Meet — Nenye Mbakwe: The Strategist Redefining Afrobeats Conversations

When Nenye Mbakwe hit record, she wasn’t chasing numbers — she was clarifying a narrative.

Her short clip about Gunna’s Afrobeats pivot moved faster than most explainers. On X, it became a reference point; in group chats, it was the clip people rewound to hear again.

But this wasn’t gossip or a hot take for clout — it was analysis.

Q: That Gunna clip blew up — what was the backstory?

“I filmed it after noticing how foreign acts suddenly started courting Afrobeats,” she says. “People thought I was being critical, but I was actually analysing the business and diplomacy behind it. I wanted artists to understand that global attention comes with responsibility.”

Q: Did you expect the clip to go viral?

“Not really. I post to spark thought, not numbers,” she says. “But when comments shift from noise to insight, I know it’s travelling.”

That shift — when a clip becomes context — tells you two things about Nenye: she knows what she’s talking about, and people are finally paying attention.

Roots & Rhythm — Lagos to the UK

When asked where it all began, Nenye paints her origin like a short film: Lagos streets, Anambra calm, then the UK for studies — contrast that shaped her tone and purpose.

Q: Tell us the short version of your origin story.

“I was born in Lagos and spent most of my life shuttling between Lagos and Anambra,” she says. “So I had a mix of city rhythm and deep-rooted community values.”

She studied Biomedical Science in the UK, but her creative instincts were already pulsing beneath the surface.

“I realised I was already doing commentary informally — explaining music videos, artist stories, and creative choices to friends,” she says. “It stopped feeling like small talk and started feeling like purpose.”

That purpose now wears many hats — strategist, publicist, creator. The mix of structure and feeling is the throughline.

The Work & The Why

By title and trade, Nenye is operational — Head of Operations at The 99 Pluz Media Ltd (UK) — managing campaigns, partnerships, and the strategy that turns releases into narratives.

Q: What’s your current day job or main creative hustle, and how do you split time between that and content creation?

“My primary role is Head of Operations at 99 Pluz,” she confirms. “I manage campaigns, projects, and partnerships. Outside that, I’m also a Project Manager for a fashion clothing line, so I live between structure and creativity.”

Q: How would you describe your editorial voice in three words?

“Intentional. Cultural. Educative,” she says. “Before I post, I ask myself: ‘Does this inform, inspire, or improve the conversation?’ If not, I hold it back.”

She treats content like deliverables — planned, researched, and timed. Her posts feel deliberate because they are.

It’s a practical philosophy: content with purpose, not noise for attention.

The Viral Voice — Intent Meets Impact

Q: How did the virality change your day-to-day life?

“My inbox went wild — artists, managers, and blogs reaching out,” she says. “It proved that credible commentary still matters. It also taught me pace — not every message is opportunity.”

Q: How much of your on-camera persona is planned versus spontaneous?

“The research is structured, but the delivery is spontaneous. I’m not performing — I’m amplifying curiosity.”

Q: How do you handle criticism?

“By treating it as data. I read, filter, adjust, and move. If I can’t take critique, I can’t lead conversation.”

That approach positions her as both analyst and amplifier — turning curiosity into credibility.

Cultural Diplomacy — Beyond the Studio

When people ask why Afrobeats attracts so many global names, Nenye reframes the question. It’s not about headlines — it’s about exchange.

Q: You called Gunna’s move ‘cultural diplomacy.’ Why?

“Featuring Afrobeats acts isn’t just collaboration — it’s cultural exchange. When done right, it bridges audiences, markets, and respect.”

Q: How do Nigerians perceive foreign artists entering the scene?

“Nigerians value authenticity — learn the rhythm, respect the roots, and the scene will embrace you.”

Q: What cultural red lines do fans guard most?

“Mocking accents, misusing slang, or misrepresenting African aesthetics. Nigerians celebrate inclusion but reject imitation without credit.”

Her point lands cleanly: welcome must be earned, not assumed.

On Data, Infrastructure & the Afrobeats Engine

For someone who lives between branding and culture, data is language.

Q: Do you use data in your commentary?

“Streams, demographics, and chart movement give perspective,” she says. “Data tells you reach; emotion tells you why.”

Q: Afrobeats’ growth — product or infrastructure?

“The music led first; the systems are catching up,” she notes. “Now playlists, promoters, and PR agencies are formalising what creativity already proved.”

Q: Which Afrobeats artists or producers are shaping conversation right now?

“Tems for storytelling, Asake for sonic experimentation, Davido for consistency, Burna Boy for global weight, and producers like Sarz and Pheelz for sound innovation.”

Q: Where have foreign artists gotten it right?

“Chris Brown truly got it right — he immersed himself, learnt the dances, respected the roots. Cardi B did too — her Lagos trip wasn’t PR; it was connection. They didn’t borrow culture; they embraced it.”

Balancing Pride and Honest Critique

Q: How do you balance local pride with critique?

“I love the art enough to challenge it. Praise without truth doesn’t build legacy,” she says.

That line captures her editorial ethic — firm but rooted in care.

Q: What themes will you cover more next year?

“Next year, I’ll focus more on educational pieces for upcoming artists — breaking down music-business basics, branding, and storytelling.”

Her vision: scale 99 Pluz into an Afro-global PR hub.

“More campaigns, more artist education, and stronger cross-border collaboration,” she adds.

The Industry Pain Points She Sees

Q: Main industry pain points around credits or pay?

“Metadata. Too many songs move without full credits, which affects revenue and recognition,” she warns.

Q: Do Nigerian creators want institutional protections or informal systems?

“We want structure, but we trust relationships,” she answers. “The future is formal — contracts as collaboration tools, not control measures.”

Her fix? Education, credit visibility, and long-term structure.

Who Nenye Mbakwe Really Is

Q: What misconception would you like to correct?

“That I’m a critic. I’m a strategist. I analyse culture to strengthen it, not to shame it.”

Q: How do you monetise your work?

“Through consulting, brand campaigns, and agency retainers,” she says. “Authenticity is currency — if money shapes my message, I lose both.”

Her rapid-fire favourites mirror her ethos:

“Don Jazzy, Sarz, Pheelz, Johnny Drille — I love creatives who shape sound with intention,” she says.She also co-hosts The Misinformation Podcast with Great Adamz — part education, part entertainment — and spends her free time watching culture unfold in real time on X.

Closing — The Case for Context

Q: What would success look like in the next 12 months?

“Scaling 99 Pluz into a full Afro-global PR hub,” she says. “More campaigns, more artist education, and stronger collaboration.”

Q: Any final thought?

“My mission is simple — to make African music not just heard, but understood,” she says. “Every rollout, every post, every story is part of that mission.”

In a landscape obsessed with virality, Nenye Mbakwe builds clarity — campaigns that teach, commentary that clarifies, and strategies that scale.

She’s not chasing moments. She’s engineering legacy.

Quick Facts

• Full name: Nenye Mbakwe

• Titles: Music PR Publicist & Brand Strategist; Head of Operations, The 99 Pluz Media Ltd (UK)

• Platforms: Instagram @thenenyembakwe | X @NenyeMbakwe | TikTok @NenyeMbakwe | YouTube: The 99 Pluz

• Favourite producers: Don Jazzy, Blaq Jerzee, Sarz, Duktor Sett, Johnny Drille, Pheelz

• Favourite podcast: The Misinformation Podcast (with Great Adamz)

• App obsession: X — “That’s where culture unfolds in real time.”

• Contact for verification: the99group11@gmail.com

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