When Bebe Cool unveiled his latest album Break The Chains earlier this year, he framed it as a bold attempt to finally propel his music onto the global stage. For an artist whose career spans more than two decades, the project signaled ambition and reinvention.
But fellow musician Kalifah AgaNaga believes the strategy may be mistimed.
Speaking about the Gagamel boss’s international aspirations, Kalifah suggested that today’s music consumers largely driven by youth culture and novelty may not be easily won over by artists they feel they already “grew up with.”
“The generation consuming music now has listened to Bebe Cool before,” Kalifah said. “He belongs to the era of 2Face and D’Banj. That was the time to push for big collaborations with those artists, but the focus stayed mostly on local airplay.”
According to Kalifah, the mid-2000s and early 2010s presented Bebe Cool with his strongest opportunity to tap into the continental and international market, especially as Nigerian and East African music was beginning to gain global traction through strategic cross-border collaborations.
However, he was quick to contextualize his critique, noting that the industry Bebe Cool operated in at the time was far from what it is today.
“I don’t blame him too much. There probably wasn’t enough money to invest in big projects, and the connections weren’t there. Most people were watching Bukedde TV, and only a few had access to DStv. Exposure was limited,” Khalifa added.
The Ndabilawa artist also pointed out that Uganda’s music industry infrastructure was still in its formative stages, with minimal access to international platforms, distribution channels and digital marketing tools that are now readily available to younger artists.
Looking ahead, Kalifah believes Bebe Cool’s strength no longer lies in chasing a global breakthrough, but in sustaining relevance at home and within the region.
“At this stage, consistency is key,” he said. “He just needs to maintain his presence and keep releasing singles.”
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