An Expansive Musical Journey Bridging Afrobeat, Jazz, Highlife, Yoruba Tradition, and the New School
Dallas, TX — August 2025 — Afrobeat artist and cultural torchbearer Baba Kuboye is set to release his highly anticipated album Afroverse on August 29, 2025, a groundbreaking project that redefines the boundaries of Afrobeat while honoring its roots.
Taking its name from the idea of a universe of Afrobeat, Afroverse is a vibrant blend of traditional and contemporary sounds. The album seamlessly weaves together the essence of classic Afrobeat, amapiano, funk, jazz, highlife, and traditional Yoruba culture with modern urban influences, making it both a tribute and a forward leap for the genre.
Afroverse features a rich lineup of collaborators:
- Roger Velasquez (19th Annual Latin Grammy winner in 2018), who joins
Baba on “Colomentality” — a daring fusion of Afrobeat, Amapiano, and R&B. The track delivers a message of bold faith, gratitude, and resilience, produced by longtime collaborator Fliptyce, known for Baba’s hits Soft Life, Robo Dance, and Tonight.
- Victor “Phazz” Clark, P.K.A Phazzanation (Award winning Billboard-charting Dallas producer) contributes two tracks,Forever Green and Levels, adding his unique Afrobeat flavor to the album. Rising star Jai Humble is featured on the Levels record.
- Aiye, the Afro-jazz single featuring Mercy Alu and produced by Mehran Matin, recently won Best Afro Jazz Song at the 2025 Intercontinental Music Awards.
- Ayotunde Tunday lawal P/k/a LUSSH co-creator of Baba’s award-winning Ikoyi Boy, also returns with new contributions.
- Several tracks are self-produced by Baba himself, further showcasing his artistry.
True to his heritage, Baba integrates Òríkì (traditional Yoruba praise poetry) from his ancestral homes of Ìgbótàkó and Abeokuta. These spoken-word traditions, delivered in distinct Yoruba dialects, preserve cultural memory while giving the album a deep spiritual resonance.
Lyrically, Afroverse reflects Baba’s signature balance of celebration, commentary, and cultural pride:
• Gentleman — a bold anthem of male confidence, intimacy, and self- expression.
- Japa — captures the tension of migration, as young Africans navigate the difficult choice of leaving home in pursuit of better opportunities abroad.
- Akata — reclaims a term with layered history. In my oríkì, it signifies the wild leopard, a symbol of strength, speed, and wisdom. Across the diaspora, the word has taken on other meanings, sometimes used in a derogatory way toward African Americans. In this song, I confront that tension and reframe Akata as a bridge: honoring its Yoruba roots while reflecting on how language and identity evolve across the African world.
- Forever Green — celebrates Africa’s abundance, kingship, and eternal resilience.
- I Owe Nobody — a message of independence and wisdom: focus on your own path, despite jealousy or distractions.
- “Colomentality”, a fusion of Afrobeat, amapiano, and R&B, featuring Latin Grammy winner Roger Velasquez and longtime collaborator Fliptyce. The song is a vibrant anthem about faith, gratitude, and fearless ambition.
- “Alive”, a genre-bending track that shifts mid-song from contemporary Afrobeat into traditional Afrobeat instrumentation, mirroring the layered evolution of the genre itself. Much like Drake’s Nokia, its structure surprises listeners and bridges generations of sound.
- “Aiye”, winner of Best Afro Jazz Song at the 2025 InterContinental Music Awards, featuring Mercy Alu and produced by Mehran Matin.
- Yoruba Òríkì (ancestral praise poetry) woven into tracks such as Òríkì Ìgbéìn and Òríkì Ìgbótàkó, preserving heritage while introducing it to new audiences.
With Afroverse, Baba Kuboye brings together global collaborators and Yoruba ancestral voices into one space — a living universe of Afrobeat that is both timeless and unapologetically modern.
Afroverse will be available worldwide on all major streaming platforms on August 29th 2025.
About Baba Kuboye
Baba Kuboye is a U.S.-based Afrobeat artist, cultural ambassador, and the only direct U.S. descendant of the legendary Kuti family. A Grammy-nominated artist, Baba carries forward a legacy that includes his uncle Fela Anikulapo Kuti (Grammy Hall of Fame 2025), while forging his own identity as a songwriter, bandleader, and storyteller. His music blends Afrobeat with jazz, funk, Yoruba tradition, and global sounds, captivating audiences across continents.
An Expansive Musical Journey Bridging Afrobeat, Jazz, Highlife, Yoruba Tradition, and the New School
Dallas, TX — August 2025 — Afrobeat artist and cultural torchbearer Baba Kuboye is set to release his highly anticipated album Afroverse on August 29, 2025, a groundbreaking project that redefines the boundaries of Afrobeat while honoring its roots.
Taking its name from the idea of a universe of Afrobeat, Afroverse is a vibrant blend of traditional and contemporary sounds. The album seamlessly weaves together the essence of classic Afrobeat, amapiano, funk, jazz, highlife, and traditional Yoruba culture with modern urban influences, making it both a tribute and a forward leap for the genre.
Afroverse features a rich lineup of collaborators:
- Roger Velasquez (19th Annual Latin Grammy winner in 2018), who joins
Baba on “Colomentality” — a daring fusion of Afrobeat, Amapiano, and R&B. The track delivers a message of bold faith, gratitude, and resilience, produced by longtime collaborator Fliptyce, known for Baba’s hits Soft Life, Robo Dance, and Tonight.
- Victor “Phazz” Clark, P.K.A Phazzanation (Award winning Billboard-charting Dallas producer) contributes two tracks,Forever Green and Levels, adding his unique Afrobeat flavor to the album. Rising star Jai Humble is featured on the Levels record.
- Aiye, the Afro-jazz single featuring Mercy Alu and produced by Mehran Matin, recently won Best Afro Jazz Song at the 2025 Intercontinental Music Awards.
- Ayotunde Tunday lawal P/k/a LUSSH co-creator of Baba’s award-winning Ikoyi Boy, also returns with new contributions.
- Several tracks are self-produced by Baba himself, further showcasing his artistry.
True to his heritage, Baba integrates Òríkì (traditional Yoruba praise poetry) from his ancestral homes of Ìgbótàkó and Abeokuta. These spoken-word traditions, delivered in distinct Yoruba dialects, preserve cultural memory while giving the album a deep spiritual resonance.
Lyrically, Afroverse reflects Baba’s signature balance of celebration, commentary, and cultural pride:
• Gentleman — a bold anthem of male confidence, intimacy, and self- expression.
- Japa — captures the tension of migration, as young Africans navigate the difficult choice of leaving home in pursuit of better opportunities abroad.
- Akata — reclaims a term with layered history. In my oríkì, it signifies the wild leopard, a symbol of strength, speed, and wisdom. Across the diaspora, the word has taken on other meanings, sometimes used in a derogatory way toward African Americans. In this song, I confront that tension and reframe Akata as a bridge: honoring its Yoruba roots while reflecting on how language and identity evolve across the African world.
- Forever Green — celebrates Africa’s abundance, kingship, and eternal resilience.
- I Owe Nobody — a message of independence and wisdom: focus on your own path, despite jealousy or distractions.
- “Colomentality”, a fusion of Afrobeat, amapiano, and R&B, featuring Latin Grammy winner Roger Velasquez and longtime collaborator Fliptyce. The song is a vibrant anthem about faith, gratitude, and fearless ambition.
- “Alive”, a genre-bending track that shifts mid-song from contemporary Afrobeat into traditional Afrobeat instrumentation, mirroring the layered evolution of the genre itself. Much like Drake’s Nokia, its structure surprises listeners and bridges generations of sound.
- “Aiye”, winner of Best Afro Jazz Song at the 2025 InterContinental Music Awards, featuring Mercy Alu and produced by Mehran Matin.
- Yoruba Òríkì (ancestral praise poetry) woven into tracks such as Òríkì Ìgbéìn and Òríkì Ìgbótàkó, preserving heritage while introducing it to new audiences.
With Afroverse, Baba Kuboye brings together global collaborators and Yoruba ancestral voices into one space — a living universe of Afrobeat that is both timeless and unapologetically modern.
Afroverse will be available worldwide on all major streaming platforms on August 29th 2025.About Baba Kuboye
Baba Kuboye is a U.S.-based Afrobeat artist, cultural ambassador, and the only direct U.S. descendant of the legendary Kuti family. A Grammy-nominated artist, Baba carries forward a legacy that includes his uncle Fela Anikulapo Kuti (Grammy Hall of Fame 2025), while forging his own identity as a songwriter, bandleader, and storyteller. His music blends Afrobeat with jazz, funk, Yoruba tradition, and global sounds, captivating audiences across continents.