“How Wizkid and I invented Afrobeats” — Samklef

Samuel Oguachuba, a popular Nigerian music producer and singer, professionally known as Samklef, has claimed that he and Grammy award-winning star, Ayodeji Balogun aka Wizkid invented Afrobeats for the Nigerian music industry.

Samklef disclosed this on Monday via his X handle, stating that Nigerian contemporary music had no genre and definite title until he alongside Wizkid named the music industry Afrobeats in 2010.

The ‘Molowo Noni’ crooner said Nigerian music legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti created Afrobeats but Wizkid’s rise to fame as a producer in the last decade, which he contributed to as a music producer, signaled a new dawn for contemporary Nigerian music industry and they both deserve the credit for the ‘magic’ and name Afrobeats.

Sharing a throwback video of himself and Wizkid on his X page on Monday, Samklef wrote:

“Meet the Nigerian two kids that created the afrobeats sound of today. As of 2009, Nigerian music had no title! Until these two created magic! 2010! Even the award categories in Nigeria were Best Hip Hop, Best R and B, Best Alternative Music and Best Reggae! There was nothing like Best Afrobeats! It was Wizkidayo who named it afrobeats! Know this and know peace! Fela created Afrobeat!”

Samklef was one of Wizkid’s producers when he rose to fame in 2010 and the music creative icon contributed to the production of hit songs in Starboy’s debut album ‘Superstar,’ which was released in June 2011.

Wizkid rose to the limelight in 2009 when he signed a record deal with Banky W’s Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E).

The Grammy award-winning superstar is widely acclaimed as one of the biggest music stars in Africa and has released a plethora of other hit songs since his breakout single, “Holla at Your Boy” —the lead single from his debut studio album, ‘Superstar’ was released in 2011.