"I had a chance to sign Drake, but I passed" — Akon reveals why he missed out on the global superstar

• Akon says he had the chance to sign Drake through Kardinal Offishall but passed because the rapper's early sound reminded him of Eminem.

• The singer admits he realised Drake's potential after the release of Best I Ever Had, but by then the future superstar had become too expensive to sign.

• Akon also clears the air on Wizkid's rise, crediting Banky W with discovering the Afrobeats star before helping expand his career into the US market.

Before Drake became one of the biggest names in music, Akon says he had the chance to sign him but decided against it.

The award-winning singer and music executive recently opened up about the missed opportunity during an interview, explaining that the version of Drake he first heard was nothing like the artist who would later dominate charts around the world.

According to Akon, fellow Canadian artist Kardinal Offishall was the one who first introduced Drake's music to him.

"I had a shot at Drake through Kardinal Offishall," Akon said.

However, he admitted he wasn't convinced by what he heard at the time.

"It wasn't that I didn't see the vision. Drake wasn't that Drake then," he explained.

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Akon said the early recordings he listened to had a completely different sound from the melodic style Drake later became famous for.

"He was the Drake that sounded like Eminem. At the records that I heard that Kardinal had played me, it was more like an Eminem vibe."

Everything changed when Drake released his 2009 breakout hit "Best I Ever Had." Akon said that was the moment he realised Drake had found his signature sound.

"When he did 'Best I Ever Had,' that's when I paid attention because now I was like, 'Oh, this is my moment.' Melody, you know."

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According to Akon, Drake's growing popularity had driven up his value, making it financially impossible for him to sign the future superstar.

"By that time it was too late. It was too expensive. I was like, 'I ain't got a million dollars.'"

During the same interview, Akon also addressed another long-standing misconception about Nigerian Afrobeats star Wizkid.

He clarified that he did not discover Wizkid, giving full credit to Banky W instead.

"Banky W discovered Wizkid," Akon said. "When I went to Nigeria, Banky brought me Wiz, and I was like, 'Bro, this kid is a star.'"

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Akon explained that while Banky W's team had limited resources to push Wizkid internationally, signing him helped open doors in the United States, contributing to the singer's early global breakthrough.

The revelations offer fans a fascinating glimpse into two career-defining moments—one opportunity Akon let slip away, and another that helped shape the global rise of Afrobeats.