African Artists Sell Out To Big Brands And Snub African Fashion & Culture At The Grammys 2024

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The 66th edition of the Grammys has drawn to a close, and once again, the resounding presence of African music graced the awards show. Tyla, the Johannesburg-born sensation, clinched the prestigious Best African Music Performance award for her mesmerizing track “Water” at the 2024 Grammys, marking a triumph in the category’s inaugural year.

Amidst the highlights for African artists, Burna Boy’s stage performance resonated with brilliance, while Ayra Starr was twerking in bath rooms and rocking a bikini and handkerchief for her red carpet appearance.

However, a noteworthy observation among the prominent African artists in attendance, including Tyla, Burna Boy, Davido, Ayra Starr, Fireboy, Asake, and more, was the absence of any representation of African designers in their attire. Not a single one chose to attend the significant ceremony in an African designer look, let alone something that reflects African culture.

Surprisingly, they did not make an effort to style themselves in an African manner, prompting us, a fashion blog, to call them out. These superstars, who garnered millions of views, owe their initial platforms to African people. Yet, as they gain recognition globally, they seem to disregard their roots, and unfortunately, it took a fashion blog to address this issue.

This pattern repeats itself as African artists gain clout and notoriety. They shift the locations of their video shoots from Africa to the USA or Europe, alter the type of women featured in their videos, and modify their fashion choices. It appears as if the only reason their music remains categorized as Afrobeats is either due to its current trend or as their sole gateway to leverage competition.

For those unfamiliar with the workings of the red carpet, major fashion brands often collaborate with artists’ management, either paying them to wear their dresses or taking control of their appearances through their networked fashion media houses. Red carpet appearances with top celebrities constitute a significant business, and it’s fair to say that African designers have yet to reach that level. Many still hope artists will choose their designs without compensation, and some even ask artists to pay for fabrics.

Nevertheless, artists and their management should recognize that the African music movement is part of a broader African movement, mutually benefiting from various sectors. If they choose to compromise the movement for personal gain, they should be held accountable and called out.

It is time to hold these artists accountable, irrespective of their attempts to dismiss critics as haters. No one denies their right to conduct their business and secure funds for wearing Versace and Louis Vuitton or whichever watered down brand decided to fund them. However, a modest inter-show change of outfits or a nod to African fashion at after-parties would be appreciated. Turning their backs on African fashion and culture simply because they’ve gained recognition on European platforms is not acceptable, and we should have a stream of blogs that learn to shun them or call them out for this.

As far as the culture goes, they absolutely failed and had nothing to offer on the otherside of the world. Stop giving your corny award winning speeches and telling people to embrace African culture, whilst you take every opportunity to escape it except when it makes your pockets fatter.