By Lauren Lee<\/p>\n
African music is dominating the global soundscape, with Afrobeats and other genres reshaping mainstream music worldwide. But Rick Ross, the stage name of William Leonard Roberts II, says this moment was inevitable \u2014 and believes Africa\u2019s global influence should have arrived much sooner.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love it,\u201d Ross said of Afrobeats\u2019 global takeover. \u201cFor the ones that really understand live and real music, you understand. It\u2019s been well overdue for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking in a wide-ranging interview with CNN\u2019s Lamide Akintobi in Miami, the American rapper and founder of the Maybach Music Group traced today\u2019s Afrobeats explosion back decades to the pioneers who laid the foundation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you think about Afrobeats now, that\u2019s Fela Kuti,\u201d he said. \u201cThat funk vibe been going on for years and years and years to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Drawing a parallel familiar to hip-hop fans, Ross compared pioneering Nigerian musician Kuti\u2019s effect on African music to James Brown\u2019s influence on early hip hop, noting, \u201cSo much hip hop was inspired by James Brown and his samples; to me that\u2019s what Fela was.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was always genius,\u201d he added. \u201cNow, I sit back and enjoy it. And I really feel it\u2019s only the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Early African collaborations \u2014 before it was mainstream<\/p>\n
Long before cross-continental collaborations became commonplace, Ross was already building musical bridges. He recalled how his appearance on the 2012 remix of \u201cBeautiful Onyinye\u201d with Nigerian duo P-Square came together organically.<\/p>\n
Ross described the music he released between 2009 and 2014 \u2014 what he calls his \u201cMaybach Music era\u201d \u2014 as an opportunity to explore a broader sound, weaving jazz and funk elements into hip-hop. \u201cI love those records,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ross said discussions with Senegalese American star Akon about African music drew him deeper into the sound. During one of those meetings, he connected with P-Square, which led to the remix of \u201cBeautiful Onyinye.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were young, but they were dope. I saw the vision. I saw the talent, and this was before this was popular\u2026 and it was just organic,\u201d said Ross.<\/p>\n
Years later, collaborations with artists such as Nigeria\u2019s Yemi Alade continued that momentum.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor one, she is on fire. She is just dope. Her style, her energy,\u201d Ross said. \u201cIt\u2019s organic, it\u2019s real\u2026 and to me it\u2019s something that, man, it ain\u2019t no cap to it. There ain\u2019t no limit on how big this sh*t just gonna continue to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n