This is a well-written article, though people may never truly feel satisfied on both sides, whether from the Alte or UG scenes, as they might feel there's some form of encroachment or misrepresentation of their true essence. That said, this is a solid piece for an outsider, or someone looking to understand the meaning and history of these movements, a sense of what they represent. I do agree that many of these new underground artists were/are fans of the Alte scene, so there are clear lines and similarities to draw between the two. However, this new underground wave has also expanded into many more facets, which is why some may feel dissatisfied or even insulted by the comparison. But overall, Afrobeats is the mainstream in the country, so anything different could easily be classified as 'Alte.' In a true English sense, yes, these are alternative artists to the mainstream. But as stated in the article, even in their similarities, they are very different and have their own distinct goals.
Did anyone go to cyk fest in Lagos. It had me thinking about the connections between Atlanta and Lagos’ underground scene considering Atlanta’s vast Nigerian population. Great read!
amazing article but fortunately (or unfortunately) the underground scene simply cannot be compared with the alté scene nor reality.
alté as a subset of the alternative subculture exists to create room not only for a ‘slightly weird’ kid but for the neurodivergent, the queer; every othered individual that views an expression of self through necessity, a performer, a writer, an artist. this exists as a politically and socio-culturally conscious phenomenon that those underground guys can’t replicate— leading me to the thought process that they’re simply mainstream artists in their beginner stage not alte reloaded.
the likes of mavo, scotty olorin, zay level ten amongst others pride their lyricism in the regular mainstream objectification of women’s bodies, money and drugs culture. barely any referencing, mavo is a mid performance— all these acts and personas belong to the norm not the abnorm that alté is known for.
This is a well-written article, though people may never truly feel satisfied on both sides, whether from the Alte or UG scenes, as they might feel there's some form of encroachment or misrepresentation of their true essence. That said, this is a solid piece for an outsider, or someone looking to understand the meaning and history of these movements, a sense of what they represent. I do agree that many of these new underground artists were/are fans of the Alte scene, so there are clear lines and similarities to draw between the two. However, this new underground wave has also expanded into many more facets, which is why some may feel dissatisfied or even insulted by the comparison. But overall, Afrobeats is the mainstream in the country, so anything different could easily be classified as 'Alte.' In a true English sense, yes, these are alternative artists to the mainstream. But as stated in the article, even in their similarities, they are very different and have their own distinct goals.
Did anyone go to cyk fest in Lagos. It had me thinking about the connections between Atlanta and Lagos’ underground scene considering Atlanta’s vast Nigerian population. Great read!
amazing article but fortunately (or unfortunately) the underground scene simply cannot be compared with the alté scene nor reality.
alté as a subset of the alternative subculture exists to create room not only for a ‘slightly weird’ kid but for the neurodivergent, the queer; every othered individual that views an expression of self through necessity, a performer, a writer, an artist. this exists as a politically and socio-culturally conscious phenomenon that those underground guys can’t replicate— leading me to the thought process that they’re simply mainstream artists in their beginner stage not alte reloaded.
the likes of mavo, scotty olorin, zay level ten amongst others pride their lyricism in the regular mainstream objectification of women’s bodies, money and drugs culture. barely any referencing, mavo is a mid performance— all these acts and personas belong to the norm not the abnorm that alté is known for.