Ghanaian rap giant Sarkodie has acknowledged the role of Senegalese-American musician Akon in the worldwide ascension of Afrobeats, attributing to him a significant influence in the genre’s global emergence.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sarkodie praised Akon for using his influence at the peak of his career to support African artists.
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
The remark has since sparked a flurry of varied responses on the internet. Although certain fans concurred with the rapper’s viewpoint, others argued that Akon’s impact has been overstated.
Critics contend that, while he had a role, his work was eclipsed by the ongoing efforts of African artists who consistently elevated Afrobeats to worldwide recognition.
This online discussion stems from remarks made by Akon during a recent interview with American talk show host and actress Sherri Shepherd, where he discussed his initial participation in the genre’s development.
Akon said;
…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.
NKONKONSA.com
