Banky W Discovered Wizkid, I Helped Break Him Into America” Akon Sets the Record Straight

Senegalese-American music star Akon has clarified his role in Wizkid’s early career, giving full credit to Banky W for discovering the Nigerian singer and revealing how he helped launch Wizkid into the U.S. market.

Speaking in a recent interview with _The Shade Room_, Akon dismissed claims that he was the one who discovered Wizkid. Instead, he said the introduction came through Banky W during a trip to Nigeria.

“Banky W discovered Wizkid. That’s how that collaboration went,” Akon said. “I went to Nigeria, and Banky brought me Wiz, and I’m like: ‘Bro! This kid is a star.’ They had limited resources, so when I signed Wiz, that was what broke him into the United States.”

According to Akon, his partnership with Wizkid came at a crucial time when Afrobeats had little global recognition, and his support helped introduce the singer to American audiences.

Wizkid, born Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, was discovered by Banky W in 2009 and signed to Empire Mates Entertainment, EME. He rose to prominence with his breakout single _“Holla at Your Boy”_ from his debut album _Superstar_.

In 2013, he left EME to start his own label, Starboy Entertainment. Since then, he has become one of Africa’s biggest music exports, with global collaborations including Drake, Beyoncé, Chris Brown, Tems, Skepta and Justin Bieber

During the same interview, Akon also spoke about a deal he almost made with Canadian rapper Drake around 2008.

“Drake was the only one I had a shoutout at, and I wanted it to become official,” he said. “It wasn’t that I didn’t see the vision that he was going to be big; he just wasn’t big then and was requesting a whopping $1 million to sign for me.”

Akon said Drake’s sound at the time reminded him of Eminem, and he didn’t fully connect with it until Drake released _“Best I Ever Had.”_

“By that time it was too late. He was too expensive. I don’t have a million dollars,” Akon added.

The interview has reignited conversations about the early days of Afrobeats’ global push and the behind-the-scenes figures who helped bring Nigerian artists to international platforms. Akon’s comments highlight Banky W’s pivotal role in spotting Wizkid’s talent, and his own role in giving the singer wider exposure beyond Africa.