Major labels now prioritising signing of Afrobeats artistes, says US OAP Ebro Darden

Ebro Darden, the US OAP, says record labels are now prioritising the signing of Afrobeats talents.

The radio personality tweeted that he received a tip-off from a source he didn’t disclose about an ongoing trend.

He said the source said many major labels are deprioritising signing rap stars in favour of African music talents.

In the reported comment, the OAP’s source was quoted as saying the monotonous nature of rap music is to blame.

“It should be noted many major record labels have deprioritized signing rappers,” Darden’s tweet reads in part.

“The focus is now African music & Latin music rappers better stop being boring and talking about the same [thing] over and over, chasing TikTok success and comment sections’.”

Among the major labels dominating the global recording industry are Sony, Universal, and Warner Music.

African music has been on an upward trajectory in recent years, driven by the growing recognition of Afrobeats.

This has put Nigerian talents, who dominate the fast-growing music genre, in something of a global spotlight.

In March 2023, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) reported that music revenues in Sub-Saharan Africa spiked by 34.7 percent in 2022 to make the region the fastest-growing on the continent.

This, it said, was driven largely by a significant 31.4 percent boost in South Africa, the region’s largest market.

The Middle East and North Africa had the third highest growth rate in 2022, spiralling by 23.8 percent.

And 95.5 percent of that growth, the IFPI added, came from streaming, the highest from any region globally.