Veteran music producer, ID Cabasa, has reacted to Akon claiming he was very instrumental in the creation of the Afrobeats genre.
Cabasa disagreed with the statement, saying the singer is wrong to give himself that much credit.
Speaking during an interview with Wazobia FM, the producer revealed that while Akon collaborated with several Nigerian artists when Afrobeats was still gaining traction globally, it doesn’t give him the right to claim the role of a founder.
According to him, Nigerian musicians like 2baba, 9ice, and Timaya were already gaining momentum before Akon started working with the likes of Wizkid and P-Square, so what preceded his collaborations cannot be completely ignored.
“Akon for also tok say na he still discovered the likes of 2Face, Timaya, 9ice and Co. Na the people wey he roll with when he come Nigeria, wey tell am say, ‘I’m the biggest person around this place.’ So, he properly feels he pioneered business and branding sides of Afrobeats,” he said.
Addressing Akon’s claim that Wizkid was just a local act before being signed and mentored by him in 2008, Cabasa said that Banky W was the one who discovered and brought Ayo Balogun into the spotlight via Empire Mates Entertainment.
The producer maintained that Akon’s label only went into a partnership with EME years after Wizkid was already dropping hit songs under his label.
ID Cabassa insisted that it is impossible for anyone to name himself the creator of Afrobeats, stressing that it is a culture, not something one man can create.
“Even the way wey he take dey tok about Wizkid, no be wettin the story be be that. We all know say na Banky W dem sign Wizkid. Yes, we collaborate with Akon in terms of distribution but e no mean say he go tok say na he create Afrobeats. Because Afrobeats no be wettin wey one person create, na culture,” he added.
Folami David is a dynamic journalist who views the world through an analytical lens, translating complex narratives across multiple industries into compelling stories. With an insatiable appetite for information and a keen eye for emerging trends, Folami specializes in uncovering the interconnections between technology, business, culture, and society.
