Tracing the Roots of Afrobeats from Lagos Suburbs

Lagos is a city that never stops humming, but that hum isn't just noise it's a rhythm. By 2026, Afrobeats has conquered the global charts, with Lagosian artists filling stadiums from London to Tokyo. However, to understand the soul of this genre, one must look past the glitz of the Grammy Awards and travel back to the gritty, high-energy suburbs of Lagos where the sound was forged in the fires of struggle, celebration, and sheer resilience.

It is impossible to discuss the modern sound without acknowledging the "s" that differentiates it from Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat. While Fela’s sound was a politically charged blend of jazz, funk, and traditional highlife centered at the Afrika Shrine in Ikeja, modern "Afrobeats" is a decentralized movement that absorbed global influences like dancehall, hip-hop, and R&B.

​The suburbs of Lagos Agege, Ajegunle, Mushin, and Surulere are the true birthplaces of the movement. These areas provided the "street credibility" and the sonic signatures that define the genre today.

• ​Ajegunle (AJ City): In the 1990s and early 2000s, Ajegunle was the epicenter. It gave us "Galala" and "Swo" music, popularized by legends like Daddy Showkey. It was a sound of the grassroots, utilizing heavy percussion and local slang.

• ​Surulere: This middle-class suburb became a bridge. It is where a young Wizkid began his journey under the tutelage of Banky W at the Empire Mates Entertainment (EME) house. Surulere represents the polished, melodic evolution of the sound taking the energy of the street and refining it for the radio.

• ​Agege: The birthplace of the "Zanku" movement. Agege brought a raw, frantic energy back to the music in the late 2010s, introducing dance steps and percussive beats that felt like a heartbeat.

​What makes a song "Lagosian"? It is a combination of three distinct elements:

• ​The Language: A fluid mix of English, Yoruba, and Nigerian Pidgin. Phrases like "Eko o ni baje" or "Wassup" are woven into lyrics, creating a coded language that felt local but sounded global.

• ​The Percussion: Even in 2026, the heartbeat of Afrobeats remains the heavy kick and the intricate snare patterns that demand movement. Whether it's the Log Drum of Amapiano-fusion or the classic Sner of early 2010s Afrobeats, the rhythm is paramount.

• ​The Hustle Mentality: Every Afrobeats anthem is, at its core, a song about making it. Whether it's Burna Boy singing about his journey or a new artist from Ikorodu, the lyrics reflect the "Lagos Hustle" the relentless drive to move from the suburbs to the penthouses of Ikoyi.

Today, the "Lagos Sound" is no longer confined to the borders of Nigeria. It is a multi-billion dollar industry. However, the connection to the suburbs remains. Global stars still return to the mainland to shoot music videos in the streets that raised them, knowing that the authenticity of the Lagos suburb is the "secret sauce" that the rest of the world is trying to replicate.

​As we look toward the future of music, Lagos remains the North Star. The city's suburbs continue to churn out new sub-genres, proving that as long as there is a heartbeat in the streets of Mushin or Agege, there will be a new rhythm for the world to dance to.