Read singer's full interview with Beats 1, where he discusses Drake, his new mixtape and everything else.
Wizkid has revealed that he has met Drake. The singer who was hosted on Apple Music’s Beats1 show told host Ebro Darden that he had connected with the Canadian superstar and it was all ‘good vibes.”
Wizkid had recently unfollowed Drizzy on Instagram. The pair have collaborated on three successful singles, although neither of them had appeared in each other’s videos. But Wizkid whose new mixtape – “Sounds From The Other Side” – which contains one of the joint tracks ‘Come closer’, says they have a healthy relationship.
The singer also discusses his new project, the collaborations on his radar, and future plans. The entire conversation has been condensed and edited below:
On Meeting Drake:
Through Skepta, to be honest. He played my music to Drake, and he was like ‘yeah’. Skepta has been my brother even way before. Hearing that was pretty sick and amazing.
I met him (Drake), it was in the club at a private party, and it was good vibes. He is cool people too, great vibes. Big shout out to Drake and the whole OVO crew.
TY Dolla Sign Relationship:
We met in London, and since then, it’s just been straight vibes. He’s a very talented guy, very hardworking. He spends hours in the studio, I spend hours in the studio, so it’s only right for us to connect when we get in. Sometimes we bang out like 4-5 records in a day. We do it like that. We have a bunch of records.
On inviting stars to Africa:
Skepta was back home recently. Anytime he is home, we are together. Nigeria is my home. If you are coming to Nigeria, you need to come and link up with the Don out there. So it’s always a vibe. Like this year, TY Dolla Sign is definitely going back with me.
December is the best time to go to Nigeria. I party like every week, December 1 to 31 we are in the club. I go to everywhere, I go to the craziest places that you would never think of finding Wizkid. I go to the (New Afrika) Shrine to drink with the boys. We go there, just drink ‘Skuchies’. Skuchies is a very local drink.
Starboy Entertainment:
Starboy is a family. We don’t hold anyone back. We build together and allow you fly. Spread your wings and be your boss. And we just remain family, try to work together, try to progress.
Wizkid’s Origin:
When I was like 10, when I was really getting into music. It was crazy, I was just listening to a whole lot of rap music, because my dad used to play a lot of local stuff like King Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey, the Fela.
But my cousin introduced me to Snoop, Master, and I just used to listen to rap. My dad was a very musical guy. Always playing music around. He didn’t perform music, I’m the only artist in our house. He just plays a whole lot of stuff in the house. That really just caught my interest in music, and I just started buying CDs.
I started going to studios, started going to shows to watch people perform. Just pretty much going to every producer just to get a beat, just to get a little shine. I was rapping and singing at first. I was called Lil Prince. I put out some stuff, but thank God we didn’t have no internet. I’m thankful to God for the growth from where I came from.
Life In Ojuelegba:
Ojuelegba is like ghetto New York. If you are a hustler, you’re from Lagos, you definitely have to know where Ojuelegba is. There’s a big market out there, where you can buy everything – Clothes, food. It’s just in the middle of the hood. Everyone relates to that place.
No one can put into words, and paint a mental picture of how Lagos is. You have to go out and experience it yourself. Wale cannot explain it to you. He is my brother, I love Wale, but nobody can explain it to you. You have to experience it yourself, you just have to come.
Sounds From The Other Side:
That’s just like a little EP to be honest, that’s not an album. When I decided to make this record, like this “Sounds From The Other Side”, I wanted to put it out for free. Then a friend of mine came in the room one day when I was recording and heard the music. He was like ‘Yo, nobody putting this out for free.’ Hell no. He liked that, and he was like ‘I’m outing my money on that. We got that and invested in it, and it is what it is today.
For the rest of my life, I would always incorporate that sound. I’m not the type of artist that would be boxed into making one sound. I’m making music with everybody, all types of sounds.
‘Daddy yo’ was reggaeton. When we made the song, I was gonna put Daddy Yankee on that. I don’t what happened, but the crazy thing is they sent me a new record that they wanted me on. I really wanted him on that one. I don’t even know why we didn’t make that happen.
On ‘Naughty ride’ featuring Major Lazer, I went to link him (Diplo) in his house in LA. He just played me a bunch of beats. I remember I took like 6-7 beats from him that day. I was like ‘I’ll be right back’. And then I went back and made ‘Naughty ride’. That was a special one because I had someone close to my heart when I made that. So that’s the vibe.
‘Gbese’ means when you are in debt. It means we were singing about a girl, when we are in love with a new girl, I can really go in debt, losing all of my money. Trey Songz came to do a show in Lagos, and I took him out that night. We had a crazy night, bought like a 100 bottles of champagne, it was ridiculous that night.
We went back to the hotel that night, we had a bunch of females, and a bunch of guys. And we just made that record drunk.
I’m really excited that “Sounds From The Other Side” is really out. It’s a collection project for everyone who is just getting to know Wizkid and being introduced to that sound. This is like a little project that captures that vibe of what Wizkid is about. I have two albums ready to go already.
On African Artists:
You should pay attention to everybody coming out of Africa. I love Burna Boy, Mr Eazi, R2bees, Wande Coal. Wande Coal is crazy, he has an amazing voice. I like 2face, and you need to pay attention to everyone popping out of there. You know every kid from Africa deserves a chance, we have a whole lot of talent.
Music and Young People:
The music is really not changing people. It’s really connecting people more. Artists from Ghana are doing shows all over the continent, going all over Africa to do shows. That means the music is connecting and reaching out them. It’s a blessing, it is just connecting us more.
Future Plans:
I just might (drop another project this year). I was in the studio with a whole lot of people. I was in the studio with Future, we made like 3-4 bangers together. I have a whole lot of records with a whole lot of people I can’t even say.
I probably would love to get into the studio with Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, Damian Marley. That’s a big dream collaboration for me. Everybody is a dream collaboration for Wizkid. Everyone I get into the studio with, I have probably thought of making music for the person. Me making music with Vybz Kartel was crazy. I was a big fan of Vybz. When they reached out to me and said ‘Vybz wants you on this record,’ I was like ‘Wow’.
I am just here making more music, I am doing my collaborations with different artists. What is happening right now is almost like what happened to Dancehall when Sean Paul came through. Right now, for African music it is happening at a very great time. Because there’s the internet. People are able to see the shows, people are able to see how the music affects people out there.
Fela Kuti and Bob Marley are big inspirations to my music. Those were artists that didn’t let the sound dictate what they put out. Or what is on radio, or what everyone else was doing. They were just on their own vibes, making their own music, doing collaborations with different artists and different sounds. They kept an open mind and spread love.
That’s how I pretty much see myself, my project and how I want my music to affect people. Even when I am not here anymore.
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