Drake’s Best Collaborations with African Artists

Drake’s Best Collaborations with African Artists Drake has spent much of his career working across musical borders, and some of his m...

Drake’s Best Collaborations with African Artists

Drake has spent much of his career working across musical borders, and some of his most recognizable collaborations have involved artists from Africa. From Wizkid’s Afrobeats influence on “One Dance” to Tems’ Grammy-winning contribution to “Wait for U,” Drake’s connections with African artists have become an important part of his international music story.

These collaborations are also interesting because they show how African sounds have increasingly become part of mainstream global pop, hip-hop and R&B. Drake's work with African artists has connected Toronto, Lagos and other music communities through songs that reached audiences far beyond their original markets.

In this article, we look at some of Drake’s most notable collaborations with African artists, including Wizkid, Tems and South African DJ and producer Black Coffee.

1. Drake & Wizkid – “One Dance”

When discussing Drake's collaborations with African artists, “One Dance” is almost impossible to leave out.

The 2016 song featured Nigerian superstar Wizkid and British singer Kyla alongside Drake. It appeared on Drake's Views album and became one of the biggest international songs of the decade.

BET identifies “One Dance” as a dancehall and Afrobeats-inspired Drake collaboration featuring Wizkid and Kyla. Billboard Canada later described the song as an Afrobeats-inflected hit and reported that it spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

For Wizkid, the collaboration represented another major step in his international career. The Recording Academy describes him as an important figure in the global rise of Afrobeats and specifically notes his collaborations with Drake among the international partnerships that elevated his profile.

“One Dance” remains one of the clearest examples of a Nigerian artist appearing at the center of a global pop hit.

2. Drake & Tems – “Wait for U”

Another major Drake-African collaboration came through Nigerian singer Tems.

“Wait for U” was released by Future featuring Drake and Tems in 2022. Tems' distinctive vocals helped give the song an atmospheric quality that connected strongly with listeners.

The collaboration also received major industry recognition. At the 2023 GRAMMY Awards, “Wait for U” won Best Melodic Rap Performance, giving Tems another important milestone in her international career. The Recording Academy lists Future, Drake and Tems as the artists credited for the winning recording.

The song is particularly significant because Tems was not simply appearing on a major American record; her contribution became an important part of the song's identity.

For more about Tems' international journey, check out Why Everyone Is Talking About Tems Right Now.

3. Drake, Black Coffee & Jorja Smith – “Get It Together”

Drake's relationship with African music also extends to South Africa through Black Coffee.

“Get It Together” appeared on Black Coffee's album Pieces of Me and was later associated with Drake's More Life project. The track features vocals from Jorja Smith and Drake, with Black Coffee's production bringing a South African electronic and house influence to the record.

The collaboration is interesting because it shows Drake exploring a different side of African music beyond Nigerian Afrobeats. Black Coffee's South African house background gives the song a very different musical foundation from “One Dance” or “Wait for U.”

It is another example of how African producers and artists have become part of the wider international soundscape.

4. Drake & Wizkid – “Ojuelegba” Remix

Before “One Dance,” Drake had already connected with Wizkid through the remix of “Ojuelegba.”

The original Wizkid song was released as part of his early Nigerian catalogue and was named after the Lagos neighbourhood associated with his upbringing. The remix brought together Wizkid, Drake and Skepta.

The collaboration became an important cultural bridge because it connected Wizkid's Nigerian storytelling with artists from Canada and the United Kingdom.

DjMondo Music has previously covered the importance of “Ojuelegba” in How Wizkid Took Afrobeats Global.

The track is especially interesting when viewed alongside “One Dance.” Rather than being Drake's first contact with Wizkid, the remix helped establish an artistic connection that later became much more visible internationally.

5. Drake & Wizkid – “Come Closer” Connection

Wizkid's 2017 single “Come Closer” is another important part of the Drake-Wizkid story.

Drake was publicly associated with the song and appeared in promotional material surrounding the collaboration, although the final released recording did not contain an audible Drake verse.

That detail is worth mentioning because “Come Closer” is sometimes described online as a straightforward Drake feature. It is more accurate to explain the history rather than simply presenting it as another conventional Drake guest appearance.

The song nevertheless became part of Wizkid's international era and further connected his Nigerian sound with Drake's global audience.

Why Drake's African Collaborations Matter

Drake's collaborations with African artists are interesting beyond the individual songs.

They demonstrate how modern popular music increasingly moves across geographical boundaries. A song can begin with a Nigerian melody, Canadian rap, South African house production or American R&B and still become a global record.

Wizkid's relationship with Drake is particularly significant in this respect. The Recording Academy describes Wizkid as one of the influential figures behind Afrobeats' global rise and specifically highlights his collaborations with artists including Drake.

Tems' “Wait for U” provides another example. The song connected a Nigerian vocalist with two major American hip-hop artists and went on to win a GRAMMY.

Drake and the Globalization of Afrobeats

Drake's African collaborations happened during a period when Afrobeats was becoming increasingly visible internationally.

“One Dance” arrived during a particularly important period for Wizkid and for the global recognition of Nigerian music. The song combined Drake's pop and hip-hop audience with African and Caribbean-influenced production.

That crossover helped demonstrate that African musical ideas could exist naturally within mainstream international pop rather than being treated only as a niche or regional sound.

DjMondo Music has explored this broader development in How Afrobeat Influences Modern Pop Music.

Other African Artists Drake Has Connected With

Drake's African music connections are not limited to the collaborations discussed above. His wider catalogue, friendships and creative relationships have repeatedly intersected with African music and artists.

However, it is important to distinguish between a genuine released recording, a remix, a production connection, a sample, an appearance in promotional material and a rumored collaboration. Online lists sometimes mix these categories together.

For that reason, the collaborations in this article focus on documented released music and clearly established connections.

What African Artists Can Learn From Drake's Collaborations

For upcoming African artists, these collaborations also provide useful lessons.

1. Build your own sound first

Wizkid and Tems did not become internationally recognizable by abandoning their identities. Their voices and musical styles remained central to the records.

2. Collaborations should create new audiences

A good international collaboration can introduce an artist to listeners who may never have discovered their music otherwise.

3. Don't chase collaborations only for the name

The strongest collaborations usually have some musical reason for bringing different artists together. A big name alone does not guarantee that a song will connect with listeners.

4. Global music is becoming increasingly connected

The careers of Wizkid, Tems and other African artists demonstrate how easily sounds can move between Lagos, Toronto, London, New York, Johannesburg and other major music markets.

Upcoming artists can learn more about building their careers in our guide, How to Get Noticed as an Upcoming Artist in Nigeria.

Drake's African Collaborations at a Glance

Song	African Artist	Country	Year
One Dance	Wizkid	Nigeria	2016
Wait for U	Tems	Nigeria	2022
Get It Together	Black Coffee	South Africa	2016/2017
Ojuelegba Remix	Wizkid	Nigeria	2015

Final Thoughts

Drake's collaborations with African artists have produced several memorable moments in modern music. His work with Wizkid helped connect Afrobeats with a huge international audience, while his collaboration with Tems on “Wait for U” produced a GRAMMY-winning record. His work connected to Black Coffee also showed another side of Africa's diverse musical landscape.

These songs tell a bigger story about how African music has become increasingly connected to the global mainstream. The relationship is no longer simply about international artists borrowing African sounds; African artists are increasingly active participants in major global records.

Which Drake collaboration with an African artist is your favorite? Is it “One Dance,” “Wait for U,” “Ojuelegba Remix,” or “Get It Together”? Let us know in the comments.

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