Afrobeats producer Mykah, born Aramide Babalola, has joined the league of progressive African musicians by leveraging modern artificial-intelligence technology in creating what could possibly redefine the future of Afrobeats itself.
Produced fully by himself with vocals generated with the AI platform Suno, his newly released album, The Experimentalist, unfolds across an eleven-track set of fully AI-generated Afrobeats, delivering a fresh wave tuned for the mainstream yet wired for innovation.
In a scene steeped in human-driven groove, Mykah’s decision to route production through AI raises a question: is he the first independent Nigerian or Nigerian-UK-based artiste to produce an entirely AI-generated Afrobeats album? While there are precedents — such as Lagos-based producer Eclipse Nkasi, who released a nine-track AI Afrobeats album in 2023. There’s been no documented Nigerian-diasporan act to release an AI album.
“My goal was simple,” Mykah explains. “With the rise of AI, I was trying to see if AI can also be used in Afrobeats.” The process was unconventional: “I wrote a prompt saying ‘I want an Afro beat song with so-and-so lyrics,’ it generated multiple versions and I chose which I liked more.” He emphasises the urgency of the shift — “You can make an album in a day. So all I can say is AI is here to stay and we as creatives will need to embrace it and find a way we can work with it.”
Musically, The Experimentalist covers rich ground while staying unmistakable in its identity. Its Opener “Dey 4 U” is urban Afro-pop with log-drums and a silky vocal delivery evocative of Joeboy and Kizz Daniel. With “Pin” the mood shifts into an emotive tropical groove, bridging sing-rap (reminiscent of Wale) and melodic pop in the style of Chris Brown. Then on “Rise N Blaze”, you hear reggaeton Afro-pop, lush basslines and an anthem for youth liberation that sits somewhere between Koffee, Shenseea and Steff London.
The album continues sensual slow groove of “Slow Motion” channels the tonal warmth of Ari Lennox and Ayra Starr, while “Don’t Cross Me” enters reggae-rap territory with 808s, punchy drops and confidence reminiscent of Burna Boy. Tracks like “Bamise”, “Born Wild”, “Free Fall” land within afro-pop, amapiano or emo-pop territory, all unified by Mykah’s clear production aesthetic.
In an era when every beatmaker looks to repeat formulas and every singer chases the charting lists, Mykah is charting a brave terrain. He remains independent, working with AI not to replace musicians but to harness a new workflow. “This album is meant to create an awareness that AI can be used to make Afrobeats or Afro inspired music,” he quips.
The Experimentalist is as much an album as it’s a statement. Whether Mykah is strictly the first in his category is up for industry debate, but there’s no doubt he’s among the few spearheading a new frontier for Afrobeats. “AI may be here to stay—but it’s what we make it sing that matters.”
