Here’s a bold statement: Adekunle Gold’s latest album, Fuji, has sparked a fiery debate that goes beyond just music. Is it truly a tribute to the iconic Nigerian fújì genre, or does it miss the mark entirely? But here’s where it gets controversial: does it even matter if it’s not exactly fújì? Let’s dive in.
On October 4th, the Afrobeats sensation took the stage at Spotify’s Greasy Tunes Café in Lagos, delivering an electrifying performance of his new album, released just a day prior. This wasn’t just any concert—it was part of a three-week celebration of Afrobeats culture, complete with panels, live podcasts, and even a fashion show. Gold’s album, named after the fújì genre of Nigeria’s Yoruba ethnic group, aimed to honor a musical tradition. But critics like Dami Ajayi and Zikoko’s Tomide Marv argue that the album falls short of its namesake, raising a bigger question: What does it mean when modern artists reinterpret traditional genres for a global audience? And this is the part most people miss: is there a right way to do it?
Gold himself has called fújì the ‘grandfather of Afrobeats,’ a genre rooted in the 1960s by pioneer Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister. Fújì, reportedly named after Japan’s Mount Fuji, blends the rhythmic complexity of wéré music—played during Ramadan to wake Muslims for the Sahur meal—with fast-paced percussion, layered drums, and call-and-response vocals. It’s a sound that’s both spiritual and celebratory, deeply embedded in Nigerian culture.
But Gold’s Fuji is a melting pot of influences. From R&B samples of Bobby Caldwell and Grover Washington Jr. to hip-hop beats in tracks like ‘Big Fish,’ the album borrows from multiple genres. Even South African house music makes an appearance. Critic Joba Ojelabi calls it ‘a tribute in name only,’ questioning whether the world will recognize it as the fújì Barrister and his successors built. Yet, tracks like ‘Many People’—a reimagined flip of Yinka Ayefele’s gospel tungba hit ‘Mi O Mo J’orin Lo’—hint at a throughline to the genre’s roots.
Here’s the controversial part: Does Gold’s fusion dilute the essence of fújì, or does it reinvent it for a new generation? When Gold performed ‘Many People’ at Greasy Tunes Café, the crowd erupted, especially when Ayefele—a cultural icon who overcame disability—joined him onstage. For many young fans, this was their first encounter with Ayefele’s music, yet they knew his songs from family gatherings where fújì was the soundtrack. As creator Sofiyat Ibrahim (The Odditty) put it, ‘His albums were like hidden treasures we all just knew and loved.’
‘Many People’ has since gone viral, with over 52,000 reels and 280,000 TikToks, climbing the TurnTable Charts in Nigeria. Gold explains that Fuji is more than an album—it’s a symbol of his journey, his roots, and the Nigerian experience. ‘This is not nostalgia,’ he writes. ‘This is reinvention. This is me carrying my roots into the future.’
So, what do you think? Is Gold’s Fuji a respectful homage or a departure from tradition? Does it matter if it’s not ‘pure’ fújì, as long as it celebrates Nigerian culture? Let’s keep the conversation going—drop your thoughts in the comments!
