Senegalese-American singer Akon has taken credit for playing a pivotal role in the rise of Wizkid and the global success of Afrobeats.
In a recent interview, posted on X Friday, Akon shared that he discovered Wizkid in 2008 when the artist was still relatively unknown in Nigeria. He signed Wizkid to his record label, helping him break into the global music scene.
Akon also emphasised his influence on the growth of Afrobeats, claiming that he introduced Nigerian artists to the business side of music, an area that was previously neglected in favor of pure creativity.
According to Akon, in addition to signing Wizkid, he worked with other Nigerian stars like P-Square, helping them gain exposure on international platforms.
Akon expressed confidence that Afrobeats may not have reached its current global prominence without his early efforts to connect Nigerian artists to the larger music industry.
“In 2008, I spent my time in Nigeria developing what you see today as Afrobeats. And all of them can attest to it,” he said.
“Wizkid was the first [Nigerian] artist we signed officially at that time. And then we went on to sign a group called P-Square, which was the first [Nigerian] group that made it internationally.”
“Wizkid was just the local Nigerian star before we touched him, and it opened up to a bigger market. I wouldn’t want to take credit for all of it, but I can tell you that if we didn’t do what we did, Afrobeats would still have been in the same position it was when we got there [Nigeria in 2008]. I can tell you 100 per cent.”
“I brought the business side of music to Afrobeats because all they [Nigerian artists at that time] knew about was the creative [side of music]. There was no business, no infrastructure, none of it attached to it,” Akon added.
