Afrobeats Intelligence cover art

Afrobeats Intelligence

Afrobeats Intelligence

By: Joey Akan/OkayAfrica
Listen for free

This Season's Biggest Deal | £0.99/mo for 3 months + £10 Audible bonus

£5.99/mo after 3 months - terms apply. Cancel monthly
Summary
 Created and hosted by award-winning Nigerian journalist Joey Akan, Afrobeats Intelligence is the podcast extension of the popular music newsletter, Afrobeats Intelligence. Presented by OkayAfrica and sponsored by premium cognac brand Martell, Afrobeats Intelligence explores the intersection of art, humanity, and the processes that give birth to African sonic excellence. Through eclectic interviews that spotlight creativity from Lagos, Accra, Nairobi, Johannesburg, and beyond, Joey invites listeners every other Friday to take a snapshot into the soul of an industry pushing toward global greatness. Together, we examine the past, present, and future of African music, democratizing access to the ideas, people, and movements shaping its evolution. If you are new to Afrobeats Intelligence, start here!Joey Akan Music
Episodes
  • Jeriq on Community, Culture and the Business of Music

    Jeriq on Community, Culture and the Business of Music
    Oct 23 2026
    Jeriq has built a career by staying deeply connected to where he comes from while finding his place in the mainstream. In this conversation with Joey Akan, Jeriq reflects on growing up in Enugu, the determination to make it out of a difficult environment, and how his community became the foundation for his music, identity and career. He talks about staying true to his sound while learning how to navigate the mainstream, why he continues to live and create in Enugu, and the tension between representing the East and building a global career. Jeriq also discusses the lack of structure and access for artists in the East, the evolution of his music, the rise of Yoko Cartel, his fashion brand and the importance of building a community that can grow with him. At the heart of the conversation is a simple ambition: to show young people from the streets that there is more beyond what they can currently see. Follow Joey Akan and Afrobeats Intelligence for the latest coverage on African music culture and news. Substack: Afrobeats Intelligence Instagram: @joeyakan @afrobeatsintel Tik Tok: @joeyakan @afrobeatsintelligence X: @joeyakan @afrobeatsintel Follow Jeriq: Instagram: @jeriq TikTok: @jeriq X: @jeriq Created and hosted by award-winning Nigerian journalist and music critic Joey Akan, Afrobeats Intelligence is presented by OkayAfrica, a division of AREYA MEDIA INC, and is sponsored by Martell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Jyde Ajala on Visual Architecture, Working with Legends & Why Music Videos Still Matter

    Jyde Ajala on Visual Architecture, Working with Legends & Why Music Videos Still Matter
    Oct 9 2026
    Jyde Ajala is one of the most in-demand music video directors in Afrobeats. After studying film production at Full Sail University in Florida and working for over a decade in the United States, he returned to Nigeria just before the COVID-19 lockdown with a clear mission: to bring a stronger narrative and cinematic approach to the local music video space. He founded Old Soldier Inc. and built his career from the ground up. In a short time, he has become a key visual collaborator for some of the biggest names in the genre. He has directed multiple projects for Olamide (including Jinja, Metaverse, Kai! with Wizkid, Billionaires Club with Wizkid and Darkoo, and Hello Habibi with Russ), as well as major videos for Fireboy DML (Oh My, Obaa Sima), Omah Lay (Holy Ghost), Asake (including Amapiano and New Religion with Olamide), Tems (Love Is a Kingdom visuals), Victony, CKay, Joeboy, Seyi Vibez, Bella Shmurda, and others. His work often spans international locations and blends high production values with a clear understanding of each artist’s world. In this episode of Afrobeats Intelligence, Jyde sits with Joey Akan to discuss how he approaches visual direction as more than just shooting a video, how he thinks about an artist’s identity, the creative worlds they want to build, and the constant negotiation between artistic ambition and what audiences actually respond to. He also speaks candidly about the realities of the job: shrinking budgets, the economics of production, the absence of royalties and residuals for directors, and why music videos still matter in an era of short-form visualisers — not just for the numbers they generate today, but for the legacy they leave behind. Follow Joey Akan and Afrobeats Intelligence for the latest coverage on African music culture and news. Substack: Afrobeats Intelligence Instagram: @joeyakan @afrobeatsintel Tik Tok: @joeyakan @afrobeatsintelligence X: @joeyakan @afrobeatsintel Follow Jyde Ajala: Instagram: @jydeajala Created and hosted by award-winning Nigerian journalist and music critic Joey Akan, Afrobeats Intelligence is presented by OkayAfrica, a division of AREYA MEDIA INC, and is sponsored by Martell. Find exclusive Okayplayer merch, tees and limited releases at https://shop.okayplayer.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 5 mins
  • FOLA on Locking In, From Betting Shop to Paid Crowds & Building ‘Catharsis’ on His Terms

    FOLA on Locking In, From Betting Shop to Paid Crowds & Building ‘Catharsis’ on His Terms
    Sep 25 2026
    FOLA sits down with Joey Akan and goes all the way back; Ibadan, the betting shop, the pen and notepad days when nobody was watching. He talks about locking in early, the people who believed in him when the gap felt impossible, and why he is grateful that he committed to the process. From writing in private to watching crowds spend their hard-earned money to see him live, FOLA breaks down how he selects records, works with his team and even admits he sometimes pulls songs straight from his manager’s love life. He opens up about the making of his debut album Catharsis, the emotional release that defined his arrival, and what it meant to link with artists like BNXN and Davido. This is the story of focus, process, and quiet persistence paying off. Follow Joey Akan and Afrobeats Intelligence for the latest coverage on African music culture and news. Substack: Afrobeats Intelligence Instagram: @joeyakan @afrobeatsintel Tik Tok: @joeyakan @afrobeatsintelligence X: @joeyakan @afrobeatsintel Follow FOLA: Instagram: @Folapondis TikTok:@folapondis X: @folapondis Created and hosted by award-winning Nigerian journalist and music critic Joey Akan, Afrobeats Intelligence is presented by OkayAfrica, a division of AREYA MEDIA INC, and is sponsored by Martell. Find exclusive Okayplayer merch, tees and limited releases at https://shop.okayplayer.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    54 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet