Akon Says He Helped Shape Modern Afrobeats: “What We Created in Nigeria Is What You Hear Today”
Senegalese-American singer Akon has credited himself with playing a pivotal role in the rise and global recognition of Afrobeats, claiming his early collaborations with Nigerian artists helped lay the foundation for the genre as it’s known today.
Speaking during a recent interview with American actress and talk show host Sherri Shepherd, the Right Now hitmaker reflected on his influence in shaping the sound and momentum of Afrobeats in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
“My last official album was Freedom in 2008,” Akon recalled. “After that, I started working on music for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. From there, I went to Nigeria—and what we created in Nigeria back then is what you now hear and see as Afrobeats.”
Akon emphasized that his work with local talent at the time was instrumental in putting the spotlight on Nigerian music. He cited Wizkid as the first Nigerian artist he signed in 2008, in collaboration with Banky W, and also highlighted his involvement in the early development of now-defunct duo P-Square and superstar D’banj.
“We just started developing artists like P-Square, D’banj, and others,” he said. “Those partnerships helped amplify the sound and build the movement.”
Akon’s comments arrive amid ongoing conversations about Afrobeats’ global influences and evolution. In August 2024, Jamaican reggae legend Buju Banton stirred debate by asserting that Afrobeats was heavily influenced by reggae and dancehall. He also criticized the genre for, in his view, failing to tackle urgent social and political issues or uplift African consciousness.
Despite such critiques, Afrobeats has experienced a meteoric rise since the late 2000s, as Nigerian stars like D’banj, Wizkid, and Davido began securing collaborations with global heavyweights such as Kanye West and Rick Ross. Today, artists like Burna Boy, Rema, and Tems are commanding massive global audiences, dominating international charts, and selling out arenas—cementing Afrobeats as a powerhouse genre on the world stage.
