There’s no doubt that 2019 has been a massive year for Afrobeats, a sound that has been gaining momentum over the past few years, but felt a huge wave this year globally with international hit “Drogba (Joanna)” by Afro B.

Media personalities, publicists, aspiring artists, and music lovers came together for an intimate evening with the rising star at a party to celebrate his latest project, “Afrowave 3,” on Friday. (Nov. 22) The private event was hosted at famed Quad Studios, in the heart of Times Square.

Following a brief performance, Afro B took select members of the press into a private room to conduct one-on-one interviews.

“From London to New York” he began one interview, recalling a time when he and other artists in London, where he was raised, wanted nothing more than to have their music accepted across the pond. 

The success of “Drogba (Joanna)” was his golden ticket.

He released it with a dance challenge on social media and watched it spread globally, but even still the success seemed to have caught him by surprise. Perhaps because he said it only took him 15 minutes to write the hit record.

He said, “It wasn’t even hard [to crossover]. As soon as “Joanna” hit I was in and out [of the U.S.] every other day, and now it’s just like consistent.” The Ivory Coast-born DJ-turned-artist now resides in Flatbush.

His follow up single “Fine Wine & Hennessy” featuring Slim Jxmmi of rap group Rae Sremmurd, is a fun uptempo anthem dedicated to the ladies. It is his first release from “Afrowave 3.”

This self-proclaimed “Brooklyn Boy” has his sights set on more collaboration. He wants to work with more U.S. artists: “PartyNextDoor, Tory Lanez, Drake, Rihanna. All them people that can add the vibe to the Afro sound,” he said.

To round out the Rae Sremmurd features he added, “I want to work with Swae Lee too.”

The feeling is mutual as Afro B said, “So many artists have been hitting me up. The Old School artists from Ashanti, T-Pain, Akon.”

Singer / Producer T-Pain is already a feature on “Afrowave 3” with a seductive song called “Condo.” The plan is for that record to hit in 2020 and really be pushed with an innovative music video. Afro B reflects on the collaboration: “It’s cool man. Obviously, T-Pain is a legend I knew he was going to shut down the verse. Big up T-Pain”

While the average listener might not recognize it, there is a subtle difference between Afrobeat and Afrowave.

Afro B breaks it down like this: “Afrobeat is more traditional old school sounding Fela Kuti Jazz Funk all that sound. Afrowave is like a combination of different genres into one. You might hear some Dancehall, Reggaeton, Reggae, whatever it is– Hip-Hop, R&B, all in one package but the main umbrella is Africa.”

Everyone wanted to know “Who is Joanna?” Is she a real woman? Is Afro B single? Well, he got honest and shared his lover boy Pisces side. “Joanna is from the Bronx,” he joked before confessing. “I made her up. She don’t exist, but I got Juana in my DMs. That’s it. I got a lot of Joannas right now.”

Special thank you to Abba Brand and Empire Records for the invitation.

To see more of our interviews with talented creatives, click here. 

Enjoy this photo recap shot by Ivory Poison of Lipstick and Liquor Bottles