South African rapper Nasty C has credited Nigerian music star Wizkid for helping African artists gain wider global recognition through Afrobeats.

Speaking during a podcast interview, the rapper said Wizkid’s 2016 collaboration with Canadian superstar Drake on the hit song “One Dance” played a major role in opening international opportunities for African musicians.

Nasty C stated that the success of the collaboration significantly boosted the popularity and commercial value of Afrobeats across different markets. According to him, the genre became so profitable that some hip-hop artists in Africa began transitioning into Afrobeats.

“Wizkid and Drake collaboration on ‘One Dance’ opened the door for African artists,” Nasty C said during the interview.

He added that during interviews in countries like Nigeria and Ghana, media personalities informed him that several rappers were embracing Afrobeats because of its growing international success following Wizkid’s collaboration with Drake.

Released in 2016, “One Dance” featured Wizkid and British singer Kyla. The track later became the first song to surpass one billion streams on Spotify, earning a Guinness World Record.

The song blended Afrobeats, dancehall, and pop influences and is widely regarded as one of the tracks that helped push Afrobeats into mainstream global music conversations.

Drake also acknowledged Wizkid’s contribution to the song, with the Nigerian singer credited as a co-writer, producer, and featured vocalist on the record.

Source: The Sun Nigeria