Nigerian Afrobeat superstar, Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, has stirred controversy after claiming he had no blueprint while rising to fame.
The Ojuelegba crooner, who rose to prominence under the mentorship of ace singer Banky W, made the statement in a snippet from his upcoming HBO documentary Long Live Lagos.
“There was no blueprint for me. I had to build a structure for myself,” he claims.
However, his remarks quickly ignited debate on social media.
Many fans and industry watchers argued that his statement downplayed Banky W’s pivotal role in his rise and appeared dismissive of veteran musicians who laid the groundwork for Nigeria’s contemporary music scene.
Wizkid did acknowledge elsewhere in the documentary that legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti inspired him to pursue music, showing that his influences were not entirely self-made.
One commentator wrote, “I still vividly remember the day Banky W announced on a show that he wants to introduce a boy wonder, a germ in the making. Today, this ungrateful child is claiming otherwise.”
Another stated, “Wizkid wouldn’t be where he is today without Banky W giving him that first platform. Respect must be shown where it’s due.”
