Is Gunna Using Afrobeats to Rebuild His Career — Nenye Mbakwe’s First Take

Here’s the gist

Gunna didn’t stop selling after the YSL RICO fallout — he pivoted.

Now he’s leaning into Afrobeats not as a fashion move, but as strategic cultural diplomacy: new markets, new collaborators, and live moments that rebuild goodwill.

Gunna’s commercial engine never fully stalled. One of Wun debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with roughly 91,000 album-equivalent units in its first week — proof that his streams and sales remain strong.

Sales and street credibility aren’t the same. After the YSL trial, parts of the U.S. hip-hop community branded Gunna a “rat,” and some relationships cooled.

The new question wasn’t “can he sell?” but “where can he sell — and be embraced?”That’s where Afrobeats comes in.

Why Afrobeats? Market, culture and momentum

Afrobeats today is a global growth engine — streaming-heavy, festival-forward, and open to collaboration.

For an artist needing to reset narrative and reach new audiences, the region’s live ecosystem and cultural openness offer both revenue and reputational upside.

What Gunna is actually doing — the anatomy of the pivot

• Live-first strategy: Headline sets and festival slots in Lagos — like his Flytime Fest performance — put him in front of local fans and artists, signalling commitment.

• Feature play: Reported collaborations with Wizkid, Burna Boy, Asake, and others extend his presence across major playlists and regions.

• Cultural proximity: Sharing stages with Afrobeats stars reduces distance, creates co-signs, and builds credibility where U.S. narratives hold less weight.

Why the X thread exploded (Nenye’s read)

Nenye Mbakwe’s first reaction captured both nuance and national feeling.

She noted the clip trended because of “a mix of misunderstanding and national pride,” adding that Nigerians often protect Afrobeats and react quickly to perceived slights.

Some saw her take as sharp analysis; others took it as provocation — the classic spark that makes a thread go viral.

“This isn’t just a feature swap — it’s cultural diplomacy.” — Nenye Mbakwe

What the backlash actually signalled

• Ownership tensions: Afrobeats fans want collaborations framed as mutual exchange, not extraction.

• Headline fatigue: Short-form headlines like “Gunna taps Afrobeats” can look opportunistic. The full picture — live sets, features, co-writes — shows genuine partnership.

  
  

  Nenye’s clip forced that wider view into the public conversation, which is why it resonated.

The bigger picture: artists, reputation and global circuits

This move is a template: artists under reputational strain can enter parallel markets where the social calculus is different.

Afrobeats offers a ballroom, not a back room — and who you bring, how you show up, and how much respect you show determines how long you’re welcomed.

Quick facts (verified)

• One of Wun debuted at No. 2 on Billboard 200 (~91K album-equivalent units).

• Gunna headlined at Flytime Fest in Lagos — his African live debut.

• Multiple outlets report active Afrobeats studio sessions and collaborations in progress.

What we’ll follow next

This is just the opener.

Next week, we publish an exclusive interview with Nenye Mbakwe — breaking down:

• Streaming and fan-region data (Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, U.K., Canada)

• Timeline of features and Lagos reaction

• What Gunna’s move means for Afrobeats’ global evolution

Gunna’s Afrobeats pivot isn’t just about saving face — it’s about finding fit.

In a culture where authenticity meets opportunity, how you show up matters as much as where you show up.