American-born Nigerian actor and singer, Olurotimi Akinosho, aka, Rotimi has claimed he brought Afrobeats to America.
Speaking in a recent interview, the American-born Nigerian star recounted how he contributed to the popularity of Afrobeats on the international stage.
He asserted he helped Wizkid open his first show in America in 2012, claiming that it led to the eventual acceptance of Afrobeats.
According to Rotimi, it was Wizkid’s first time in America in 2012 and they met and he offered to help him with his 500-seater concert and they later got to talking in the hotel room.
Rotimi recalled telling Wizkid about his plans to be the biggest actor and artist in the world and Wizkid responded saying that he planned to take over the world.
His words:
“Back in 2012 when Wizkid first came to America, they had found out about me musically because one of my songs had crossed over back home and this was before Afrobeats, Instagram and all that, I don’t know how they found it but when they got here they asked me to open up for Wizkid, it was his first time in America and they were doing 500-seaters, this was in 2012, to the point where I got off the plane and Wiz was like hey bro let me help you with your bags’.
“It was really like we were on a mission and I’ll always love him for that because he knew what he was going to be. So we were doing 500-seaters, I performed in front of the crowd and the conversation we had then was like in 10 years, I want to be the best actor, best artist, best this and that and he was just like I’m taking over the world bro’, that was his answer.”
He asserted that it took him five years to discover himself before he realized that he could be the bridge between RnB and Afrobeats, stating that that marked the beginning of his hit songs.
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“I saw the wave in 2012, then after that I just started falling back into doing RnB. It took me five years to really find out who Rotimi was and remembering the conversation I had with Wizkid in 2012 and in 2017, that’s when it hit me like bro just be you, you are the definition of African American so be the bridge of RnB and Afrobeats all in one’ and that’s when the hit records started happening,”
he continued.
Rotimi proclaimed that he could proudly say that he brought Afrobeats to America.
He however acknowledged Drake’s role in making One Dance with Wizkid, stating that it was all about the sound and the right timing for it.
“I can comfortably say I brought Afrobeats to America, then One Dance with Drake and Wiz came out. I’m not saying it was because of me, no, but the timing, the sound… I can proudly say that I did that but it started with that conversation in the hotel room like bro let’s just be true to who we are. Like it’s okay to be African because growing up, the joke was like all of y’all are dirty,”
He added.
