Zaaki Azzay Urges Artists to Safeguard Afrobeats

Zaaki Azzay urges Nigerian artistes to preserve Afrobeats’ global dominance, warning against mistakes made in reggae and dancehall evolution

Veteran musician Zaaki Azzay has called on Nigerian artistes to take responsibility for preserving Afrobeats’ global dominance, cautioning that the genre could face challenges similar to those encountered by reggae and dancehall in Jamaica.

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In an interview with Saturday Beats, Azzay praised the new generation of artistes and expressed openness to collaboration.

“I am very open to collaborating with young artistes. I respect them; their sound is amazing. They follow trends and are very talented,” he said.

He warned that Afrobeats must avoid the mistakes he believes Jamaican musicians made with reggae and dancehall.

“I don’t want what happened with Jamaican music to happen to Afrobeats. They didn’t evolve reggae properly; otherwise, it would still compete globally today. Afrobeats is on the centre stage now; we must manage it properly so it stands the test of time. We should constantly improve, evolve, and feature artistes from other countries to expand our reach.”

Azzay also spoke on the trend of younger artistes remaking classics from his generation, noting the importance of doing so responsibly.

“It’s always an honour when young artistes remake your songs, often making them even better. It brings older hits back into the spotlight. But it must be done properly — you need permission and proper negotiation.”

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For Zaaki Azzay, the future of Afrobeats hinges on careful evolution, cross-border collaboration, and mutual respect between veteran and emerging artistes.