South African rapper Nasty C has credited Wizkid for changing the global trajectory of African music, saying the Nigerian star’s collaboration with Drake put Afrobeats on the world map.
Speaking on a recent podcast, the Zulu Man With Some Power rapper said Wizkid’s 2016 hit One Dance with Canadian superstar Drake was the turning point for modern African artists. He noted that the song gave African music a major boost and made Afrobeats more commercially attractive worldwide.
“Wizkid and Drake’s collaboration on ‘One Dance’ opened the door for African artists. After that collaboration, African music received a significant boost,” Nasty C said.
He added that during interviews in Nigeria and Ghana, hosts told him some rappers had switched from hip-hop to Afrobeats because of how lucrative the genre had become following the success of the track.
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One Dance, which also featured British singer Kyla, holds the Guinness World Record as the first song to hit one billion streams on Spotify. The track blends Afrobeats, dancehall, and pop, and is widely regarded as one of the records that introduced Afrobeats to a global audience.
Drake has previously acknowledged Wizkid’s role in shaping the song, crediting him as a co-songwriter, co-producer, and performer.
Wizkid’s influence continues to grow, with the star recently becoming the first African artist to surpass 11 billion streams on Spotify.
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