Hilarious quips and ‘100,000-volt’ energy: the hypemen (and women) redefining Afrobeats music

1 source in this cluster

• The Guardian
  Hilarious quips and ‘100,000-volt’ energy: the hypemen (and women) redefining Afrobeats music

  <p>Style of emceeing based on high-octane, ad-libbed vocals has flourished thanks to its unique way of captivating crowds</p><p>For the 2015 freshmen cohort of the history degree programme at the University of Lagos, their classmate’s first-semester presentation was so captivating that they began calling him Toby Shang, after the 16th-century Chinese dynasty he had focused on.</p><p>His crowd engagement that day had been harnessed from his high school days as a ginger-man (energiser) in a three-man band and as a private tutor. By his final year at university, his viral catchphrases and infectious energy had resulted in a hit song, Shedibalabala. Today, he is one of the self-acclaimed “evangelists and pioneers” in the Afrobeats sub-genre some are now calling Afrohype or lamba.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/18/lagos-hypemen-redefining-afrobeats-music-afrohype">Continue reading...</a>

  Sun, 18 Oct 2026 09:00:55 GMT

Timeline

1. 2026-10-18 09:00The Guardian — Hilarious quips and ‘100,000-volt’ energy: the hypemen (and women) redefining Afrobeats music