AFROPOP singer, Sadiq Onifade aka WurlD has counted himself lucky to be accepted by African fans after spending many years in the United States.
According to the vocalist, who spent his formative years in Mushin, Lagos before moving to Atlanta where he started as a professional songwriter, breaking into the African music scenes as a non-resident talent can be difficult.
WurlD made this assertion in an interview with Pan African Music (PAM), noting that he never stopped speaking Yoruba or Pidgin while abroad.
AFROPOP singer, Sadiq Onifade aka WurlD has counted himself lucky to be accepted by African fans after spending many years in the United States.
According to the vocalist, who spent his formative years in Mushin, Lagos before moving to Atlanta where he started as a professional songwriter, breaking into the African music scenes as a non-resident talent can be difficult.
WurlD made this assertion in an interview with Pan African Music (PAM), noting that he never stopped speaking Yoruba or Pidgin while abroad.
"Compared to a lot of my peers in the Afrobeats community, I’ll say I’m one of the very few artists that left the US and became accepted in Nigeria because Nigerian and African consumers can be difficult,” he said.
Continuing the ‘Stamina’ singer said, “Unlike others, I started in America and learned how to create music in America, not Nigeria – amongst the R&B, Pop, Hip-Hop, Country sounds around me. It also helped that I left Nigeria when I’d understood the grassroots and that helped me a lot when I returned because I didn’t have to start from scratch. When I moved, I never stopped speaking Yoruba or Pidgin, all I did was adjust to the new culture in America but I never lost my Nigerian/African background. Learning to create music in Atlanta, and now Nigeria has been interesting because I’ve found myself trying to make sure people see me as pure as I am.”
Since his arrival, WurlD has worked with great artists on major projects including Asa on “Oceans”, Davido on “Blow My Mind”, “Sweet in the Middle” etc. His latest album is entitled, My WorlD With U.
