Entertainment
Asake, BNXN, Other Africa Creators For YouTubeBlack Voices 2023

YouTube on Tuesday selected 40 creators from Sub-Saharan Africa to be part of 2023 #YouTubeBlack Voices.
It reinforced efforts to support creators and the creative economy in Africa through the 2023 #YouTubeBlack Voices creators and artist cohorts.
#YouTubeBlack, which is in its third year, is an initiative from YouTube as a followup to a global, multi-year commitment made in 2020 to uplift and grow Black creators, artists, songwriters, and producers on the platform.
The 40 creators from Sub-Saharan Africa will be part of the 135 #YouTubeBlack Voices Creators selected globally who are enrolled into the cohort.
READ ALSO: Full List Of 2023 Grammy Nominations
Among the 23 #YouTubeBlack Voices artists selected for the programme are African fast-rising musical artists Gyakie from Ghana, Kamo Mphela from South Africa, Asake from Nigeria and BNXN from Nigeria.
The cohort will also include Hip Hop producer MashBeatz from South Africa and Nairobi-based producer Ukweli, who will be joining 17 #YouTubeBlack Voices Songwriters and Producers globally.
As support from YouTube, grantees will receive $20,000 and $50,000 as seed funding, dedicated partner support for six months and have the opportunity to participate in programmes including bespoke training, workshops and networking programmes spread out across the year.
Alex Okosi, MD, Emerging Markets, YouTube EMEA said: “We are excited about the creators, musical artists and producers from Africa joining others from across the world in the 2023 #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund. The initiative is dedicated to equipping up-and-coming Black creators and artists with the resources to succeed on our platform.
“We are seriously interested in the growth of the creative community in Africa. For the creators, artists, songwriters and producers that will be joining this third cohort, we will go beyond the initial training to measure our success with them over a long-term period, thereby ensuring that they achieve sustained success.”
The artists, songwriters, and producers joining the #YouTubeBlack Voices Music Class of 2023 will be required to set goals, develop content strategy, and engage with their fans on YouTube, with the assistance of a YouTube partner manager. There will be networking opportunities with other artists, songwriters, and producers included in the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund, and a chance to maximise the impact of their channels as they provide catalogue-development opportunities.
READ ALSO: Full List Of 2023 Grammy Nominations
Over the next few years, YouTube will be directly investing in more than 500 creators and artists from across the world to support, grow, and fund their channels and content development through the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund.
Below is Africa’s full list of the #YouTubeBlack Voices Creator Class of 2023 (in alphabetical order per country):
Entertainment
I’ve Been Blacklisted In Music Industry For 13 Years – Seun Kuti

Grammy-nominated Afrobeat singer, Seun Kuti has claimed that he has been blacklisted in the Nigerian music industry for about 13 years due to his style of music.
He explained that because his late father Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and his contemporaries used their music as a form of protest against bad governance, the government invested heavily in vain artists while targeting conscious musicians.
Speaking in a recent episode of the Saleh Meditate podcast, Kuti said government’s interference has significantly affected the quality and impact of modern Nigerian music.
He, however, said being blacklisted in Nigeria doesn’t affect him much, stressing that the country is just a fraction of his fanbase.
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He said, “The impact of Fela and his contemporaries who spoke truth to power sacred the government. They made the government realised the power of artistry. So, the government invested more in artists who don’t make conscious music than artists who sing about realities.
“When I am in Nigeria, I don’t fear to say whatever I want to say. That is a lot of people are saying that I should be cancelled. I have been cancelled for about 13 years now after I performed conscious music at former Lagos State Governor Ambode’s event. Even before then, my music was heavily restricted.
“I have been cancelled for long. People think I am not cancelled because I am doing well. Nigeria has cancelled me long time but Nigeria is just like a really small percentage of my market. So, being cancelled doesn’t really affect me.”
He added that artists who are scared of being blacklisted are only scared because Nigeria makes up the bulk of their fanbase.
Entertainment
My Beef With Wizkid Is For Life – Seun Kuti

Maverick singer Seun Kuti has ruled out reconciliation with Afrobeats star, Wizkid, declaring that their rift is lifelong.
DAILY POST recalls that Seun Kuti and Wizkid fell apart after the latter claimed he was greater than Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti in response to the former’s directive to fans to stop comparing the Ojuelegba crooner to the late music legend.
READ ALSO:How My Elder Sister Opposed Selling Fela’s Catalogue – Femi Kuti
When asked in a recent podcast if he has settled his beef with Wizkid, Seun Kuti said he can’t reconcile with the Starboy boss because he disrespected his late dad.
The host asked: “Have you and Wizkid settled your Beef?”
Kuti replied: “It is on for life. I don’t have anything to say about him but it is on for life. You don’t say things about my dad and then it is fine. There is no coming back from that.”
Entertainment
Why I Stopped Attending Church Service – Funke Akindele

Famous Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele, has opened up on why she lost interest in attending church service.
The actress who made the revelation in a Snapchat video on Sunday, stated that she stopped going to church because attention often shifted to her rather than the service.
While explaining that she’s always the one they take pictures of, the actress said she now joins church service online.
READ ALSO:Drama As Eniola Badmus Challenges Funke Akindele To Celebrity Boxing Fight
Akindele said “Anytime I go to church, I am always the one they take pictures of. So I will join online.”
Recall that in 2022, Akindele openly identified herself with the Celestial Church of Christ.
“Every time I have challenges I go to the Celestial church quietly at night for solutions. But I have to stop hiding and publicly identify with the church”, she said.
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