Afrobeats star Tiwa Savage has moved to clarify her controversial “f*ck the top three” comment, saying it was not directed at Wizkid, Burna Boy or Davido but at the industry’s fixation on limiting Afrobeats recognition to only three names.
The controversy began in August at her London album launch concert, when she told the crowd:
“I have a lot of things to say but I will be trending by tomorrow, is this a safe place? F*ck the top three.”
Because the phrase “Big Three” is widely associated with Wizkid, Burna Boy and Davido, her comment drew backlash online.
Speaking in a recent interview on The Breakfast Club, Savage said her frustration was with the narrative itself, not the artistes.
“Not ‘f*ck them’ but the narrative of the big three. F that narrative, because this is a continent with so many artistes, and we keep reducing it to just three every time,” she said.
She pointed to names like Yemi Alade, Flavour, Asake, Tems and Rema as examples of global Afrobeats acts often excluded from the conversation.
“We have Yemi Alade, Flavour, Asake, Tems, Rema, why are they not included in the top three?” she asked.
Savage added that the “Big Three” narrative has been reinforced largely because of the strength of their fan bases.
“They have a very strong fan base. Their fan bases are active, I guess that’s why,” she said.
This is not the first time the singer has challenged the concept. She has previously argued that framing Afrobeats around a “Big Three” sidelines the achievements of other artistes, including women, asking why a global star like Tems is not automatically counted among the top.
