Olumide Ogunade, the music producer better known as ID Cabasa, has responded to Akon’s recent assertion that he played a role in the creation of Afrobeats.
The Senegalese-American singer claimed that his collaborations with Wizkid, Banky W, D’banj, and P-Square in the late 2000s contributed to the evolution of the genre.
However, in an interview on Wazobia FM, Cabasa dismissed Akon’s claim, stating that Afrobeats is “a culture” that wasn’t created by a single individual.
He attributed such misconceptions to the “lack of proper documentation” by Nigerians, which has allowed others to attempt rewriting the genre’s history.
Cabasa argued that the artistes Akon referenced were already successful before collaborating with him. He stressed that Akon’s influence on their careers and Afrobeats as a whole was “overstated”.
He also said Akon’s collaborations with Nigerian artistes were more about “distribution and exposure” rather than shaping the genre itself.
“I don’t blame Akon for the claim he made because we caused it. We need to own our narratives by consistently documenting and sharing them as they unfold,” he said.
“The people Akon mentioned have been doing Afrobeats; even before them, they were people that have been doing it, but at the time, there was no name to it, but this particular sound has been.
“…I think his claim stemmed from people he has been with in Nigeria so he thought he was the one who brought Afrobeats.”
Cabasa also addressed Akon’s remarks about Wizkid, stating that the narrative was “inaccurate”.
“Even the singers he mentioned already had their things going on before they collaborated with Akon. The story he said about Wizkid as well didn’t happen like that; we all know it was Banky W that signed Wizkid, and they already started making music,” he said.
“So, because they collaborated with him on distribution does not mean he will underrate them or claim he started Afrobeats. Meanwhile, Afrobeats was not created by one person, it is a culture. It has its sound, merchandise, and language.”
Cabasa expressed disappointment over Akon’s statement, especially “since it was coming from a fellow African”.
“I was pained by his claim because he is a fellow African man, so he shouldn’t have spoken like that,” he added.
“I understand he is trying to give narrative to it, but he should not take off the fact that he met Afrobeats already formed.
“I, myself, can’t claim that I started Afrobeats because when I started, there were people I met there who were already involved in it, and I looked up to.”
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