Senegalese-American music icon Akon has opened up about his early involvement in the rise of Afrobeats, asserting that he played a significant role in the genre’s evolution.
Akon explained that his collaborations with Nigerian musicians and industry figures during the late 2000s and early 2010s were instrumental in laying the groundwork for what has become the global Afrobeats phenomenon.
As the head of Konvict Muzik, he worked closely with prominent Nigerian artists such as Wizkid, Banky W, P-Square, and D’banj—well before the “Afrobeats to the World” wave gained international recognition.
Speaking in a recent interview with Sherri, 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. 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.”
On his role as one of the pioneering modern pop stars from Africa who brought the continent’s music to the global stage, the Senegalese singer said, “It [opening the global door for African music] is the role God put me in. I just feel like I am a beacon to 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.”