind the art are not that strong yet,” he said.
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“Which is why a lot of our art right now is being owned from abroad, controlled from abroad and funded from abroad.
“If we have more investment, not just investment but structures put in place behind the industry, I think that’ll be great.”
He also addressed concerns over what some observers have described as a decline in intellectual content in Nigeria’s entertainment industry, saying it presents an opportunity for Christian creatives to stand out.
“If you carry Christ, you are light, and there is no better place for light to shine than in darkness,” he said.
“If there is a D E A R T H of intelligent conversation through art, that’s the best time for us to express the creativity and the excellence and the intelligence that is inside of us.
“If there is a general drop in the level of excellence and intelligence and wisdom that is coming out of the entertainment industry in Nigeria, then there is no better time for us to shine.
“Darkness covers the earth, so when darkness covers the earth, it’s actually the best time for light to shine.
“I believe Christ is the light that is going to liberate this society. There’s no better time for us to do that, and I believe we are just on the cusp of it.”
Born Akinade Ibuoye, Gaise Baba is known for blending gospel messages with Afrobeats and other contemporary African sounds. He rose to wider prominence with songs such as ‘Elijah Level’ before gaining international recognition in 2025 when the remix of ‘No Turning Back’ II featuring Lawrence Oyor debuted on the Billboard US Afrobeats Songs chart. The song also became a viral hit across social media platforms, introducing his AfroGospel sound to a wider audience.
