The Queen of Afrobeats Finds Community Wherever She Lands | Presented By Uber

We spend the day with Yemi Alade before her big concert in NYC

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Yemi Alade is the queen of Afrobeats—a global pop star who is constantly on the move. The touring life means she can be hard to pin down.

We caught up with her this month when she landed in New York for "OkayAfrica's Mzansi Heat and Naija Beats" at Lincoln Center.

Her work days are carefully scheduled affairs, moving herself and her crew quickly from the airport to the studio to the stage. For this, she tells OkayAfrica, she relies on she relies on the Stress-Free Pick Ups features from Uber. Their On-Time Guarantee means that she never misses her frequent trans-Atlantic flights or important sound-checks.

"I'm not talking just New York," says Alade, "but in Nigeria and anywhere in the world."

"I might have an appointment at 12 and can book it at 9 am. I don't need to worry. All I know is I need to come downstairs or come outside and the ride is right there. Right on time," she adds.

Yemi Alade performing at OkayAfrica's Mzansi Heat and Naija BeatsPhoto by Oluwaseye Olusa

In fact, Uber guarantees that your ride will arrive during the time period you select—or you'll receive credit towards your next ride.

The world is eternally unpredictable, throwing up barriers and messing up plans. For Alade, the solution is the people she surrounds herself with. "Community," she says, "is very important." These relationships are the building blocks of our towns and cities and the globe.

In a messy world, dependable services are what keeps her artistic community connected to each other, an essential element to creating the inventive and original music that Alade's fans expect of her.

Check out the video for more of Alade's thoughts on inspiration, spirituality and being a woman working and thriving in a male-dominated industry

"What's most important to me," says Alade, "is that I am doing it for my own personal happiness. Because I feels that I deserve it. I do what I love and love what I do."

Learn more about how Uber is headed in a new direction here.


Video Credits:

Director: Brittany "B.Monét" Fennell

Producer: Ayana Barber

Producer: Oyinkan Olojede

Editor: Nick Caiazza

Director of Photography: April Maxey

Director of Photography: Greg Poole

Sound Mixer: Rob Albrecht

Production Assistant: Ross Mayfield

Production Company: Keep Productions Inc

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