UK-based Nigerian media personality, Adesope Olajide, popularly known as Shopsydoo, has said that Fuse ODG is not receiving the recognition he deserves for his contributions to Afrobeat.
Speaking on the In My Opinion (IMO) podcast, Shopsydoo stated that despite his groundbreaking work, the British-Ghanaian singer and songwriter remains underappreciated—possibly because “Ghanaians are usually very calm.”
“Fuse ODG never gets his credit,” he said.
“He deserves a place somewhere in the clouds of icons.”
Trailblazing Achievements
Fuse ODG, real name Nana Richard Abiona, is widely acknowledged as a pioneer of the modern Afrobeat movement in the UK. He was the first Afrobeat artist to headline an official UK tour, performing in cities such as Newcastle and Glasgow.
Shopsydoo credited Fuse’s track “Antenna” as his own entry point into the genre.
“He did an arena tour with Ed Sheeran. That’s huge,” he added.
Azonto Legacy and Pan-Africanism
Shopsydoo also highlighted Fuse’s early collaborations with top Ghanaian producer Killbeatz, which helped popularise the Azonto wave across the globe. Their partnership faced turbulence in 2017 due to a reported family dispute, but Fuse later confirmed they had reconciled.
Describing him as a “big Pan-Africanist”, Shopsydoo pointed out that Fuse’s criticism of Bob Geldof over the portrayal of Africa may have also led to some backlash.