Wizkid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wizkid
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Wizkid performing at Iyanya's album launch concert in 2013
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Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun
16 July 1990 Ojuelegba, Lagos, Nigeria
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| Citizenship | Nigerian |
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| Years active | 2001–present |
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Notable work
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Discography |
| Awards | Full list |
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| Origin | Lagos, Nigeria |
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Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born on July 16, 1990), known as Wizkid, is a famous Nigerian singer and songwriter. He grew up in Ojuelegba, a part of Surulere, Lagos. Wizkid is a very important artist in the popular Afrobeats music style. His music mixes different sounds like Afrobeats, afropop, R&B, afrobeat, reggae, dancehall, and pop.
He started recording music when he was only 11 years old. He even released an album with a group called the Glorious Five, which he formed with friends from his church. In 2009, Wizkid signed a music deal with Banky W's Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E). He became very famous after releasing "Holla at Your Boy". This song was the first single from his first album, Superstar (2011). Other popular songs from that album included "Tease Me/Bad Guys" and "Don't Dull".
On September 17, 2014, he released his second album, Ayo. This album had six hit songs, like "Jaiye Jaiye". After his contract ended, Wizkid left E.M.E. In 2016, he became known all over the world when he worked with Drake on the song "One Dance". This song became number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped charts in 14 other countries! "One Dance" broke many records. It made Wizkid the first Afrobeats artist to be mentioned in the Guinness World Records.
In March 2017, he signed a big deal with RCA Records. He then released his third album, Sounds from the Other Side, later that year. This album had five singles, including "Come Closer" (which also featured Drake). In 2018, he was featured on "Checklist" by Normani and Calvin Harris. This song reached number one on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart. The next year, he worked with Beyoncé on her project The Lion King: The Gift. Their song "Brown Skin Girl" also hit number one on the World Digital Song Sales chart. This song also won him a Grammy Award for Best Music Video.
In October 2020, he released his fourth album, Made in Lagos. This album was a huge success and was loved by many. It reached number one on the Billboard World Album Chart. The album included the song "Essence" featuring Tems. This became the first Nigerian song to appear on the Billboard Hot 100. It even reached the top ten after a remix with Justin Bieber was released. Wizkid's fifth album, More Love, Less Ego, came out on November 11, 2022. His sixth album, Morayo, was released on November 22, 2024. He dedicated this album to his late mother. Morayo broke records for being the most streamed African album on Spotify when it first came out.
Contents
Wizkid's Amazing Music Journey
Early Life and Starting His Career (1990–2010)
Wizkid was born Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun on July 16, 1990, in Surulere, Lagos. He grew up in a big family with twelve older sisters. His parents had different beliefs, with his mother being a Christian and his father practicing Islam. Wizkid went to Ijebu Ode Grammar School. He loved listening to music from artists like King Sunny Ade, Fela Kuti, and Bob Marley.
When he was younger, he formed a music group called the Glorious Five with his church friends. They even released an album together before the group broke up. Wizkid used the stage name Lil Prinz until 2006. He later met a music producer named OJB Jezreel. OJB Jezreel helped him learn about music. Wizkid often visited OJB's studio and watched famous artists like 2 Face Idibia record songs. He also learned from Naeto C, who mentored him when he was 15. In 2009, Wizkid signed a music deal with Empire Mates Entertainment. He helped write the song "Omoge You Too Much" for Banky W.'s album. He also worked with other artists like Naeto C and M.I to improve his skills.
Becoming a Superstar (2010–2011)
Wizkid started working on his first album, Superstar, in 2009. He released "Holla at Your Boy" as the first song from the album on January 2, 2010. This song was nominated for an award and helped him win the Next Rated award at The Headies 2011. Winning this award also meant he received a new car! The music video for "Holla at Your Boy" was also nominated for an award.
On April 2, 2010, Wizkid released "Tease Me/Bad Guys" as the second song from the album. It started as a freestyle rap. "Don't Dull", the third song, came out on December 6, 2010. The Superstar album was recorded in both English and Yoruba. It was released on June 12, 2011, by Empire Mates Entertainment. The album mixed different music styles like Afrobeats, R&B, dancehall, and reggae. Wizkid worked with many talented producers like E-Kelly, Jay Sleek, Shizzi, and Masterkraft on this album. Other artists like Banky W., Skales, and Wande Coal also appeared on the album.
To celebrate the album's release, Wizkid held a big party on June 12, 2011, at the Expo Hall of the Eko Hotel and Suites. Many famous artists performed at this party. Superstar won the Best Album of the Year at the 2012 Nigeria Entertainment Awards. It was also nominated for Album of the Year at The Headies 2012.
Tours and Ayo Album (2012–2014)
In 2012, Wizkid went on tour in London and performed at the HMV Apollo. He also worked with other E.M.E artists like Banky W. and Skales on their album Empire Mates State of Mind (2012). After this album came out, the E.M.E artists toured the United States. They performed in many cities from July to September 2012. Wizkid also performed at a big concert in Brixton with artists like Trey Songz in November 2012.
Between 2012 and 2014, Wizkid worked on his second album, Ayo. This album featured many guest artists, including Femi Kuti, Banky W., Tyga, and Akon. Producers like Sarz and Shizzi helped create the music. The album was first going to be called Chosen. Wizkid had also planned to release a mixtape in 2013, featuring artists like Wale and Tinie Tempah.
On May 2, 2013, Wizkid released "Jaiye Jaiye" as the first song from Ayo. This song featured the famous Nigerian musician Femi Kuti. Wizkid said he worked with Femi Kuti to show that his music was about more than just girls and cars. In October 2013, he performed at Felabration, a yearly concert honoring Fela Kuti. "On Top Your Matter" was released as the second single on October 26, 2013. Its music video was filmed in South Africa. Wizkid also performed at big concerts in Nigeria and Ghana in November 2013.
In February 2014, Wizkid made history by becoming the first Nigerian musician to have over one million followers on Twitter. In July 2014, he shared that he had worked with the Barbadian singer Rihanna. Wizkid was also a special guest on Tinie Tempah's UK tour in 2014.
Global Success with "One Dance" and Sounds from the Other Side (2015–2018)
On January 5, 2015, Wizkid released the music video for "Ojuelegba". This song tells the story of the challenges he faced when he first started his music career. The official remix of the song featured Drake and Skepta. It was first played on OVO Sound Radio in July 2015. Wizkid had mentioned he was working on a new album in October 2014. He also said "African Bad Gyal," a song with Chris Brown, would be the first single. In April 2015, Wizkid and Chris Brown performed "African Bad Gyal" at a concert in South Africa.
On April 5, 2016, Wizkid became the first Nigerian artist to be listed on Billboard's Twitter chart. This happened after he was featured on Drake's Afrobeats-inspired song "One Dance". On May 12, 2016, "One Dance" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It stayed there for 10 weeks! "One Dance" became a huge international hit, topping charts in 15 countries, including the UK, Canada, and Australia. This song was Wizkid's first number-one hit as a featured artist in these places.
Wizkid released the song "Like This" on June 5. It was also played on Drake's OVO Sound Radio. In May 2015, Wizkid joined Chris Brown on his "One Hell of a Nite" world tour.
In March 2017, he signed a big music deal with RCA Records. Wizkid released his third album, Sounds from the Other Side, on July 14, 2017. This album had a Caribbean feel but also included Afrobeats, EDM, R&B, and house music. It featured artists like Drake, Major Lazer, Chris Brown, and Trey Songz. The album was available on many music platforms like Apple Music and Spotify. Sounds from the Other Side appeared on the US Billboard 200 chart at number 107. It also reached number 58 on the Canadian Albums Chart. Before the album came out, three singles were released: "Daddy Yo" (featuring Efya), "Sweet Love," and "Come Closer" (featuring Drake).
Wizkid became the first Afrobeats artist to be in the 2018 Guinness World Records because of his work on "One Dance." His song "Soco" was certified Gold in Canada, meaning it sold a lot of copies. Later that year, he appeared on Normani and Calvin Harris’ EP Normani x Calvin Harris. Their song "Checklist" reached number one on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart.
Grammy Win and Recent Albums (2019–Present)
In mid-2019, Wizkid was featured on Beyoncé's song "Brown Skin Girl". This song was part of The Lion King: The Gift soundtrack. It was a huge moment for him in 2019. He received many nominations and won two Soul Train Music Awards, an NAACP Image Award, a BET Awards, and his first Grammy Award. Later that year, he also released the songs "Joro" and "Ghetto Love."
On December 6, 2019, Wizkid's music label, Starboy Entertainment, released the EP Soundman Vol. 1. This EP mostly featured Wizkid and included other artists like Chronixx.
In 2020, Wizkid was featured on several songs, including "Escape" by Akon and "Smile" with American singer H.E.R.. On September 17, Wizkid released the song "No Stress." He also announced that his fourth album, Made in Lagos, would be released on October 15, 2020. The album release was delayed because of the End SARS protests in Nigeria. It was finally released on October 30, 2020. "Essence", a song from the album, became the first Nigerian song to appear on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
At the 27th annual South African Music Awards, Made in Lagos was nominated for the Rest of Africa Award. On August 13, 2021, he released a remix of "Essence" featuring Canadian singer Justin Bieber. This song became the highest-charting song by an African artist on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 11.
In November 2021, at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, his album Made in Lagos and his song "Essence" received two Grammy nominations. In the same month, he also received four Soul Train Awards nominations, winning one for "Essence" for Best Collaboration.
On the first anniversary of Made in Lagos, Wizkid announced his fifth album, More Love, Less Ego. It was originally planned for release on January 22, 2022. In September 2022, Wizkid was the main performer at the Rolling Loud Toronto hip-hop festival. He was the first African artist ever to do this! His fifth album, More Love, Less Ego, was released on November 11, 2022.
On October 18, 2024, Wizkid released the song "Piece of My Heart" featuring American singer Brent Faiyaz. This was the first song from his sixth album, Morayo. In November 2024, Asake's song "MMS," which featured Wizkid, was nominated for Best African Music Performance at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards. This was Wizkid's fifth Grammy nomination. On November 22, 2024, Wizkid released his sixth album, Morayo. It has sixteen songs and features artists like Asake, Brent Faiyaz, and Jazmine Sullivan.
Endorsement Deals
In 2012, Wizkid signed a one-year deal with Pepsi for about US$350,000. He traveled to Beirut, Lebanon, with Tiwa Savage to film a Pepsi commercial. On May 28, 2013, it was reported that Wizkid signed a one-year deal with MTN Nigeria. His Pepsi contract was also renewed for two more years. In November 2013, Wizkid signed a deal with Guinness for their World of More concert. In June 2015, news came out that Wizkid had left MTN and signed a big deal with GLO. He was the first African artist to reach one million followers on Twitter.
Music Labels and Contracts
Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E)
In February 2013, Wizkid posted some messages on Twitter that hinted at problems. He also moved out of the E.M.E house in Lagos and bought his own home. Before Wizkid's tweets, Banky W tried to calm fans, saying everything was fine. However, it was reported that disagreements within E.M.E started as early as 2012. On April 30, 2013, Nigerian Entertainment Today reported that Wizkid and E.M.E had settled their differences after talking about their contract. Wizkid eventually left E.M.E after his second album was released and his five-year contract ended. In an interview in October 2019, Wizkid said he left E.M.E without any money.
Starboy Entertainment
Wizkid started his own music label, Starboy Entertainment, in March 2013. He planned to sign new artists to his label. He signed Maleek Berry and Legendury Beatz, with Maleek Berry becoming a producer for the label. In August 2013, Wizkid signed L.A.X as the first recording artist for Starboy. In February 2016, DJ Tunez became the official DJ for the label. In May 2016, Efya, R2Bees, and Mr Eazi also signed with Starboy Entertainment. Other artists signed to the label include Terri. The label is managed by Jada P.
Sony Music/RCA
In 2017, Billboard reported that Wizkid signed a major worldwide record deal with RCA Records. RCA Records is part of Sony Music.
Personal Life
Wizkid has four children. His mother passed away in London on August 18, 2023.
Fashion Style
In an interview with Vogue magazine in February 2015, Wizkid said he likes to wear a mix of street clothes and traditional Nigerian outfits. He mentioned Pharrell Williams as one of his fashion inspirations. He also shared plans to start his own clothing line after his album Sounds from the Other Side was released.
Wizkid's Impact on Music
Wizkid is seen as an African music legend and a pioneer of "Afrobeats". He has made huge contributions to the music world both in Africa and globally. Many people believe that the "afrobeats to the world" movement has grown a lot, and Wizkid is a key player in making African sounds popular worldwide.
The Recording Academy has said that Wizkid has helped bring Nigeria and Afrobeats to the forefront. They noted that it used to be rare for a Nigerian artist to attract big names from different music styles like reggae, R&B, and grime. But now, Afrobeats is huge, and Wizkid is leading this wave of amazing music. Chris Deville of "Stereogum" said that WizKid has successfully made his mark on the U.S. pop music scene, which he helped create for Afrobeats. Daniel Anazia from "The Guardian" wrote that Wizkid's albums have brought him and the Afrobeats culture great success. He has further elevated the Nigerian music industry and Afrobeats to the world.
Critics have pointed out that with the release of "Essence", Wizkid has introduced the lively sounds of Afrobeats to a wider audience. He has also opened doors for other African artists to achieve international success. Quartz stated that Wizkid mixes different styles and is at the top of his game. He has become very valuable to both local and international music labels. Many African musicians hope their success will one day be like Wizkid's. Billboard noted that "Wizkid is the first African artist to truly make a major pop breakthrough in the United States and globally." His rise has happened as Western music companies have started to enter the African continent. Eromo Egbejule of "The Guardian" described Wizkid as the face of a new generation of artists who are creating their own unique sounds from Africa. This group includes artists like Tiwa Savage, Davido, and Burna Boy.
Awards and Nominations
Wizkid's music has earned him many awards. He won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video as a lead artist for his work on Beyoncé's "Brown Skin Girl". This was his first Grammy Award. He has won the most awards among African artists at the American Music Awards (2), MTV Video Music Award (1), Soul Train Awards (3), Billboard Awards (3), and iHeartRadio Music Awards (2). He is also tied for the most wins at the BET Awards (4) and MOBO Awards (6).
He also received an ASCAP award for helping write Drake's song "One Dance". This song also earned two Guinness World Records. It was the first song to reach a billion streams on Spotify, and at the time, it was the most streamed song on Spotify. Wizkid was named one of the Top 100 most influential Africans by New African magazine in 2019. He has also won the most awards in the history of The Headies awards. He was nominated for Best Global Music Album and Best Global Music Performance at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards for Made in Lagos Deluxe Edition and "Essence" respectively. In November 2021, Apple Music Awards announced him as the winner of Artist of the Year (Africa).
Discography
- Studio albums
- Superstar (2011)
- Ayo (2014)
- Sounds from the Other Side (2017)
- Made in Lagos (2020)
- More Love, Less Ego (2022)
- Morayo (2024)
Tours
- Made in Lagos Tour (2021)
- More Love, Less Ego Tour (2023)
See also
In Spanish: Wizkid para niños
