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Ghanaian rap heavyweight Sarkodie has publicly recognised the contribution of Senegalese-American artist Akon to the international rise of Afrobeats, crediting him as a pivotal figure in the genre’s global breakthrough.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Sarkodie commended Akon for leveraging his influence during the height of his career to uplift African musicians.
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Big shouts to the legend @Akon for what you did for Afrobeats! We can’t skip that in history… Few artists at their prime will look back and put their people on from the motherland! He did that in a big way. Of course, it’s been bigger and better since, but we can’t ignore his contribution to the global dominance of Afrobeats
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The statement has since triggered a wave of mixed reactions online. While some followers agreed with the rapper’s assessment, others contended that Akon’s influence has been exaggerated. Critics argue that, although he played a part, his efforts were overshadowed by the sustained contributions of African artists who steadily pushed Afrobeats to global prominence.
This online discourse follows comments made by Akon in a recent interview with American talk show host and actress Sherri Shepherd, where he reflected on his early involvement in the genre’s evolution.
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…I was in Africa and time just flew past. 2008 was my last official album, which was the ‘Freedom’ album. And then I was producing the music for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. From there, I went to Nigeria. What we created in Nigeria was what you see and hear now as Afrobeats.
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He further highlighted his work with several Nigerian stars during the genre’s formative years.
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Wizkid was the first Nigerian artiste that we signed back in 2008. We went to work with him and Banky W in Nigeria. From there, we just started developing artists like PSquare, D’banj and others
Afrobeats, a genre born out of West Africa’s rich musical traditions, has since become one of the continent’s most powerful cultural exports. By 2023, it had achieved remarkable global reach, with leading acts such as Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Davido performing on world stages and dominating international music charts.