Eric Patrick
Renowned Senegalese-American artist Akon has revealed his pivotal role in the creation of the Afrobeats genre in Nigeria.
Akon stated that his collaborations and partnerships with Nigerian artists and music executives from the late 2000s to the 2010s took the Nigerian music industry to the global stage.
During a recent interview with Sherri, the Konvict Muzik boss shared his experiences collaborating with prominent Nigerian artists such as Wizkid, Banky W, P-Square, and D’banj.
Akon revealed that he signed Wizkid to his record label, Konvict Muzik, in 2008, and subsequently collaborated with other prominent Nigerian artists.
Akon said, “2008 was my last official album, which was the ‘Freedom’ album. And then I was producing the music for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
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“From there, I went to Nigeria. What we created in Nigeria was what you see now and hear now as Afrobeats.
“Wizkid was the first [Nigerian] artiste that we signed back in 2008. We went to work with him and Banky W in Nigeria. From there, we just started developing artists like PSquare, Dbanj, and others.
“It [opening the global door for African music] is the role God put me in. I just feel like I am a beacon of somebody’s success.
“I don’t know who it is going to be but everything we have touched so far has been really successful. And I’m appreciative for that.”