Last night, just before I decided to take a shuteye, I began to see tweets on my timeline. The tweets were meant to belittle what Wizkid did with Drake and Kayla on “One Dance”, the marquee track off Drakes latest studio album “Views”.

The writer in me began to itch to address this obvious ignorance, so I started to gather my points. Then the human in me struck and asked me to do different. It convinced me to let it go, that the world is filled with believers and Thomases.

So the son of man succumbed to sleep and a conclusion that he has written enough, about the continuing rise to prominence of Wizkid, already.

Then this morning, this happened!

This was the last straw, and this camel had lost its back!

How on earth could anyone describe the good, hard work that Wizkid and others put into “One Dance” that way? He even called it “public optics”, as if the whole chart topping venture is mere photo-ops?

This “slander” deserves to be addressed, and addressed heavily.

So here goes 5 reasons why you should accept that Wizkid is unto something major in world music.

1.

We of the music community are very happy for the way things are turning out for Tiwa Savage. Chukwu aluka*, but the part of calling Wizkid “hype” takes the mickey. How could anyone refer to this young man who has conquered the music scene in his country, and has also annexed Africa, as HYPE.

This is how the great men in history operated. They conquered their land, then sailed abroad in search of other people’s land to conquer too. Wizkid has jumped on that boat and is sailing fine, hammering musical pegs into foreign fields in readiness for acquiring his own chunk of their musical vineyards.

Wizkid so far has been involved in high profile collaborations with non-African acts:

News on the wire has it that Wizkid has at least three other works in the offing with Drake. This is according to DJ Maphorisa, the South African who also co-produced on “Views”. Don’t also forget that Jidenna is itching to drop bangers with him. Remember Wale too, and how high, in esteem, he holds Wizkid.

The young man has put in a lot of hard work, paid his dues, benefited from some good luck,  and that is that about that.

2.

Seems this guy got Wizkid all mixed up with somebody else. Wizkid does not pose with American acts, he is working with them. And by work, I do not mean helping them carry speakers in the studio, I mean real work as peers. Like right now, Wizkid is not helping Chris Brown drag up his sagging pants on stage, or helping with rolling his inevitable weed. He is standing on the same stage with Chris Brown in front of packed venues, armed with a mic, blowing up a world tour.

Chris-Brown-WIZ

The One Hell of A Nite Tour

3.

Ah, this guy! Which song? Which album?

Ok, I will tell you. The song is “One Dance”, the album is “Views”. I say no more.

billboard100

Number 1 for 2nd week running as of week ending June 18.

4.

I tried for this guy. I really tried. “Drake did not allow him sing” ?.

Well, maybe he meant something else by this, because Wizkid sang his bit. There were two verses, the hook, the intro, a break and the bridge. Wizkid did the break and the bridge son.

Drake owns the song, and he is a smart guy. Smart guys don’t sit around and let other people take their shine. That is what happened.  Not that “Drake did not allow him sing”. Wizkid actually SANG the bridge.

Wizkid not only contributed vocals on “One Dance”, he has production credits. He co-produced, meaning he was one of the brains behind the “cooking” of the chart topping banger, not just one guy that was brought in to do “waka pass”. This is no jokes folks, no jokes.

Family ting.

A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on

 

5.

It is public optics if Wizkid’s association with Drake was done for the sole reason of making it look like Wizkid “knows” people. That part is old gist. This was work Drake INVITED him to come do. Same Drake that happened upon “Ojuelegba”, insisted on recording a remix of, and personally releasing it. Drake must have been so impressed with how his own voice sounded with Wizkid’s and decided to have a “replica” on “Views”….and 3 more “replicas” going forward, according to DJ Maphorisa. You’all know how emo Drake could get.  Hearing his own voice with Wizkid probably pulls him to tears.

So guys, accept it, Wizkid has earned this one and is probably, like I said, headed towards something way way bigger than we have seen yet.

I say no more. Go ahead, enjoy “One Dance”, it is one of the dopest tracks you will listen to this year.