Popular American music producer and DJ, Kasseem Daoud Dean, known professionally as Swizz Beatz has disclosed the role he and his wife, Alicia Keys played in introducing Afrobeats superstars, WizKid and Burna Boy to American audiences.
Swizz Beatz made this known during an interview on Amazon music’s Roundtable podcast. The music producer said that he was the first to play WizKid’s songs when the genre ‘Afrobeats’ was not yet popular in America.
He further added that he gave Burna Boy a chance to perform in front of an audience in the US before the singer became popular worldwide.
Swizz 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,” he stated.
Watch the video below:
“Alicia Keys and I were the first people that introduced Wizkid to American audiences and I was also the first person to bring Burna Boy to the States.”
– Swizz Beats on Afrobeats pic.twitter.com/yjRMR155QX
— BASITO (@itzbasito) April 30, 2023
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