In a recent interview on American radio show The Breakfast Club, Afrobeats star Tiwa Savage was asked to clarify the “F**K The Big 3” statement she made during her London album launch concert.
The statement generated reactions on social media, where some observers considered it an attack on the Afrobeats Big 3 of Davido, Burna Boy, and Wizkid.
Clarifying the statement, Tiwa Savage shared that she was speaking to the Big 3 narrative rather than directly attacking the superstar trio.
“I don’t want to say a lot of things because I will be trending by tomorrow. Fvck the Top 3”
– Tiwa Savage 😂 pic.twitter.com/qrUjZAoVul— OLAMIDE 🌸💖 (@Olamide0fficial) August 31, 2025
“Not f**c them. But like F that narrative. This is a continent with so many artists, but we keep reducing it to three artists every time,” Tiwa Savage clarified before listing other stars who deserve to be recognised for their efforts.
“They have a very big fan base. Their fan bases are active, I guess that’s why,” she added on why the Big 3 narrative continues to thrive.
“Why did you say Fxck the Big 3?”
Tiwa Savage: I meant F that narrative, this is a continent & we keep reducing it to 3 Artists when we have diamond, Flavour, Yemi Alade, Tems, Asake, Rema….” pic.twitter.com/TkNtO7Ird9— HYPETRIBE (@hypetribeng) September 23, 2025
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The Big 3 and the Continuous Call of Inclusion
Tiwa Savage is among the artists who have weighed in on the narrative of an Afrobeats Big 3 of Davido, Burna Boy, and Wizkid.
According to the iconic singer, other stars have done enough to be appreciated for their efforts in spotlighting Afrobeats and African music rather than just reducing the credit to the three top stars.
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“If we were to go talent for talent, mic for mic I’ll not just be among the big 3 I’ll be big 1.”
-Tiwa Savage pic.twitter.com/gWJ5vdMXtF— Arthur🇳🇬🇬🇧🇸🇳 (@AjMachalaa) August 17, 2025
In a 2024 interview, Tiwa Savage stated that if talent was the metric, she could go head-to-head with the Big 3.
Grammy-nominated star Rema has also persistently demanded that the Afrobeats Big 3 be expanded to a Big 4 to accommodate his accomplishment in crafting Africa’s biggest pop song of all time.
There continues to be a louder call for the inclusion of stars like Rema, Asake, Tems, Ayra Starr, and Omah Lay, who are making a massive impact on the global front.
Many fans also hold the opinion that iconic rapper Olamide Baddo and stars like Flavour, Kizz Daniel, and Yemi Alade are unfairly left out in the conversations of Afrobeats’ biggest stars, as the microscope is always on the Big 3.
In Defence of The Big 3
While the call for inclusion is understandable, it might be worth noting that the concept of the Afrobeats Big 3 isn’t exclusive to Nigerian music or even the music industry at large.
In every sector, across different eras, the leading protagonist are often grouped in recognition of their success and consistency.
In American Hip Hop, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J Cole are often tagged the Big 3 rappers. In the English Premier League, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool are historically tagged as The Big 4 clubs. The rise of Manchester City and the impact of Tottenham have since increased it to the Big 6.
In the Banking, Tax, Automobile, and Luxury industries, there are classifications of “The Big 3” or “The Big 4” that describe the biggest players.
This is the same for Afrobeats, where the impact of Davido, Burna Boy, and Wizkid towers above the rest.
And although the very existence of that tag means that the microscope will always be on them, its expansion, except where absolutely necessary, will rob it of its meaning.
At any rate, artists, fans, the media, and the music industry must acknowledge and celebrate the impact and contribution of every artist without shoehorning them into The Big 3.
