How KI, Pasuma and Others are Showing Us That Fuji-Pop is the Genre of the Future

 Alhaji Ayinde Barrister would be happy in his grave right now if he looks down and sees what Fuji music is becoming. He single-handedly started the movement in the 60s, and years later, Fuji has become a big entertainment enterprise with the likes of Kollington Ayinla, KI D Ultimate, Wasiu Alabi Pasuma and others raking in millions annually.

The infusion of HIPHOP into Fuji would have been a huge risk that only Pasuma was ready to take many years ago when he released an HIPHOP album; My World, featuring stars like Tiwa Savage, Patoranking, Olamide, Phyno and others.

The album garnered massive airplay on radio and streaming platforms and the acceptance became an inspiration to other Fuji artists who wanted to properly push their craft further and get newer audience in the ever-evolving entertainment scene.

Obesere's remix of his hit song 'Egungun Be Careful' is also one of the highlights of the pandemic-laden 2020 although it quickly received cold reception from fans who thought the collaboration was not necessary.

Although gathering less momentum compared to Pasuma, Saheed Osupa also dropped his Hip-Hop album titled Vanakula, in 2018 featuring MI, Tiwa Salvage, Timaya, Reminisce to name a few.

The most recent addition is KI D Ultimate who must be very happy with his decision to make HIPHOP versions of some of his previous Fuji hits.

Hearing Wasiu Ayinde vibe on the trap-beat 'Awade' whilst still maintaining his Fuji charisma was practically one of the most surprising events that happened in the entertainment world last year. The 'Ade Ori Okin' single; is the favourite of the younger generation and arguably the biggest song in the album.

Many even believe that Small Doctor's kind of pop music was coined from Fuji.

While we may not say accurately that Fuji artistes have found their bearing in the already large Afrobeats market, there is a bigger chance to survive the heat and the competition that abounds in the biggest entertainment market in Africa.

The impact of this marriage on the already big Fuji community is going to be very lucrative for both markets. In the long run, new-school Fuji stars infusing HIPHOP are undoubtedly going to succeed because of the warm welcome they are getting from their HIPHOP counterparts, the fans and through the publicity they are utilizing to down the odds that may arise.

For Fuji stars taking their tents to the HIPHOP camp this moment, quenching the insatiable desires of millions of audiences may be quite a huge task. Nevertheless, we will all be wowed if HIPHOP stars start featuring Fuji artists. This will pull the needed attention and may birth the new genre; Fuji-Pop; one pioneered Wasiu Alabi Pasuma.

Pasuma already has over 4 million listens of his HIPHOP album on Boomplay. This is a remarkable feat that would take other emerging Fuji-Pop artistes blood and sweat to reach. KI’s popularity might take him there but how many of others are willing to take it up-notch and keep their brand up there among the Afrobeat bigwigs?

Above all, the possibilities are very high and we are never going to write off the chances of a Fuji-Pop song topping Apple music charts in Nigeria and across the continent. We hope that fledging Fuji artistes will crop up and a Fuji-infused Afrobeat song will be a song of the year and probably a Grammy-nominative single.

I personally feel that Fuji-Pop is a genre of the future. Do you think so too? Kindly leave comments below and share. All Fuji fans will love this.