Nigerian singer Solidstar has argued that many artistes in the country lack versatility because they focus overwhelmingly on Afrobeats, describing the trend as an obstacle to broader musical creativity.

The ‘One In A Million’ hitmaker, born Joshua Iniyezo, shared his views in a recent post on X, where he claimed that many Nigerian musicians limit themselves to a single genre instead of exploring a wider range of sounds.

According to him, Afrobeats was not the dominant force it is today when he fully emerged in the music industry between 2009 and 2010. He recalled that Fuji music enjoyed greater popularity during that period.

“Nigerian musicians aren’t versatile. Stocked on one genre (AFROBEATS),” he wrote.

“Nothing like AFROBEATS when I came out fully in 2009/2010, Fuji was even huge! Make dem stop overrating nonsense and start selling good music.”

Solidstar’s comments add to an ongoing debate about the Afrobeats label and its influence on African music.

In March, singer-songwriter Ckay criticised the term “Afrobeats,” describing it as a convenient but overly broad label used to categorise the diverse sounds coming from Africa.

Similarly, in September 2025, Seun Kuti argued that the contemporary use of Afrobeats does not represent a genuine music genre.

Despite the criticism, Afrobeats remains one of Africa’s most successful cultural exports. The genre achieved significant global recognition in recent years, with stars such as Wizkid, Davido and Burna Boy performing on major international stages and expanding its worldwide appeal.

Music historians generally trace modern Afrobeats to the early 2000s in Nigeria and Ghana, where it evolved through a blend of West African rhythms, highlife, hip-hop and dancehall influences