Wizkid reveals Fela’s influence on his music
Nigerian Afro pop singer, Wizkid has said though Fela inspires him, he is not trying to live like him. No doubt Wizkid has made giant strides in his career collaborating with renowned superstars like Drake, Chris Brown, TY Dolla $ign, Justine Skye and more. In spite of this foreign influence on his music, the self-proclaimed star boy hasn’t lost his Afrobeat sound.
The Daddy Yo singer in an interview with Hunger Magazine said: ”The aim is not really to cross over. I just want to make good music for the world. It’s really not in my mind to cross over to America. I have my own fan base, which is Africa. And I just want to keep feeding that fan base and hope it grows”.
When probed on how he feels championing African music on the world stage, he said:” ‘I’m not really seeing myself as the one champion of the movement. I’m just contributing my own little part. Keep the movement moving, and take it there, you know?”
Wizkid has often been referred to as the new generation Fela and while he never fails to acknowledge the legendary musician as one of his biggest inspirations, the ‘Ojuelegba’ sensation asserts he’s not looking to be another Fela or live like him.
Hear him:”Every artiste has that one person that inspired them, or a group of artists that inspired them. Fela happens to be a very big inspiration to my music, Bob Marley as well. So I’m just here spreading good vibes. I’m not trying to live like Fela or do what he has done. I just appreciate everything he did when he was alive and I am here to create my own legacy.”
Following the release of his second studio album and expiration of his 5-year recording contract, Wizkid left E.M.E. On 1 March 2017, Billboard magazine reported that Wizkid signed a multi-album deal with RCA Records.[4] The deal was first reported by several media outlets in September 2016. The chairman and CEO of RCA Records, Peter Edge, somewhat confirmed the signing while speaking to Music Business Worldwide in January 2017.
He was ranked 5th on Forbes and Channel O’s 2013 list of the Top 10 Richest/Bankable African Artists. In February 2014, Wizkid became the first ever Nigerian musician to have over 1 million followers on Twitter.