IS WIZKID’S INTERNATIONAL RECORD DEAL A PERIL TO HIS SOUND AND CAREER?

While the industry is still wondering why Drake was absent in Wizkid’s ‘Closer’ video, I decided to take a step back to look into another Wizkid issue. For several nights I have fought and battled with my inner self not to ask this question but reality won’t let me. Can something so good and instrumental to the growth of an artiste lead to endangerment? Is it logical to say an artiste’s international record deal can become a danger to the artiste’s sound, audience and his career in the nearest future? As crazy as it might sound, the answer is yes and history has evidence to prove that.

Alongside an international award like the Grammy’s, an international record deal is like the ultimate price for every creative, unique and hard working artiste. However, as glorious as this deal might be (marketing, distribution or recording deals), if not properly stated and executed, it might become an avenue where artistes lose the originality in their sound, lose their audience, and their career might begin to take a noise dive.

Outside ‘Daddy Yo’, on the international stage, apart from the buzz that came in with being featured on Drake’s ‘One Dance’, has anyone noticed the fact that Wizkid’s sound and brand seem to have changed? In trying to dance to the tune or appeal to his new market, is Wizkid’s international deal trying to mold him to be the next Sean Paul or the next thing from the Caribbean Island? Experienced OAPs like Olisa Adibua have jokingly been asking this question for months
but it seems most don’t care for now. Looking back at history, the
handwriting on the wall is not looking good and his feature on Zara Larsson’s ‘Sundown’ buttresses my assertion.
Is someone trying to mold Wizkid sound to become the next reggae star?

In the 1970s to 1980s, King Sunny Ade embarked on a tour of America and Europe. His success was so significant, New York Times described him as ‘one of the world’s greatest band leaders’. His recording deal
with Island record was the height of everything good. While with them, they tried to restructure his sound and brand to balance the budget for their new market. Sunny Adé was quoted saying that his refusal to allow Island to meddle with his compositions and over-Europeanise and Americanise his
music were the reasons why Island then decided to look elsewhere (they let him go). The question now is how long will the new international ‘Caribbeanised’ Wizkid-sound appeal to his largest market that was once engrossed with the original sound of Wizkid.

Words by Sesan Adeniji