Veteran Nigerian music producer and label boss, ID Cabasa, has dismissed claims made by Senegalese-American singer Akon, who recently stated that his efforts and collaborations in Nigeria helped create the Afrobeats genre.
Akon, in a recent interview, suggested that his work with Nigerian artists and executives in the late 2000s to early 2010s played a key role in birthing the now globally celebrated sound known as Afrobeats.
However, while speaking during an interview on Wazobia FM, ID Cabasa firmly disagreed with Akon’s assertion, stressing that the genre’s origin cannot be credited to any single individual.
He acknowledged that Akon indeed collaborated with Nigerian acts during that era, but clarified that this was after Afrobeats had already started gaining ground through the efforts of homegrown talents.
He explained that artists like 2Face, Timaya, and 9ice were already making waves in the Nigerian music scene before Akon began working with popular acts like Wizkid and P-Square.
The music executive also challenged Akon’s claim that he discovered Wizkid and developed his career. Cabasa pointed out that it was singer and entrepreneur Banky W who spotted Wizkid’s talent and signed him to Empire Mates Entertainment (EME), which later partnered with Akon’s label on distribution.
Speaking in Pidgin, ID Cabasa 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 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.”
Cabasa emphasized that Afrobeats is the result of years of creative evolution driven by a collective effort of Nigerian artists, producers, and fans — not something that could be attributed to one individual’s influence.
