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I have been in a long-term, one-sided, semi-obsessive relationship with Mrs. Beyoncé Knowles-Carter for many years now. I have seen her live every year since 2013, and with every show I only fall deeper in love with her and her insane talent. After the Homecoming documentary dropped on Netflix earlier this year, as I watched it over for the millionth time trying to be sure I got all the choreography memorized, I was sure that I had reached the peak of my obsession. As someone who went to an HBCU (the only one that matters, Howard University), seeing my college experience so immaculately represented and respected, I didn’t feel that I could be any more proud to be a Beyoncé fan and member of the Beyhive. But then on Friday morning, July 19, 2019, she dropped The Lion King: The Gift, her accompanying album to the Disney classic live-action 2019 remake, The Lion King.
Beyoncé refers to this album as a “love letter to Africa,” and as a Nigerian woman listening to the album track after track, hearing the voices of my countries’ artists using our native tongue, I definitely felt the love. The album features 10 African artists from four African countries (Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and South Africa) with nearly every track incorporating drums and beats synonymous with the African music “Afrobeats” genre. In an era where cultural appropriation is running rampant, she could have easily used Afrobeats and gotten mainstream American artists to sing over them, and her being Beyoncé, she probably would have gotten away with it. But instead, she made the purposeful decision to have actual African artists use their voice and talent to authentically represent their cultures — and this is what will always make her the queen above all. In her interview with ABC news she explains, “I wanted to make sure we found the best talent from Africa and not just use some of the sounds and did my interpretation of it. I wanted it to be authentic to what is beautiful about the music in Africa.”
Dear cultural appropriators, take notes.
Afrobeats has been gaining serious traction in the last few years with major crossover into American mainstream music. Wizkid’s 2016 collaboration with Drake, “One Dance,” gave the Toronto hip-hop star his first Billboard #1 record as a lead artist. Artists like Chris Brown, Trey Songz and Major Lazer have all teamed up with African artists in recent years. It has become a crucial part of DJs' playlists, and only last month I walked into my local nail salon to hear them blasting Burna Boy’s hit song “Ye.” So given the current popularity of African music, the question now is: what is it about this album, about Beyoncé’s recognition of African music and artists, that has made the culture so proud, especially if our music was already doing so well?
The morning of the album release, I sought out the answer to this question by googling “the Beyoncé gift album” to see what the mainstream news publications had to say about all the African magic that was sprinkled through the work. To my surprise, a majority of the major news publications completely missed out on the mission of the album, instead highlighting the American artists, attempting to sort out the music’s reference and relevance to the plot of the film and commenting on Blue Ivy’s feature (which was greatness that cannot be denied). However, in many of the articles the African artists were simply referenced as “and others” next to the names of the American artists on the album. And in some cases, their names were not spelled out at all. It was my hope that most would reference the importance of this work to the African community and culture, given that was Beyoncé’s whole point of this phenomenal body of work.
To me, and those in my community, the release of this album and the impact it had was monumental. It brought many of us close to tears and recruited new members to the Beyhive. Hearing Yoruba (native Nigerian tribe) words infused with Beyoncé’s voice on the track “OTHERSIDE,” brought a sense of joy, experiencing my mother’s tongue being vocalized on such a huge platform. In my state of joy and euphoria, all I wanted to do was speak to other people who were experiencing the same level of happiness that I was. Thus, I sought out the answer to my question about why the album made us so proud from Africans I knew, asking them to express their thoughts on the album and how the music and inclusion of African talent made them feel.
See their words below:
“I appreciate the inclusion in the album. Shoutout to Beyoncé for being a social conscious woman on all levels! It is everything the Black Panther album should have been. If you’re going to appropriate our culture, at least appreciate our music and PAY us for it!”
— Tolu
“I couldn’t stop smiling while I was listening to the album. It made me super proud of Nigerian artists and it was truly a gift! I expected them do to great like they usually do, and they definitely exceeded my expectations. We Nigerians do THAT.”
— Toyin
“She made me feel beautiful in my own skin. Having actual Africans on the soundtrack made it even better and more authentic than just bring Black Americans on the album.”
— Yewande
“The album was actually amazing. It made me appreciate being Nigerian even more than I already felt. I felt like my people were finally getting some recognition for their art and it was a joy to listen to.”
— Abisola
“Finally proper Nigerian representation to the world! Beyoncé is the number one. She’s showing these artists the respect they deserve, not trying to steal their work and this just makes me so proud to be Nigerian. Africans are such rockstars but the media can be shady towards us, so this album highlighting the musical talents in our countries is awesome. Lastly, this places Beyoncé on a higher pedestal (like it can get any higher). It’s our time!!”
— Oyinda
“The album is so dope. I don’t typically listen to foreign music but this album is the best so far. It remind me of how blessed we are in Africa."
— Ifedayo
"It made me feel proud of where I come from. It's more than music, the message is important. The take home message for me is to always believe in myself regardless of what anyone thinks of me, my culture, or where I come from. Beyonce made my day, she is a true artist and everything she does actually means something. She is everything."
— Eniola
The African artists on the album also took to social media to express their thoughts and the work’s impact:
“It is dedicated to African men and all men of African descent. Our kings are being killed and some jailed without justice. Yes I know this is a movie that shaped a lot of our childhood and we didn’t really see the true message behind it but I believe this soundtrack is a celebration and reminder of who we are. I pray you are blessed while you listen to this song. You’ve been hurt too long and we appreciate you African kings. Omo oba ma gba gbe, run it oruko Baba re (Son of a king, don’t you EVER forget.)”
— Tiwa Savage on her song "KEYS TO THE KINGDOM"
“Time and chance, preparation meets opportunity. Thank you for your gift, the opportunity, lending us your team, inviting me to the premiere and your kind words #AFRICATOTHEWORLD"
“Growing up I watched lion king but never imagined that someday I would be part of the project…Sending big love to Beyoncé for putting this project together! It’s bringing the World to Africa.”
— Mr Eazi
“I have no words to explain and express my gratitude for being one of the chosen ones for the lion king soundtrack by my ultimate favorite artist in the world Beyoncé. Anyone who knows me or googles interviews has heard me say one day I’ll work with the Queen. They laughed. Look who has the last laugh now. Dreams come true and nothing is impossible”
So, while to mainstream media this level of inclusion and recognition may not seem like a big deal, to most Africans everywhere this album is a major celebration of everything it means to be an African and to stand in the pride of our countries. Granted the Afrobeats genre has gained some popularity in recent years, it would be foolish to deny that this new platform has elevated the fame and appreciation of these artists, the African culture, our music and our heritage.
As a Nigerian woman listening to this album, I have never felt more proud of my culture. To have one of my favorite artists recognize my country and my sister countries for our talents and giving them this platform makes me so proud to be a fan. The Lion King was a huge piece of my childhood and to have it take on this new meaning and significance makes the movie so much more important.
Thank you Queen Beyoncé for this gift. Long may you reign.
