We collaborated with him but that doesn’t mean he created Afrobeats – Music producer, ID Cabasa slams Akon’s claims
Veteran Nigerian music producer and executive, ID Cabasa, has criticized Akon for claiming a role in the creation of the Afrobeats genre.
In a recent interview, Akon stated that his early collaborations with Nigerian artists in the late 2000s and early 2010s contributed to the rise of Afrobeats on the global stage. However, during a chat on Wazobia FM, Cabasa dismissed the claim, asserting that while Akon may have worked with Nigerian artists during that period, it does not give him the right to take credit for the genre’s creation.
“Akon for also tok say na he still discovered the likes of 2Face, Timaya, 9ice and Co,” Cabasa said in Pidgin. “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,” he said.
On the broader claim of birthing the genre, Cabasa was clear: “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.”
