Akon Claims Pivotal Role in Wizkid’s Rise and Afrobeats’ Global Success

Senegalese-American superstar Akon has asserted his significant contribution to the international breakthrough of Nigerian artist Wizkid and the global expansion of Afrobeats music.

The Discovery That Changed Afrobeats History

In a recent interview shared on X, Akon revealed he discovered Wizkid in 2008 when the artist was still relatively unknown outside Nigeria. The “Lonely” hitmaker signed Wizkid to his record label, providing the platform that launched the Nigerian star onto the global stage.

Bringing Business to Afrobeats

Akon emphasized his crucial role in introducing the business infrastructure to Nigeria’s music industry, which he claims was previously focused solely on creativity without commercial strategy.

“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 stated.

Pioneering Nigerian Talent Globally

Beyond Wizkid, Akon worked with other Nigerian acts including P-Square, helping them gain international exposure. He credits these early efforts with paving the way for Afrobeats’ current worldwide dominance.

“In 2008, I spent my time in Nigeria developing what you see today as Afrobeats. And all of them can attest to it,” Akon declared. “Wizkid was just the local Nigerian star before we touched him, and it opened up to a bigger market.”

Akon’s Confident Assessment

The music mogul expressed certainty that without his interventions, Afrobeats might not have achieved its current global status: “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.”

For more insights into Akon’s impact on African music, read: Afrobeats Started With Us In Nigeria – Akon Asserts

Source: Information Nigeria