Renowned Nigerian music executive, Soso Soberekon, has made a stunning revelation about the behind-the-scenes negotiations that almost led to an international collaboration between Nigerian artist KCee and global music icon, Beyoncé.
According to Soberekon, the chart-topping hit Limpopo, released in 2013, was originally planned as a joint project featuring the Grammy-winning singer. The revelation has sent shockwaves through the Nigerian music industry, shedding light on how close the deal came to materializing before ultimately falling through.
Speaking in an interview with media personality Daddy Freeze, Soberekon shared details of how a wealthy Nigerian businessman—who had little knowledge of the entertainment industry—had ambitious plans to bring Beyoncé to Nigeria.
“Limpopo was supposed to be a song featuring Beyoncé. There was a billionaire who wanted to bring Beyoncé to Nigeria. Since he wasn’t familiar with the entertainment business, he asked us to accompany him to New York to negotiate a deal that would bring her to Nigeria for a concert, a meet-and-greet, and a song collaboration with KCee.”
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The New York Mission and the Recording of “Limpopo”
Soberekon detailed how the team traveled to New York, where they visited Jay-Z’s club in a bid to establish contact with the right people to secure the collaboration.
“We finally got in touch with an agent to discuss the Beyoncé deal. The proposal was that she would come to Nigeria for a concert, engage in a meet-and-greet session, and record a song with KCee. They told us they would get back to us.”
With high hopes of sealing the deal, KCee and his team returned to Nigeria. The billionaire sponsor, confident that the collaboration would push through, instructed them to start working on the song while awaiting Beyoncé’s confirmation.
“So, we came back, and the man told us to create a song that would feature Beyoncé. It was with this mindset that we recorded Limpopo, believing Beyoncé would eventually be on the track. It was almost like a fluke, but we knew it had the potential to be a hit.”
The Heartbreaking News That Ended the Beyoncé Dream
Despite the team’s excitement and preparation, the long-anticipated call from Beyoncé’s representatives delivered disappointing news.
“The agent later called us and broke our hearts. He informed us that Beyoncé would not be sleeping in Nigeria but in Ghana instead. The main condition of our deal was for her to perform in Nigeria, and the feature on KCee’s song was just an additional promise. Since we couldn’t meet her in Ghana, the deal fell apart.”
Realizing that the opportunity had slipped through their fingers, KCee and his team had no choice but to proceed with releasing Limpopo without Beyoncé. Fortunately, the song became a massive success, dominating the airwaves and solidifying KCee’s status as one of Nigeria’s top artists.
Beyoncé’s Near Miss with Afrobeats and Its Impact
While Beyoncé ultimately did not collaborate with KCee on Limpopo, this revelation highlights how early international artists were being approached for collaborations with Nigerian musicians. Years later, Beyoncé would go on to work with several Nigerian artists, including Wizkid, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, and Yemi Alade, on The Lion King: The Gift album in 2019.
The near-miss with Limpopo serves as a fascinating “what if” moment in Nigerian music history, reminding fans of how the industry was already making significant moves on the global stage long before Afrobeats became a worldwide phenomenon.
