Samklef claims he invented Afrobeats with Wizkid
Samuel Oguachuba, better known as Samklef, a popular Nigerian artist, claims to have co-invented Afrobeats alongside Grammy-winning musician Wizkid for the Nigerian music industry.
Facts check! Meet the Nigeria 2 kids that created the afrobeats sound of today. As at 2009 Nigeria music had no title! Until this 2 created magic! 2010! Even the awards category in Nigeria was best hip hop, best R and B best alternative music and best raggae! There was nothing… pic.twitter.com/vliX6xuscp
— Samklef 🐉 (@SAMKLEF) September 11, 2023
Samklef confirmed this on Monday via his X (Formerly known as Twitter) account, saying that Nigerian contemporary music lacked a genre and name until he and Wizkid coined the word “Afrobeats” in 2010.
Although Nigerian music pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti is credited with developing Afrobeats, Wizkid‘s ascent to popularity as a producer in the last ten years, which he helped bring about, inaugurated a new era for the country’s modern music business, according to the “Molowo Noni” crooner.
They both deserve credit for the magic and the name Afrobeats, according to Samklef.