Nigerian-American singer and actor Rotimi Akinisho has declared himself the first artist to introduce Afrobeats to the American music scene.

The father of two claims to have pioneered the Afrobeats movement in the US, predating the international collaborations that helped popularize the genre globally.

In the recent episode of the 85 South Show Podcast, Rotimi recounted his experience taking his single ‘Love Riddim’ to radio stations in 2018, only to be met with rejection due to its Afrobeats influences.

“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,” he said. “I can comfortably say I brought Afrobeats to America”.

However, Rotimi’s assertions have ignited a heated debate on social media, with many highlighting that Afrobeats songs such as Ayo Jay’s ‘Your Number’ (2015), Drake and Wizkid’s ‘One Dance’ (2016), and Davido’s ‘Fall’ and ‘If’ (2017) attained success in the US before Rotimi’s ‘Love Riddim’ in 2018. These observers argue that Rotimi’s statement overlooks the contributions of other artists who laid the groundwork for Afrobeats in America.

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