Akon Recalls Meeting Wizkid as Teenage Wizard, Praises His Impact

Senegalese-American singer Akon has spoken about the impact of Grammy-winning artist Wizkid on the global success of Afrobeats, recalling meeting him as a teenager who was already showing exceptional talent. In a recent episode of the ‘We Need To Talk’ podcast, the 53-year-old ‘Ghetto’ hitmaker said his mission was never to compete with other African artistes but to create opportunities that would allow more talents from the continent to shine internationally. 

Akon said he was in a position where he was not looking to compete with his brothers and sisters, and he needed them to be where he was because he was tired of being there by himself. He added that he knew there were people in Africa who sang and ran circles around him, and his goal was to ensure that everyone understood that he was just one of almost two billion people who had talent that could be showcased to the rest of the world.

Akon shared his thoughts on Wizkid’s impact on Afrobeats’ global success, recalling that Wizkid was about 14 or 15 years old when they met, and he was a kid. He said that is why they called him Wizkid because he was literally a wizard at that age, noting that he was writing other artistes, including Banky W and was brilliant. 

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The ‘Lonely’ singer praised the 35-year-old ‘Ojuelegba’ hitmaker for his exceptional early talent. The singer also discussed his motivation for helping the rest of the world discover African talent, stating that his tone was just one that people heard, but there were more like him. He said his goal was to ensure that everyone understood that Africa has a wealth of talent that can be showcased globally.