Wizkid Opened Door for African Artists – Nasty C
South African rapper Nasty C has credited Nigerian Afrobeats star Wizkid for helping African music gain wider global recognition through his collaboration with Canadian rapper Drake on the hit song One Dance.
Speaking during a recent podcast interview, Nasty C said the 2016 global smash played a major role in opening international opportunities for African artists and expanding the reach of Afrobeats worldwide.
According to the rapper, the success of the song significantly changed how African music was perceived globally and created new commercial opportunities for artists across the continent.
“Wizkid and Drake’s collaboration on ‘One Dance’ opened the door for African artists,” he said.
Nasty C explained that the impact of the collaboration became obvious during his visits to countries such as Nigeria and Ghana, where he noticed a growing shift within the music industry.
He claimed some rappers began transitioning from hip-hop to Afrobeats because of the genre’s rising international appeal and financial success following the release of the song.
“During some of my interviews in Nigeria and Ghana, hosts told me that some rappers were even switching to Afrobeats because of how lucrative it became after Wizkid’s collaboration with Drake,” he added.
Released in 2016, One Dance featured Wizkid alongside British singer Kyla and went on to become a global chart-topping success.
The song also made history as the first track to surpass one billion streams on Spotify, earning a Guinness World Record and further cementing its influence on global music culture.
Blending Afrobeats, dancehall and pop elements, the track is widely regarded as one of the songs that helped introduce Afrobeats to mainstream international audiences.
Drake previously acknowledged Wizkid’s major contribution to the record, with the Nigerian singer credited as a performer, co-songwriter and co-producer on the hit single.
