AKON REVEALS HOW HE HELPED LAUNCH WIZKID’S GLOBAL CAREER
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By: Balogun Ibrahim
Senegalese-American singer and music executive Akon has revealed how he became involved in Wizkid’s early career, crediting Banky W—not himself—with discovering the Nigerian superstar.
Speaking during a recent interview with The Media, Akon dismissed claims that he discovered Wizkid, explaining that Banky W had already identified and nurtured the young artiste before introducing him.
According to Akon, he was impressed by Wizkid’s talent during a visit to Nigeria and decided to sign him to help expand his reach beyond Africa.
“Banky W discovered Wizkid. When I visited Nigeria, Banky introduced him to me, and I immediately knew he was a star. They had limited resources, so signing him gave him the opportunity to break into the United States,” Akon said.
He explained that his support helped expose Wizkid to the American music market at a time when Nigerian artistes had limited international visibility.
Akon also reflected on missing the chance to sign Canadian rap star Drake, revealing that he walked away from the deal because the then-upcoming artiste demanded a $1 million signing fee.
He said Drake had not yet developed the unique sound that later propelled him to global fame.
“Drake was the only artiste I seriously considered signing. It wasn’t that I doubted his potential, but at the time he wasn’t a big star and wanted a million dollars to sign. I simply didn’t have that kind of money,” Akon explained.
He added that Drake’s early music reminded him of American rapper Eminem before the release of the hit single Best I Ever Had in 2009.
“Back then, he sounded a lot like Eminem. It wasn’t until he released ‘Best I Ever Had’ that I truly became convinced, but by then it was too late because he had become too expensive,” he said.
Drake’s breakout single, Best I Ever Had, launched him to international prominence before he eventually signed with Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment in 2009.
Wizkid, born Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, was discovered by Banky W in 2009 and signed to Empire Mates Entertainment (EME), where he released his debut hit Holla at Your Boy before becoming one of Africa’s biggest music stars.
Since leaving EME in 2013 to establish Starboy Entertainment, Wizkid has built a successful global career, collaborating with international stars including Drake, Beyoncé, Chris Brown, Tems, Skepta, and Justin Bieber.
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