Came across an old video of Wizkid rapping on Twitter and despite what people think, it was impressive. This made me wonder, what if Wizkid had become a rapper instead of a singer?
https://mp3bullet.ng/why-wizkid-deserves-to-be-celebrated/
Wizkid started out as a young singer who had the grace of being signed by then reigning R’n’B star, Banky W, and debuted with “Holla at your Boy” which turned out to be a hit song that got even teenage hearts racing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw6IUBu5DBw
Wizkid could be referred to as Nigeria’s Justin Bieber, every teenager’s crush and successful at a young age. The two artists share almost the same similarities in their career, they have both matured over the years which has transitioned into their sound.
The young singer mostly did R’n’B, Afrobeat, or a mixture of both. Then people really didn’t see him rapping and probably that’s for a good reason.
Wizkid was branded as a young Afropop singer by his then management and this could be a result of the fact that Afrobeat, Afropop, Afro anything was the main interest of the day and is still now.
However, it doesn’t take away the fact rap was also thriving but only talented rappers were heard. This writer is quite sure that Wizkid won’t have made it back then as a rapper.
Rap was mostly seen as a genre to be done by matured minds and making it in the industry as a rapper required more than it would have for an Afrobeat artist, I guess EME wasn’t ready to take that chance.
However, given the level of growth Wizkid has gone through, I wonder if he decides to switch to rap if he would make it. The answer is Yes and for many good reasons.
Fanbase
Wizkid commands one of the strongest fanbases in the Nigerian Music Industry called the Wizkid FC. His Fanbase is quite loyal, no matter what is being said about their Fave would change their mind about him. A lot of Entertainment journalists can testify to that.
If he should ever switch into rap, his fanbase would accept his decision. All he need do is just to drop the song and they would stream.
Versatility
Wizkid is loved by fans for his versatility. As his sound matures, his range expands. For every song, Wizkid releases, we are opportune to see a different side of him.
Rap isn’t new to Wizkid, several old clips of him rapping support this fact. Imagine him releasing a full-on rap track, another genre conquered by the prince of Afrobeat.
Wizkid currently is one of the most collaborated artists in Nigeria in terms of International features. He has done songs with Artists of different nationalities and languages. Davido and Burna Boy are the only artists in that same league.
His ability to flow on different songs despite it genre is amazing, be it dancehall, reggae, Pop, he blends in his unique sound.
An example of this is his feature on Emtee’s 2015 song “Roll Up” where he showcased his Hip Hop skills.
Freestyling
Wizkid has proven to be good at freestyling. While being good at freestyle isn’t a sign of a good rapper, it’s an unofficial criteria.
Wizkid in various clips has shown himself to be good at freestyles. His most iconic freestyles are the ones he performed at Tim Westwood TV. He has been a guest severally on the show and never fails to disappoint at dropping fire freestyles.
Another of his iconic freestyle is one he did from his car when some fans ran into him in Lagos. Several clips will show Wizkid doing what he knows best, music.
Furthermore, his mastery of lyrics in his songs which is unique in its own way gives him an edge. In his 2017 hit song, “Come Closer” which features Popular rapper, Drake, the singer brings a different dimension to Afrobeat.
https://mp3bullet.ng/5-artists-who-have-collaborated-with-veteran-musicians/