AgaNaga Claims Bebe Cool Is Not Appealing to Current Music Consumers

Ugandan music veteran Bebe Cool made a bold move on May 30 with the release of his album Break The Chains, embracing afro-inspired sounds across the 16-track project.

The album marked a clear departure from his signature reggae and ragga style, reflecting the global rise of Afrobeats.

While the shift demonstrates Bebe Cool’s willingness to experiment, it has sparked discussion in the industry, and opinions remain divided.

Speaking to BTM, fellow Ugandan singer Kalifah AgaNaga shared his perspective on the album and outlined what he believes should be Bebe Cool’s next steps.

The “Ndabirawa” star began by speaking on the timing of Bebe Cool’s shift into afro-inspired music.

There is a song on the album that I like, Hidden Agenda, but I can tell him that maybe he has done it too late. He was supposed to do these things in the era of the likes of D’Banj and 2Face.

He then emphasized that Bebe Cool could have a bigger impact by focusing on nurturing young talent through his record label.

Right now, I want to see him with a record label. Yes, he has Gagamel, but how many artistes are signed to it? I want to see Gagamel sign Joshua Baraka. I want to see Gagamel with artistes like Elijah Kitaka and Gloria Bugie. I do not want to see Bebe Cool fighting so hard to fit in.

Kalifah also addressed the challenge of connecting with today’s music consumers, pointing out that they care about “drip” as much as music.

This, he believes, is something Bebe Cool cannot keep up with.

Even if Bebe Cool pushes, he is not appealing to the generation that is consuming music today because music is mostly consumed by young people. They want to see you wearing certain things that are trendy and have swag.

Finally, Kalifah offered advice on how Bebe Cool can stay relevant and leave a lasting legacy.

He encouraged him to focus on mentoring and supporting young musicians rather than trying to match the crowd of the current generation.

My advice to Bebe Cool is to concentrate on a record label. He needs to invest his money in young artistes just the way Don Jazzy does it. Bebe Cool has the money to do it. I do not think this Bebe Cool can ever be bigger than the Bebe Cool of the East African Bashment Crew. Even when they tell us that Bebe Cool has released something new, we do not see it. We want to see Bebe Cool behind younger artistes.

Also read: Khalifa AgaNaga Calls Out Young Artistes for Chasing Virality Over Quality