Musical lead-in to beat

AFRO-

Think of a prefix that nods to a rich cultural music style often associated with drums and rhythms from the African diaspora.

The clue plays on the word "beat," which can mean a musical rhythm. Here, "musical lead-in" hints at a prefix related to music, and "AFRO-" fits because it refers to Afrobeat, a genre blending African rhythms with jazz and funk. The hyphen signals it's a prefix, not a standalone word.