Veteran Nigerian music producer and industry heavyweight ID Cabasa has come forward to challenge Akon’s recent claims about being instrumental in the creation of Afrobeats, firmly stating that the genre is a cultural movement far beyond the efforts of one individual.
Akon, the Senegalese-American singer and music executive, stirred controversy after he claimed in a recent interview that his collaborations with Nigerian artists in the late 2000s and early 2010s laid the foundation for the global Afrobeats phenomenon. According to him, those partnerships were pivotal in shaping what is now recognized as Afrobeats on the international stage.
However, during an interview with Wazobia FM, ID Cabasa, who has worked with some of Nigeria’s most influential acts, dismissed Akon’s statements as an exaggerated and inaccurate version of events. While acknowledging Akon’s involvement with Nigerian acts during that era, Cabasa was adamant that such involvement does not equate to creating the genre.
He noted that before Akon’s entry into the Nigerian music scene, legendary local artists such as 2Face Idibia, 9ice, and Timaya had already been blazing trails and earning recognition, both locally and beyond, with their unique sound that would later be globally identified as Afrobeats.
Reacting to Akon’s claim that he signed and groomed Wizkid before the star gained popularity, ID Cabasa provided a clear correction to the narrative.
“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. Yes, we collaborate with Akon in terms of distribution but e no mean say he go tok say na he create Afrobeats,” Cabasa said.
He emphasized that it was Banky W, founder of Empire Mates Entertainment (EME), who discovered and signed Wizkid, later entering a partnership with Akon’s label for broader distribution.
Cabasa went on to highlight that Afrobeats as a genre is deeply rooted in African culture, created collectively through years of innovation, sound evolution, and cultural expression, not by any single individual.
“Akon for also tok say na he still discovered the likes of 2Face, Timaya, 9ice and Co. 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 the business and branding sides of Afrobeats,” he added.
“Because Afrobeats no be wettin wey one person create, na culture.”
With this response, ID Cabasa joins a growing list of Nigerian industry veterans who are pushing back against revisionist narratives around the genre’s origins. His statements serve as a reminder of the deep history and collective effort behind Afrobeats, a movement shaped by a multitude of talents, sounds, and stories that emerged from Africa’s music landscape.
