Nigerian Singer Terry G Accuses Billboard of Snubbing His Songs in ‘Best Afrobeats Songs of All-Time’ List
Renowned Nigerian singer Gabriel Oche Amanyi, widely known by his stage name Terry G, has recently expressed his disappointment and frustration with American music magazine Billboard. Terry G claims that Billboard has deliberately overlooked his songs in their newly released Top 50 ‘Best Afrobeats Songs of All-Time’ list.
According to reports by Media Talk Africa, the list, compiled by Billboard staff, ranked ‘African Queen’ by 2Face as the number one Afrobeats song. The list also featured notable hits such as Timaya’s ‘Dem Mama’, Weird MC’s ‘Ijoya’, and ‘Yahooze’ by Olu Maintain. However, Terry G’s hit tracks, including ‘Akpako Master’, ‘Free Madness’, ‘Run Mad’, and several others, were noticeably absent from the list.
Following the release of the list, Terry G took to social media to express his dissatisfaction, reacting to a post by music monitoring platform Chart Data, which announced ‘African Queen’ as the top song on the list. Terry G simply stated, “TERRY G robbed,” insinuating that his exclusion from the list was unjust.
Terry G’s statement sparked a mixed reaction among fans, with some supporters agreeing that his songs deserve recognition, while others argued that his tracks do not compare to ‘African Queen’, the song that topped the list.
As one of Nigeria’s prominent musicians, Terry G’s hits have enjoyed significant airplay and appreciation both locally and internationally. His distinctive style and genre-bending approach have undoubtedly left an impact on the Nigerian music landscape. However, the dispute with Billboard raises questions about the criteria for selecting top Afrobeats songs and the representation of the genre’s leading artists.
While opinions about the Billboard list and Terry G’s snub vary, it is undeniable that Nigerian music has been making significant strides globally. The Afrobeats genre, in particular, has experienced an impressive rise in popularity across continents, with many artists from Nigeria and beyond contributing to its growing international appeal.
Given the passionate debates sparked by Billboard’s ‘Best Afrobeats Songs of All-Time’ list, it is evident that music enthusiasts and fans are engaged in ongoing conversations about the deserved recognition for artists and their contributions to the genre.
