Akon Opens Up on Signing Wizkid, Shares Why He Missed Out on Drake
- Akon credited Banky W for discovering Wizkid, saying the EME boss introduced the young singer to him during a visit to Nigeria
- The music mogul revealed his involvement helped Wizkid break into the US market at a time when Afrobeats had not yet gone global
- Akon also disclosed he missed out on signing Drake around 2008 because the rapper demanded $1 million, which he said he could not afford
Music mogul Akon has set the record straight about his role in Wizkid's rise to fame, making clear that the discovery of the Nigerian superstar belongs entirely to Banky W.
Speaking during a recent interview with The Shade Room, the Senegalese-American singer explained that Banky W had already nurtured Wizkid before the two crossed paths.
Source: Instagram
Akon stated that when he visited Nigeria, Banky W introduced him to the young artist, and he immediately recognised his potential.
"Banky W discovered Wizkid. That's how that collaboration happened. I went to Nigeria, and Banky brought me Wiz, and I'm like: 'Bro! This kid is a star.' They had limited resources, so when I signed Wiz, that was what broke him into the United States," Akon said.
Akon's signing gave Wizkid access to the American market at a time when Afrobeats had not yet earned the global following it enjoys today.
Wizkid, born Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, had been signed to Banky W's Empire Mates Entertainment (EME) in 2009, where he released his debut album "Superstar" and the breakout single "Holla at Your Boy."
He later founded his own imprint, Starboy Entertainment, in 2013, going on to collaborate with Beyoncé, Drake, Chris Brown, Tems, Skepta and Justin Bieber.
Source: Instagram
The Drake deal that never happened
Akon also opened up about his near-signing of Canadian rap icon Drake around 2008. According to him, the stumbling block was purely financial.
"Drake was the only one I had a shoutout at, and I wanted it to become official. It wasn't that I didn't see the vision that he was going to be big; he just wasn't big then and was requesting a whopping $1 million to sign for me," Akon said.
He added that Drake's sound at the time did not yet hint at the superstar he would become.
"He was the Drake that sounded like Eminem. The records of him that they played were sounding like that of Eminem, but then later when he did 'Best I Ever Had', that was when I got really into him. By that time it was too late. He was too expensive. I don't have a million dollars," he said.
Watch Akon's full interview on Wizkid, Banky W and the Drake deal he almost closed below:
Fans react to Akon's revelation about Wizkid and Drake
Legit.ng compiled the reactions of netizens below:
@Brightdave239 wrote:
"That's why they say timing and decisions can change everything. One 'no' created another superstar."
@aminuhawua36934 commented:
"Imagine the alternate timeline where Wizkid was signed by Akon instead. Nigerian music might have looked very different."
@_muhammadx said:
"Imagine missing Drake and discovering a global superstar instead 🤨"
@zoey.omg reacted:
"Guess you just turned a 'hot' million into a 'hot' hit, nice trade-up. 🧤"
@JerielDanke shared:
"Hindsight makes every missed opportunity look obvious. Back then, nobody knew how big either artist would become."
@TrendscopeMedia wrote:
"Sha it was also something but do this music of a thing give money to the extend of giving you $1 million omorrrr Una deh see money for this life oo just the pretend"
Akon defends polygamy, sparks social backlash
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Senegalese-American singer Akon faced heavy criticism after defending polygamy in a recent interview, claiming men are not naturally built for strict monogamy.
He rejected the idea of women having multiple partners, arguing that gender equality is largely an American concept and not reflective of biological reality.
Despite acknowledging women’s intelligence and higher pain threshold, Akon maintained that men’s natural urge to reproduce makes polygamy a more realistic lifestyle.
Source: Legit.ng
