The American-Senegalese musician Akon has discussed his role in the development of Afrobeats. He asserted that the current genre of music known as Afrobeats was born out of his relationships and collaborations with Nigerian musicians and record executives in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
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Years before the ‘Afrobeats to the World’ movement gained steam, the boss of Konvict Muzik remembers working with other Nigerian performers such as Wizkid, Banky W, P-Square, and D’banj.
“My last official album, 2008’s ‘Freedom,’ was my last album,” Akon stated in a recent interview with Sherri. That was followed by my time spent in South Africa as a music producer for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
I then proceeded to Nigeria. We in Nigeria are responsible for what is now known as Afrobeats. In 2008, we signed Wizkid, the first [Nigerian] artist. In Nigeria, we joined forces with him and Banky W for a project. We then proceeded to cultivate performers such as PSquare, Dbanj, and others.
“It [opening the global door for African music] is the role God put me in,” the Senegalese singer stated, reflecting on his position as one of the first African modern pop performers to bring the continent’s music to the world stage.
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I simply feel like I shine a light on someone else’s achievements. Everything we’ve touched thus far has been incredibly successful, but I have no idea who it will be. And for that, I am grateful.