Veteran producer ID Cabasa has addressed recent claims made by Akon about the origin of Afrobeats, calling them misleading and inaccurate.
The respected Nigerian music executive responded during a chat on Wazobia FM, where he clarified that although Akon collaborated with some Nigerian artists in the early 2010s, it does not qualify him as the creator or founder of the genre.
This clarification comes after Akon stated in an interview that his involvement with Nigerian stars helped birth Afrobeats, which has since become a global music force.
However, ID Cabasa countered these claims, saying the genre was already thriving before Akon’s arrival.
He pointed out that stars like 2Face, 9ice, and Timaya had already built massive followings and were enjoying success long before Akon collaborated with popular names like Wizkid and P-Square.
In his words, “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 business and branding sides of Afrobeats.”
Moreover, Cabasa also dismissed Akon’s claim that he discovered and mentored Wizkid, who he described as a local act at the time.
According to Cabasa, the real credit for Wizkid’s rise goes to singer Banky W, who signed the young artist to Empire Mates Entertainment (EME) and introduced him to the mainstream music scene.
He explained further that EME later collaborated with Akon’s label on distribution, but that didn’t make Akon the person who launched Wizkid’s career.
“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.
Because Afrobeats no be wettin wey one person create, na culture.”
Therefore, the comment from Cabasa is not only a defense of history but a reminder that Afrobeats is a movement built by many voices over time.
Meanwhile, music lovers and stakeholders are urging for factual accuracy when crediting cultural contributions to avoid
