"Music has no language" pop star explains his campaign to conquer the US market

Wizkid has talked extensively about his international campaign and his strategy for success.

The ‘Come closer’ singer is currently promoting the single, and recording successes on the way. And with the buzz and hype growing in the US, the singer sits with broadcasters Channel 4, and talks extensively about his plans for conquering the international market.

From his chances of success, to his international collaboration process, he discusses at length about his campaign to become a true ambassador for African music, spreading the sound and culture, one record at a time.

Read excerpts from the interview below.

Parental Acceptance: “My Dad used to fight me everytime. ‘Don’t go to the studio, stay at home and study’. I just had my dreams and I just followed them here. But now my dad dresses up in the morning like Wizkid’s Dad. People take pictures with him on the streets. He’s just so proud, and that’s my joy to make them happy.”

Chances of Success In the US:“Music is a universal language, you don’t need to understand what someone is saying to feel the music or love the music. For me, I feel like it’s just gonna bring this industry (Afrobeats) mainstream. It’s going to do a lot, it’s going to contribute, and probably take over the world.

“Everyone has a little bit of Afropop sound-inspired. Look at Drake on his last album (“Views”), look at Alicia Keys with what she is doing right now with the sound on ‘In common’. Everything is coming back home.”

Changing Global Perception Of Africa:“No one has been able to take it there and show real Africa…and show what it’s about. There’s so much beautiful things in Africa. Africa is so beautiful, and that’s what I’m trying to do with my music now.

From my videos; I’m shooting at home, making sure we have African prints in my videos, I’m making sure I have my stuff tailored. I’m always strategic with it, so that the world can see it in a great light, and I feel like I can do that.”

On Relationship with Skepta: “Skepta is my brother. Skepta is a brother showing me love before I even became this Wizkid. He made the record ‘Ojuelegba’ remix happen. He played that to Drake, and was like ‘Yo bruv, you need to get on this. This is like the hottest record right now,’ and he did.”

On International collaboration process: “So, before I get in the studio, before we make a record, we have to be friends, we have to talk, we have to communicate. If I feel like we have a connection and it sounds amazing, I won’t do it. I test their knowledge. I be like ‘What do you know about this music?’ Like (winks) you know what I mean. ‘What do you know about my records?’ Like sometimes, it’s ‘have you heard anything about African music?’

What you play to me or what you tell me about what you know, I’ll be able to say ‘It’s alright, let’s do it.’”

About the African Continent:“For me right now, I would say it’s the music that is really giving the people joy. The economy is not amazing, the government can be doing better for the people. But the music is the only thing that is really attracting the people like worldwide ‘there’s something in Africa’.”