Ghanaian rapper, Sarkodie has acknowledged Senegalese-American music executive Akon for his contribution to the globalization of Afrobeats.
In a post on X, May 29, 2025 Sarkodie praised Akon for being one of the rare African-American artistes who, in their prime, looked back to promote and invest in African talent.
Sarkodie believes that Akon’s impact on Afrobeats is indisputable and merits recognition as an essential contributor of the success of the genre.
He added that it’s uncommon for internationally renowned musicians in the height of their careers to turn back and encourage and support new African musicians.
“Big shouts to the legend, Akon, for what you did for Afrobeats!!! We can’t skip that in history… few artists in 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,” Sarkodie wrote.
This recognition from Sarkodie comes weeks after Akon, during an interview with Sherri Shepherd, reflected on his involvement in the early development of Afrobeats.
The “Lonely” hitmaker recounted how, following the release of his album Freedom, he became involved with the African music scene, particularly in Nigeria.
“…I was in Africa, and time just flew past. 2008 was my last official album, which was the ‘Freedom’ album. And then I produced 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.
“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,” Akon shared.
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