Akon Didn’t Create Afrobeats – ID Cabasa

Veteran Nigerian music producer and executive ID Cabasa has dismissed Akon’s recent claim that he played a key role in the creation of Afrobeats, stating that the genre is a cultural movement, not the invention of any single individual.

Speaking during an interview with Wazobia FM, Cabasa responded to the Senegalese-American singer’s assertion that his collaborations with Nigerian artists in the late 2000s and early 2010s helped give birth to Afrobeats. While acknowledging that Akon partnered with several Nigerian artists during that period, Cabasa argued that his involvement came after the genre had already begun to flourish locally.

“Akon cannot take credit for creating Afrobeats,” Cabasa said. “He came into the scene when artists like 2Face, 9ice, and Timaya were already gaining ground. His collaborations helped amplify the genre, yes, but the foundation had already been laid.”

Cabasa also addressed Akon’s claim that he discovered Wizkid and helped launch his career. According to him, that narrative is inaccurate. He emphasized that Wizkid was signed by Banky W to Empire Mates Entertainment (EME), a label that later entered into a partnership with Akon’s Konvict Music for distribution.

“Everybody knows it was Banky W who brought Wizkid to the limelight,” Cabasa stated. “Yes, there was a collaboration with Akon on the business side, but that doesn’t mean he created the genre or discovered Wizkid.”

Switching to Pidgin, Cabasa added, “Akon for also talk say na him still discover the likes of 2Face, Timaya, 9ice and co. Na the people wey he roll with when he come Nigeria tell am say, ‘I’m the biggest person around here,’ and he believed it. But Afrobeats no be one person work. Na culture. It grew from us.”

Afrobeats, which blends elements of West African music, hip hop, dancehall, and more, has grown into a global sound over the last decade, with artists like Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Davido gaining international acclaim.