AKA’s Flop in Versace

Or you could simply watch AKA’s ‘Fela in Versace' featuring Nigerian artist Kiddominant. Imagine the great Fela Kuti commanding the stage with an entourage of gymnast-like female dancers breaking their backs and heels for hours at end. Then you hear about a song called 'Fela in Versace' and you expect a similar sonic and visual impact: a Tony Allen beat, a topless Fela surrounded by gazelles in a trance, and way too many musicians to count before you lose count.

Prepare yourself for disappointment! Although the video for 'Fela in Versace' may be striking at first, the overlapping scene transitions render the whole thing insipid and, well, pretty much overdone. Just another mind-numbing video in a sea of mainstream gobbledygook. You've seen a thousand of these, folks.

'Fela in Versace' has no underlying concept, and the reference to the progenitor of Afrobeat would have the legend rolling in his grave... rolling a joint that is, because Fela had more important things to get angry about than a couple of strutting frat boys. Perhaps what Fela would get a little irked about is the unabated stream of uncreative minds hogging the airwaves. The same goes for AKA's creative team, who seem to have run out of ideas about how to put together an entertaining narrative on screen. Everything starts with a concept. If you don't have that, all that follows will be anemic.

Here's the crux of this whole thing. Neither AKA nor Kiddominant live up to the legacy of Fela. A few weeks ago, AKA was spotted at a club in his underwear. If this is supposed to be original and exciting, then there's no hope for my generation or those that will follow. We might as well end this tragicomedy right now. Also, somebody should tell AKA that we’re not in Kansas anymore. Izikhothane, who burn designer clothes out of material infantility and confusion and who think Ultra Mel is Moët, are no longer relevant.

But even haters like me will tell you that 'Fela in Versace' is a song of exceptional production quality. The crossover appeal with the Afrobeats crowd works. After all, this is one of the most successful songs off the Touch My Blood album.

P.S. A tribute to the late rapper Prokid at the end of the 'Fela in Versace' video is the only bit you should be looking forward to here. Other than that, this video inspires nothing more than the desire to skip it and watch compilations of cats looking in the mirror for the first time. Which gives me an idea: SEARCH: 2 CATS 1 CUP. Now this is concept!

Artist: AKA ft Kiddominant
Video: Fela In Versace
Label, Year: Beam Group, 2018