Veteran Nigerian music producer and executive ID Cabasa has firmly denied recent claims made by Senegalese-American artist Akon regarding his involvement in the creation of the Afrobeats genre.
In a recent interview, Akon stated that his collaborations with Nigerian artists and music executives in the late 2000s and early 2010s were instrumental in the rise of Afrobeats. However, during a conversation with Wazobia FM, ID Cabasa dismissed this assertion, emphasizing that while Akon did collaborate with several Nigerian artists during that era, his contributions do not amount to being a pioneer of the genre.
Cabasa pointed out that long before Akon began working with artists like Wizkid and P-Square, homegrown talents such as 2Face Idibia, 9ice, and Timaya were already making significant strides in shaping the sound and identity of Afrobeats.
He also addressed Akon’s claim that Wizkid was a "local artist" before being signed and mentored by him in 2008. According to Cabasa, it was actually Banky W who discovered Wizkid and introduced him to the mainstream through Empire Mates Entertainment (EME). Akon’s label only entered into a partnership with EME after Wizkid had already begun to rise to prominence.
Speaking in Nigerian Pidgin, ID Cabasa remarked:
“If Akon talk say na him discover Afrobeats, make he also talk say na him discover 2Face, Timaya, 9ice and others. Na people wey he meet for here tell am say dem be the biggest, and from there he think say na him pioneer the business and branding side of Afrobeats. “Even wetin he talk about Wizkid no be the true story. We all know say na Banky W sign Wizkid. Yes, Akon helped with distribution, but that no mean say na him create Afrobeats. Afrobeats no be one person create am—it’s a culture.”
Cabasa's response underscores the collaborative and cultural roots of Afrobeats, which developed organically over time through the contributions of numerous African artists and production.
Source; gistreel.com
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