Akon Only Collaborated With Afrobeats Artists, He Didn’t Create The Genre – ID Cabasa

Popular music producer, ID Cabasa, has come out to react to Akon claiming he played a major part in the creation of the Afrobeats genre. He recently had his say while speaking during an interview with Wazobia FM, and fans have been reacting.

According to him, while Akon collaborated with various Nigerian artists when Afrobeats was still finding its audience globally, it doesn’t give him the right to claim the role of a founder.

ID Cabasa added that Nigerian musicians like 2baba, 9ice and Timaya were already gaining momentum before Akon started working with the likes of Wizkid and P-Square, therefore, what preceded his collaborations cannot be completely disregarded.

His words, “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.

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.”

WOW.

Olubankole Wellington (born 27 March 1981), popularly known by his stage name Banky W and credited in film as Banky Wellington, is a Nigerian singer, rapper, actor and politician.

Banky W was born in the United States to Nigerian parents. His family moved back to Nigeria when he was five years old. He started singing at a young age in his church choir. He schooled in Lagos for his primary and secondary education and returned to further his tertiary education at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York on a scholarship. He started his record label E.M.E in 2002 while studying. He also used to work at GlobalSpec and would sing really loud with his headphones on. In 2009, he left the US for Nigeria and established his record label in Lagos where he signed artists like Niyola, Shaydee, Skales and Wizkid to the label at the time. His breakthrough debut studio album, Back in the Building was released in 2005. He wrote the first theme song of Etisalat Nigeria titled “0809ja for life”.

A day after Valentine of 2013, he launched his new album “R&BW” with a concert tagged the “Grand Love Concert” at the Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island, Lagos, which featured several other artistes including Iyanya and Waje. The first two singles from the album are “Lowkey” and “Yes/No”.