Nigerian singer, D’banj, has revealed how American rapper and music executive Kanye West played a pivotal role in bringing Afrobeats to the Western world. During a recent episode of the ‘Listen’ podcast, D’banj stated that Kanye West was the first international artist to embrace Afrobeats. D’banj shared that West’s interest in African music led to him and Don Jazzy being signed to West’s record label, Good Music.
D’banj recounted his first meeting with Kanye West in Dubai, where West expressed his curiosity about Afrobeats, sparked by inquiries he made with university students. This interest, according to D’banj, was the foundation for their signing to Good Music and a catalyst for the global spread of Afrobeats.
West even made a cameo in the video for D’banj’s 2012 international hit ‘Oliver Twist.’