Words by Justin Turford

The abiding influence of Fela Kuti and Tony Allen’s Afrobeat legacy grows year on year. The fusion of Afro-American genres jazz and funk with West African highlife, Jùjú and Yoruban traditional music under the leadership of the revolutionary tornado that was Fela’s personality, birthed an instantly recognisable sound that continues to draw new followers into its orbit five decades on. Tony Allen alone, appears to have supplied drum tracks to scores of artists in his last years with new releases appearing with regularity - “featuring Tony Allen” is a common hype. The preponderance of Afrobeat orchestras from every corner of the planet and the interpretations of Afrobeat drum patterns in jazz (e.g. Kokoroko, Ezra Collective) and other genres is also on the rise.

However, apart from the high musical profiles of some of Fela’s actual offspring (Femi, Seun), Nigeria herself hasn’t been providing too much of that classic hypnotic revolutionary fire as the more youth-orientated pop-dance Afrobeats sound has invaded the musical airwaves. That’s cool, Fela and Tony’s musical revolution happened over fifty years ago so why shouldn’t the new generations write their own stories? It seems only right though, that as international artists make their names through the appropriation of the original genre’s unique qualities that a new and young band from Nigeria should build upon its own gilded history, with its righteous anti-establishment rhetoric and complex musical algebra.

Lagos Thugs are a Lagos-based 12 piece Afrobeat band led by singer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Adetunji Adeyemi. Formed in 2020, their obvious musical talents and authentic interpretation of the original Afrobeat structures brought them swift attention not least from those who were deeply involved in Fela’s universe. After witnessing a video of the (then 15-piece) band playing live, one of Fela’s latter career trumpet players Muyiwa Kunnuji, exclaimed “Fifteen musicians, in their twenties, playing exactly as we did. The same energy! They’re playing proper Afrobeat”

The band quickly began to hold down headline slots and club residencies in Nigeria, the rest of the global Afrobeat audience finally catching onto Lagos Thugs’ legitimacy after their outstanding performance on Sofar Sounds was posted on the acclaimed musical performance website in 2021. With a number of support showcases for Seun Kuti and the Egypt 80, a broadcast on MTV Africa, and being featured on a forthcoming Netflix documentary about the brilliant New York Afrobeat outfit Antibalas, it was the time to get recording.

Hooking up with DJ Ness Afro from France, they decided to work together to co-produce an album with Ness’ French production team. And in collaboration with UK label Tangential Music, we now have this superb debut album in all of its extended glory. For those new to the Afrobeat story, it has been a time-honoured tradition to release lengthy pieces of music. Many of Fela’s albums consisted of only two songs, one on each side of a slab of vinyl, with track lengths hitting the sixteen minute mark on occasions. Every DJ worth their salt knows that dropping a Fela tune guarantees a shuffling dancefloor and a toilet break. So in that same spirit, ‘Chaos’ contains four self-composed songs with a combined running time of over 35 minutes, every tune beginning with percussion, drums and a drawn out guitar motif setting the stage for the brass and vocals to follow. The intensity of groove-heavy repetition is one of the key reasons for Afrobeat’s success and why it is beloved by electronic music fans as well as those with more esoteric tastes.

The album’s opening track ‘Kalakuta President’ is a superb dedication to the ‘Black President’, the undisputed Pan-Africanist godfather of Afrobeat himself, Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì. Rolling along at the stately marching pace of Fela classics like ‘Coffin For Head Of State’, there is a distinct New Orleans Mardi Gras Indians sound to it especially with the brass parts. A New Orleans resident I know even noticed the resemblance! Rumbling bass, an evolving snare pattern and a hypnotic guitar line provide the vehicle for the multi-layered brass and Adetunji Adeyemi’s sweetly sung vocals, backed by an equally evocative female chorus. Percussion and trumpet solos get their due day in the sun.

‘New Improved Elephant (N.I.E.)’ is one of the singles from the album and is a masterclass of polyrhythm and counterpoint with a killer bass line and memorable trumpet and sax solos. Adeyemi’s lead vocal and the chorus replies are classic Afrobeat call-and-response, a conversation within a conversation that heightens the energy and surges the tune forwards.

‘Wetin I See’ features the legendary Congolese guitarist and Afrobeat master Kiala Nzavotunga who played with Fela in Egypt 80 (now under the leadership of Seun Kuti) and Roy Ayers amongst his many global collaborations. His soulful, bluesy playing adds a shimmering brightness and a softening effect on the elongated guitar lines, this new composition displaying a growing maturity to the band’s writing and arrangements. Tight call-and-response vocals and sleepy horns lead to a pulsating end.

There are confusingly two versions of ‘Innocent Blood (Let it be known)’ out there but it is the album version here that wins it on the dynamics front. French DJ, producer and compilation master Guts aka Fabrice Henri wanted the track for the vinyl version of his recently released ‘Straight From The Decks 3’ compilation but as there wasn’t an unmastered version of the song, with help from Ness, the band re-recorded the track in Nigeria just for the record. Smoother in sound but still quite brilliant, it lacks just a little in its dynamic power. The album version, however, is a perfect distillation of their combined talents. Opening with sweet electric piano, the ubiquitous timekeeping of the shekere and a deep kick drum bump, ‘Innocent Blood’ is a slow-burning piece blessed with a memorable guitar riff that builds into a brass and vocal masterclass. Again, I can hear that New Orleans style street funk expression, the trumpet a high toned call to arms as the larger section blasts hard. Four minutes in the voices start and this the one where Adetunji Adeyemi sounds the closest to Fela’s original vocal style. Impassioned, strident and yet vulnerable, his voice is equally matched by the rousing vocals of the female backing singers. A new classic of the genre has been born.

With increasing airplay on radio stations across the globe and exciting projects in process with Ezra Collective, K.O.G. and Kaleta (formerly of Fela Kuti and King Sunny Ade’s bands), these young musicians have come a long way in a short time.

The future of homegrown Nigerian Afrobeat is in good hands indeed with Lagos Thugs. Respectful of the original source but full of new ideas, their forthcoming journey is one we shall be paying close attention to. 10/10