Senegalese American music star Akon has finally opened up on why he chose to work with Wizkid instead of signing Canadian rap superstar Drake at the early stage of their careers.
The music mogul made the revelation during recent interviews on VladTV and Bagfuel Brigade podcast where he spoke about his early moves in discovering global talents.
According to Akon the story started in 2004 or 2005 when Toronto rapper Kardinal Offishall brought Drake to him. At that time Drake was still a mixtape act and was yet to release Best I Ever Had.
Akon said when he listened to the demo the young Drake sounded more like Eminem. He explained that every artist goes through a development phase and the sound on that demo was completely different from what later made Drake a global force.
He also revealed that by the time he tried to reconsider the lowest bid on the table was already one million dollars. He said he did not have that kind of money to throw at that moment.
Fast forward to 2008 Akon visited Nigeria and said he saw a new movement growing. He claims Wizkid became the first Nigerian artiste he signed officially under Konvict Muzik and later also brought in P Square who was already buzzing across Africa.
Speaking on the podcast Akon said Wizkid was just a local Nigerian star before they touched him and that their involvement opened him up to a bigger market. He also said he brought the business side of music to Afrobeats because at that time there was creativity but no structure.
His comments have sparked mixed reactions. While some fans agree that Akon helped give African music early global exposure others argue that Wizkid breakthrough really came through Banky W Empire Mates Entertainment where he released Superstar in 2011 and later gained worldwide attention through his feature on Drake One Dance in 2016.
In fact Wizkid himself has said in past interviews that Akon never officially signed him and that what existed was a short term partnership between Konvict and EME to push his music internationally. Akon however insists he signed him and helped shape his global path.
Today both Wizkid and Drake are among the biggest names in world music. Wizkid has gone on to win Grammy awards headline major festivals and make history with Made in Lagos while Drake has become one of the most streamed artistes of his generation.
For Akon the decision remains a part of his journey as a businessman who discovered Lady Gaga T Pain and many others. He says he has no regrets because he saw growth in both artistes and remains proud of the role he played in opening doors for Afrobeats.
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