The Grammy-winning artist Ayodeji Balogun, better known by his stage name Wizkid, and popular Nigerian music producer Samklef claim to have created Afrobeats for the country’s music industry.
This was revealed by Samklef on Monday via his X Twitter, who also said that up until he and Wizkid gave the music scene the label Afrobeats in 2010 neither the genre nor the name for modern Nigerian music had been established.
The singer of “Molowo Noni” claimed that Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, a legendary musician from Nigeria, created Afrobeats, but Wizkid’s rise to fame as a producer in the past ten years, to which he contributed as a music producer, celebrated a new era for the modern Nigerian music industry. Both should be given credit for the “magic” and name of Afrobeats, according to the singer.
According to his tweet;
“Meet the Nigerian two kids that created the afrobeats sound of today. As of 2009, Nigerian music had no title! Until these two created magic! 2010! Even the award categories in Nigeria were Best Hip Hop, Best R and B, Best Alternative Music and Best Reggae! There was nothing like Best Afrobeats! It was Wizkidayo who named it afrobeats! Know this and know peace! Fela created Afrobeat!”
When Wizkid rose to popularity in 2010, Samklef was one of his producers, and the music creative legend contributed to the development of hit songs on Starboy’s debut album, ‘Superstar,’ which was released in June 2011.
Wizkid shot to fame in 2009 after signing a record deal with Banky W’s Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E).
The Grammy-winning singer is widely regarded as one of Africa’s top music performers, and he has delivered a slew of other successful songs since his breakout single, “Holla at Your Boy” — the lead single off his debut studio album, ‘singer’ — was released in 2011.