Senegalese-American singer Akon has claimed that he played a significant role in launching the career of Nigerian Afrobeats star Wizkid and shaping the global rise of the Afrobeats genre.

Speaking on a recent episode of the Bagfuel Brigade podcast, Akon stated that when he signed Wizkid to his record label in 2008, the singer was still a local act in Nigeria. He said his involvement helped refine Wizkid’s talent and expand his reach to international markets.

“In 2008, I spent my time in Nigeria developing what you see today as Afrobeats. And all of them can attest to it,” Akon said. He added that Wizkid was the first Nigerian artist they signed, followed by the music duo P-Square, who, according to him, became the first Nigerian group to achieve international success.

Akon asserted that Afrobeats might not have reached its current global stature without the groundwork he laid during that period. “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 in 2008,” he said.

He also emphasized his role in introducing the business side of the music industry to Nigerian artists at the time, claiming that prior to his involvement, the scene lacked infrastructure and was focused mainly on creativity.

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