Skales Fires Back at Wizkid: “Hip-Hop is Far From Dead

Nigerian rapper and singer Skales has taken issue with Afrobeats star Wizkid’s controversial claim that “hip-hop is dead.” Skales firmly believes that the genre is very much alive and thriving, although the focus of excitement may have shifted.

During an interview with Hip TV, Skales expressed his perspective, emphasizing that musical trends are cyclical and subject to change. He stated, “Everybody has their opinion. Wizkid has his own opinion, so that [‘hip-hop is dead’] is his opinion. But for me, my own logic for life is that everything has its time and season.”

He elaborated further, explaining, “Everything is going to come and go, and there is going to be another cycle. If you are hot today, you might not be hot tomorrow. Today, if it’s rap that everybody is feeling, tomorrow it will be Afrobeats, and the day after, it might be Amapiano, and so on.”

Skales stressed that it is misleading to declare any genre dead simply because it is not currently in the spotlight. “You can’t say something is dead; it’s just not its time anymore. The excitement has moved somewhere else. I’m sure very soon, they will say Afrobeats is dead. It’s just timing,” he remarked.

In addition to discussing the state of hip-hop, Skales reflected on the transient nature of trends and success in the music industry. “Nothing is meant to last forever. That’s why we all die one day,” he concluded, highlighting the inevitable ebb and flow of popularity in the creative world.

The rapper’s comments have sparked a broader conversation about the state of various music genres and the importance of recognizing the evolving landscape of global music trends. Skales’ defense of hip-hop underscores the genre’s enduring influence and the continuous evolution of music as an art form.