“Afrobeats has become a hiding place for talentless acts,” says Ruggedman in fresh industry critique.

Veteran rapper Ruggedman has criticised the widespread use of the term “Afrobeats” as a blanket genre for African music, arguing that it fails to properly represent the continent’s diverse musical styles.

Speaking in an interview with Day Genius, Ruggedman said the label is frequently used to group together artistes who lack genuine talent and instead depend on catchy instrumentals and repetitive lyrics.
He further alleged that many artistes associated with Afrobeats struggle with live performances and freestyling, attributing this weakness to overreliance on autotune and commercially manufactured songs.
Ruggedman said he has never supported the idea of using Afrobeats as an umbrella term for all African music, noting that his earlier objections were dismissed, with some accusing him of jealousy or gatekeeping.
According to him, the practice of labeling all African music as Afrobeats originated in the United Kingdom, where audiences sought a convenient name for the sound. He maintained that this generalisation is inaccurate.
He added that if he performs in the UK, he would automatically be classified as an Afrobeats artiste, a label he believes is incorrect.
Ruggedman further argued that Afrobeats, particularly as widely used today, has become a cover for mediocrity. He claimed that producing a hit in the genre often requires only a good beat, the use of street slang repeated multiple times, and heavy financial investment in promotion.