Afrobeats Intelligence

In this season opener, Joey Akan sits down with the legendary, award-winning producer Sarz for an unfiltered deep dive into the mechanics of a hit record and the evolving DNA of African sound.

This episode of Afrobeats Intelligence is powered by OkayAfrica, the pulse of African culture, and sponsored by Martell.

Don't miss a beat of Season 5. Join the community by subscribing now and tell us your favorite Sarz-produced track in the comments!

Hosted by award-winning Nigerian journalist and music critic Joey Akan, Afrobeats Intelligence Season 5 dives deeper into the stories, systems, and sonic architecture shaping Afrobeats’ global takeover. 

Featuring conversations with Shallipopi, Wale, Sarz, Ladipoe, Kcee, Joshua Baraka, BOJ, Aniko, Dr. Sid, and more, Season 5 delivers sharper insights and bigger access to the artists, executives, and culture builders defining African music today. 

Presented by OkayAfrica and sponsored by Martell, this season expands the conversation around how Afrobeats really works from Lagos to London to the world.

In this unfiltered episode of Afrobeats Intelligence, award-winning host Joey Akan sits down with Peruzzi, the DMW star and songwriting mastermind behind some of Afrobeats’ biggest records. From penning classics like 2Baba’s “Amaka” and Davido’s “Assurance” and “Risky,” to shaping his own standout tracks like “Majesty,” “Gunshot,” and “Southy Love” with Fireboy DML, Peruzzi pulls back the curtain on the creative highs, industry pressure, and internal battles that shaped his sound — and nearly broke him. Peruzzi opens up about the moment he realized he was no longer making music from the heart. Though his Huncho Vibes and Rum & Boogie eras produced fan-favorite tracks and expanded his global fanbase, he admits he got lost in the amapiano wave and the financial rush that followed. Chasing chart-toppers and chasing trends began to cloud the original voice that made him special. The fans were dancing. The streams were climbing. But deep down, the music no longer felt like him. In an era of algorithm-driven creativity, Peruzzi shares what it means to disconnect, go silent, and rediscover your core.

In this candid episode of Afrobeats Intelligence, Joey Akan sits down with Director Pink—the award-winning creative force behind some of Afrobeats' most visually stunning and culturally defining music videos. Known for her storytelling precision, Pink has shaped the visual language of global Nigerian music through her work with artists like Asake, Ayra Starr, Fireboy DML, Joeboy, Ruger, and BNXN. From early hustle in Lagos to directing viral hits like “Sability”, “Bandana”, and “Lonely At The Top,” Director Pink opens up about her journey as a woman in a male-dominated industry, dealing with ego in the creative space, and setting the standard for international Afrobeats visuals. She unpacks how music video budgets are changing, why treatment writing is an artform, and how directors are finally getting global recognition for storytelling. She shares thoughts on cross-cultural collaboration (UK, France, and South Africa), and how she balances the commercial and emotional demands of the creative process. Whether you’re in New York, London, Toronto, Paris, or Accra, this episode offers an insider’s look at the vision behind Afrobeats’ most memorable visuals—and what it takes to lead as both artist and strategist.

In this insightful episode of Afrobeats Intelligence Podcast, host Joey Akan sits down with Lanre Marsha, Director of West Africa for The Orchard, a global music distribution powerhouse. Lanre pulls back the curtain on the Nigerian music industry, offering a masterclass on navigating its challenges and opportunities with integrity and strategy.