Senegalese-American singer and music executive Akon has revealed that he chose to sign Nigerian Afrobeats star Wizkid in 2008 instead of Canadian rapper Drake, citing the latter’s financial demands at the time.
Akon made the revelation during a recent interview with The Shade Room, where he reflected on his early involvement in the careers of both artistes.
According to him, Drake was still an up-and-coming artiste when they held discussions, but his request for a $1 million signing fee made the deal unfeasible.
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He said the rapper had yet to develop the musical style that would later propel him to global stardom.
“Drake was still an emerging artist and was requesting a whopping $1 million to sign for me,” Akon said.
The music executive explained that he instead focused on signing Wizkid through Banky W’s Empire Mates Entertainment (EME) after recognising the Nigerian singer’s potential.
Akon credited singer and record label executive Banky W with discovering and grooming Wizkid before introducing him to him during a visit to Nigeria.
“Banky W discovered Wizkid. That’s how that collaboration went. I went to Nigeria, and Banky brought me Wiz, and I’m like, ‘Bro! This kid is a star,’” he said.
Akon added that the partnership helped expose Wizkid to the American music market at a time when resources were limited.
“They had limited resources, so when I signed Wiz, that was what broke him into the United States,” he stated.
Wizkid has since become one of Africa’s biggest music exports, earning multiple international awards and collaborations with global stars, while Drake has also gone on to establish himself as one of the world’s most commercially successful recording artistes.
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