Music Producer Craig King on Africa’s Bold Creative Power Shaping the Global Sound

Craig King on Africa’s Creative Energy.

Music producer Craig King recently joined the ALX Dare to Be More podcast to share his admiration for Africa’s creative landscape. Craig King, who has worked on several Grammy Award-winning projects with legends like Ray Charles and Aaliyah, has witnessed global music trends firsthand — yet it is Africa that captivates him most today.

Africa’s Global Impact

From Afrobeats topping global charts to Amapiano’s 5,600% surge in Spotify streams between 2018 and 2023, Africa’s sound is influencing listeners worldwide. Artists like Tems, Burna Boy, and Wizkid are achieving milestones once thought unattainable. Wizkid’s “Essence” reached Billboard’s Top 10  and the U.S. launched its Afrobeats Songs Chart in 2022.

Beyond music, Nollywood produces roughly 2,500 films annually, reflecting the continent’s cultural output. Creators like P2J, Tempoe, and Nabeyin collaborate with global stars, shaping pop, hip-hop, and R&B with unmistakable African influences.

Equipping Creators to Lead Globally

Craig’s partnership with ALX Creative Tech is about more than sharing expertise. It’s about building alongside Africa’s creators. Naima McLean, VP of Creative Economy at ALX, explains:

“Africa’s creative influence is already global. Our role is to strengthen the ecosystem behind it. By providing a supportive environment where learners can translate talent into sustainable creative careers, ALX is not about training Africans to join the global economy. It is about empowering them to own it.”

Across Addis Ababa, Accra, Casablanca, Nairobi, Lagos, Kigali, Johannesburg, and Cairo, ALX learners are producing music that charts globally, collaborating with studios worldwide, and designing visuals that reflect Africa’s rhythm and resilience.

Music Meets Technology

Speaking about the role technology plays in shaping culture and music, Craig highlights how it has expanded creative possibilities and connected artists in ways never before possible. This perspective inspired him to start RapPlug, a platform connecting young creators to opportunities in music and media.

Through his partnership with ALX, learners now have access to industry tools like Soundtrap to create, collaborate, and grow their craft.

“I’ve always had the passion, but it’s truly exciting to apply my passion to curious minds within the diaspora. Developing a curriculum that I know will benefit aspiring learners and extend beyond our shores in America is everything to me,” Craig shares.

That’s why he has joined ALX Creative Tech as a collaborator to bridge global experience with Africa’s creative energy and provide learners with the mentorship, tools, and guidance they need to thrive.

“Even if you do not want to become a producer, this program stretches creativity and shows how programming connects to art. For those pursuing music, it is a pathway to grow their craft with technology as a tool.”

Mentorship and Collaboration Drive Growth

Craig’s journey was shaped by mentorship from legends like Ray Charles and Quincy Jones. He emphasizes its transformative power:

“This generation of African creators does not need validation. They just need space and support to shine.”

Mentorship and structured guidance help young creatives experiment, refine their skills, and thrive in a globally competitive creative economy.

Craig’s journey was shaped by mentorship from legends like Ray Charles and Quincy Jones, and that spirit of guidance drives his work today. He emphasizes that mentorship transforms learners by building confidence, sharpening skills, and showing them how to navigate creative spaces with purpose.

Whether it is peer mentorship, guidance from experienced professionals, or collaboration across creative disciplines, young creatives must tap into mentorship as a way to grow, experiment, and realize their potential.

“This generation of African creators does not need validation,” Craig notes. “They just need space and support to shine.”

Owning Africa’s Authentic Voice

Speaking directly to Africa’s creatives, Craig encouraged creatives across music, fashion, visual arts, and digital media to continue to embrace and project their authentic voices”. 

“The world is not just listening. It is being moved by the boldness, fearlessness, and originality of Africa’s creative talent.”

From Afrobeats and Amapiano to Nollywood and global collaborations with producers like P2J, Tempoe, and Nabeyin, Africa is setting the standard, not following trends.

Africa Isn’t Following Trends, It’s Setting Them

From music to film to visual arts, Africa is defining the global cultural narrative. For Craig King, the creative powerhouse is not emerging. It is already here. Platforms like ALX Creative Tech are needed to grow that story louder, because providing mentorship, tools, and space to amplify that story, would give African creators the resources to thrive and lead the global creative creative movement. 

The next wave of global culture isn’t coming. It’s rising from Africa, bold, fearless, and unstoppable.

Watch the Podcast

Click here to watch the ALX Dare to Be More podcast interview with Craig King and hear his full insights on Africa’s creative power shaping global music.

Join the Movement

Be part of Africa’s creative rise. Explore ALX Creative Tech programs in Music Production, Graphic Design, and Content Creation, and start building your creative journey today. Join our creative community now.