Swizz Beats also claimed he in conjunction with his wife, Alicia Keys made the Afrobeats sound famous in the United States
By Kehinde Okeowo
American record producer, rapper, disc jockey and songwriter, Kasseem Daoud Dean better known as Swizz Beatz, has claimed he and his wife, Alicia Augello Cook aka Alicia Keys, played a prominent role in making Afrobeats popular in the United States.
According to the renowned DJ, they introduced American audiences to Afrobeats by sharing a video of themselves dancing to Wizkid’s songs when the genre was not yet known to US music lovers.
Swizz Beats made the claim, during the latest episode of Amazon Music’s Roundtable audiovisual podcast.
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During the chat, he also said he gave another ace Nigerian singer, Burna Boy a platform to perform to the audience in the US before he became known nationwide.
He said, “I introduced Wizkid to America. I was the first person to play his song. Me and my wife [Alicia Keys] were on a trip and we danced to his songs.
“I was [also] the first person to bring Burna Boy to the States. I introduced him on the stage. When I was playing Fela Kuti, people thought I was being too African. And that how ignorant the energy was at that time.
“But I didn’t let that stop me from moving what I’m moving because it’s what it’s. It’s about education. We [Americans] can’t be scared of the educational journey of something that sounds different or feels different.”