Afrobeats royal Yemi Alade has been making strides on a major scale.
Already a firm fixture within the genre thanks to hits as ‘Johnny’ and ‘Boyz,’ the singer’s star was amplified the more when she – along with other top Afro acts – appeared alongside Beyonce on her critically acclaimed album ‘The Lion King: The Gift.’
Praise flew in from most corners, with many hailing the movie for shining a much overdue spotlight Africa and the talent therein. A select few, however, weren’t as endorsing – questioning the Western’s world’s fascinating with the region.
For Alade, whose latest single ‘True Love’ is off to a turbo-charged start, only good can be taken from Beyonce’s seismic celebration of the Motherland.
Speaking with That Grape Juice‘s Samuel Eni, the singer said:
“We were treated as the royalty we are. You know how some people like to give us the “African treatment”…assuming “these ones, they are coming from the bush”? Well, that wasn’t the case here at all.
It felt good. I feel like we were carefully chosen. Not just because we are African, but because we are doing exceptionally well.
Being on these two songs (‘Don’t Jealous Me’ and ‘My Power’) was definitely a dream come true because I’ve always looked up to Beyonce.”
When quizzed on the critique, Alade added:
“Look at this woman. Look at her family. Africans born and raised in America. We can check history to realise why they are there. I’m saying this because some people tend to forget or act like they don’t know. Those are the few people making the negative noise. Those who really know what this symbolises. It’s what our great-great-great grandfathers and grandmothers would be excited to see. That their children are returning to their roots. We should encourage African Americans (to know their origins the more).
I think for someone of Beyonce’s status to show the entire world and proclaim that she knows where she’s from and is African and it’s not a thing of shame…it’s a beautiful thing to behold. In my time, in my generation. So, to be part of such a movie is quite a legacy.”
Watch above, as Alade expands more on ‘Black Is King,’ her own forthcoming album, and much more.