Senegalese-American singer and producer Akon has accredited his first collaborations with Nigerian artists as an instrumental for the emergence of Afrobeats as a global musical genre.
In a recent interview about Sherri, Akon reflected on his musical journey and influence in Africa, particularly Nigeria, where he said that key bases were established for what is now recognized as the sound of Afrobeats.
“2008 was my last official album, which was the Freedom album. And then I was producing 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 now listen to Afrobeats,” Akon said.
The founder of Konvict Muzik highlighted his first associations with the main Nigerian acts, including Wizkid, Banky W, P-Square and D'anj. He said that Wizkid was the first Nigerian artist who signed in 2008.
“These were some of the first artists that we began to develop. At that time, no one knew what it would become. We were building something special,” he added.
Reflecting on his legacy, Akon described himself as a bowl to amplify African talent on the global stage: “It is the role in which God put me. I feel that I am a lighthouse for the success of someone. I do not know who it will be, but everything we have touched so far has been really successful. And I appreciate it for that.”
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