Afrobeats, the CIA & the Politics of Popular Music
Is Afrobeats’ global rise a story of talent, label investment, political influence, or overlapping forces? AJ and Antonio debate the Chocolate City/CIA claim, what counts as evidence, and how soft power might operate through music. Plus: AI tributes to deceased artists and a BXKS discovery.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Cold open and introduction
01:00 The Spearhead video and its claims
02:00 Chocolate City: connections versus evidence
08:00 Can soft power work without political lyrics?
11:00 CKay, label promotion and “industry plants”
13:00 Tems and connecting the dots
15:00 Who is Afrobeats being made…
The skinny
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