Nigerian-American singer and actor Rotimi declared himself the first artist who brought Afrobeats to the American musical scene.
Rotimi claims that he started the Afrobeats trend in the United States, coming before the international partnerships that made the genre famous all over the world.
In a recent 85 South Show Podcast episode, Rotimi talked about how he tried to get radio stations to play his song “Love Riddim” in 2018 but was turned down because of its Afrobeats influences.
He said:
“I remember bringing ‘Love Riddim’ to the radio stations in 2018 and the program director was like ‘This is not good’. They didn’t even understand it and this was before Wiz (Wizkid) got the record with Drake.”
“I can comfortably say I brought Afrobeats to America” Rotimi confidently asserted.
However, many have pointed out that Afrobeats tracks like Davido’s “Fall” and “If” (2017), Drake and Wizkid’s “One Dance” (2016), and Ayo Jay’s “Your Number” (2015) attained popularity in the US before Rotimi’s “Love Riddim” in 2018.
Rotimi’s assertions have caused a contentious debate on social media. Some commentators contend that Rotimi’s assertion ignores the efforts of other musicians who helped to establish Afrobeats in America.
