Wizkid, Asake weigh AI’s role in Afrobeats’ future

Afrobeats heavyweights Ayodeji Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, and Ahmed Ololade, better known as Asake, have shared their views on the future use of Artificial Intelligence in music and video production.

The duo declared their positions in an interview on ‘Close Friends Only with Instagram’ on Friday, which is one of their recent appearances together, especially since they announced their upcoming EP, ‘Real’.

According to the Grammy-nominated Afrobeats stars, AI is the future of creativity, which will enhance the perfection of intellectual recordings.

For Wizkid, while creatives shouldn’t rely on AI for overall production of musical and video materials, it’s understandable to enhance them with AI touches.

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In a career conversation that led to individual talents’ discussion, responding to Asake’s questions on his willingness to use AI in the future, Wizkid said: “I bumped into this guy I liked the other day. He makes cool images with AI. Everything he creates with AI is cinematic, and it looks good, as if it were shot with a camera.

“So I came across his page, and I had to slide into his DM. I was like, “Yo, this is amazing.’ I’m open to whatever. I would try to see if it comes out amazing; that would be cool.

“But as creatives or entertainers, I don’t think it’s advisable to make everything AI. Let’s create our own content and enhance it with the help of AI. That’s the future. Whoever can use AI to enhance their work, that’s the way forward,” Wizkid added.

On the subject of AI usage, Asake expressed his desire for individual performance, emphasising his beliefs in the importance of pre-show practices and activities before the actual output.

“For me, I like performance so much. Not just because you come on stage and are the star, but because of what happens before the performance.

“Coming together with geniuses, coming together with great minds to talk about ideas, then seeing those ideas come to life, and watching people react to them. There’s no good show without creating something before the show,” Asake said.

Career

In the discussion, they further covered their collaboration on ‘MMS’ from Asake’s 2024 album ‘Lungu Boy’; the singers also expressed their mutual admiration towards each other.

Speaking about ‘MMS’, Asake explained that he and producer P.Priime created the song with Wizkid in mind, noting that only he could connect with its emotional depth.

The ‘Amapiano’ crooner further explained his admiration for Wizkid, noting Wizkid’s authenticity and greatness.

“It’s almost the same thing. Nobody will ever be Wiz. Wiz will always be Wiz till this life ends. It’s so authentic. I’ve seen him record, and I don’t even have words to describe your music or what you have. The only word I use is greatness. It’s just great. You’re too great,” he said.

In response, Wizkid, a Grammy Award winner, praised Asake’s unique sound, saying that their collaborations consistently produce hits despite the changing dynamics of the music industry.

“Absolutely. It’s the same thing with creativity. That’s the foundation of everything. Every time we link, I tell you that what you bring to music is special. Your sound is exceptional. There’s nobody who sounds like Asake. That right there is gold. Nobody can take that from you.

“You’re too special to the world and beyond, my brother. And I’m for real. With the numerous successful collaborations we’ve had, some people may collaborate, only to see it collapse. However, these experiences make our culture richer and more diverse.

“Coming together like this shows the next generation of stars from Africa that nothing is impossible. I’m always a big fan of doing things together. When we started making music together, that’s when it hit me how powerful it really is,” Wizkid concluded.