Wizkid a pacesetter for Afrobeats at the global stage, South African rapper Nasty C makes claim

By Felicia Odom 25.5.2026
South African rapper Nsikayesizwe David Junior Ngcobo better known as Nasty C has claimed that Ayodele Balogun a.k.a Wizkid set the pace for the recognition of Afrobeats at the global stage.
According to Nasty C who was speaking during an interview noted that by collaborating in 2016 with world famous Canadian rapper Drake, on ‘One Dance’ opened the door for other Afrobeats artists.
“Wizkid and Drake collaboration on ‘One Dance’ opened the door for African artists. After the collaboration, African music received a significant boost.
“During some of my interviews in Nigeria and Ghana, the hosts told me that some rappers were even switching to Afrobeats because of how lucrative it has become after Wizkid’s collaboration with Drake,” he said.
Drake’s ‘One Dance’, which featured Wizkid and British singer Kyla holds the Guinness World Record for the first song to hit billion streams mark on Spotify.
The song, which incorporates both Afrobeats, dancehall and pop, is regarded as one of the songs that brought global attention to Afrobeats.
Drake admitted during an interview that Wizkid contributed significantly to the song.
Wizkid is credited both as co-songwriter, co-producer and performer.