Veteran Nigerian music producer, Olumide Ogunade, popularly known as ID Cabasa, has fired back at Senegalese-American singer, Akon over his controversial claims of pioneering Afrobeats.
In a recent interview, Akon boasted that his early collaborations with Nigerian artists laid the foundation for the global explosion of Afrobeats, even asserting he played a vital role in launching Wizkid’s career.
According to Akon; “In 2008, I spent my time in Nigeria developing what you see today as Afrobeats… Wizkid was just a local Nigerian star before we touched him.”
He also claimed to have signed Wizkid and P-Square, adding, “I brought the business side of music to Afrobeats… there was no infrastructure before.”
Responding in a recent interview, Cabasa dismissed Akon’s claims as exaggerated and misleading.
He said; “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 wetin 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.”
