WondaGurl facts for kids

Ebony Naomi Oshunrinde, known professionally as WondaGurl, is a talented music producer, songwriter, and record executive from Canada. She was born on December 28, 1996. WondaGurl is famous for creating beats and helping artists make their hit songs.

Growing Up and Discovering Music

Ebony Naomi Oshunrinde was born in Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She lived in different parts of Ontario before settling in Brampton.

Early Musical Steps

WondaGurl started making music at a very young age. When she was just 9 years old, she began producing sounds on a keyboard with drum pads. Her grandmother gave her a Casio keyboard, which also helped her start her musical journey.

Learning to Make Beats

Around age 11 or 12, WondaGurl got serious about making beats. She discovered a music software called Fruity Loops. This program helped her create the sounds and rhythms for songs.

Family Influences

Her family also played a big part in her love for music. Her mother introduced her to artists like Biggie Smalls. Her brother showed her more hip hop artists like Dipset. She got her professional name, "WondaGurl," from her mentor, Boi-1da. She simply changed his name around to make her own.

WondaGurl's Amazing Career

WondaGurl's career took off when she was still very young. She quickly became known for her unique music production skills.

Winning a Big Competition

At age 15, WondaGurl entered a music competition called "Battle of The Beat Makers" in Toronto. She competed in both 2011 and 2012. A famous Canadian producer, Boi-1da, was one of the judges. In 2012, she won first place! This win earned her a trophy and a special music synthesizer.

Working with Top Artists

After winning the competition, WondaGurl became a student of Boi-1da. Around 2013, when she was only 16, she started working closely with American rapper Travis Scott. Years later, she even signed him to her own company.

One of her first big breaks was working on a song called "Crown" for Jay-Z's album Magna Carta Holy Grail. She worked on this track with Travis Scott and producer Mike Dean. This opened doors for her to work with many other major artists.

Producing Hit Songs

In 2015, WondaGurl produced her first Top 40 hit single, "Antidote" by Travis Scott. She worked with Canadian producer Eestbound on this song. She later signed Eestbound to a production deal, making him her first co-producer.

Recognized for Her Talent

In 2018, WondaGurl was featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 list for music. This list highlights young, successful people. She is one of the youngest women to produce music for an album that sold over a million copies (a "platinum-selling" album).

In July 2020, WondaGurl signed a major deal with Travis Scott's Cactus Jack Publishing and Sony/ATV Music Publishing. This deal was also connected to her own music company, Wonderchild Music.

Winning a Prestigious Award

At the Juno Awards of 2021, WondaGurl won the Jack Richardson Producer of the Year Award. She won for her work on songs like "Aim for the Moon" by Pop Smoke and "Gang Gang" by JackBoys and Sheck Wes. This was a historic win! She was the first Black Canadian woman to win this award. She was also the first woman ever to win it as a producer for other artists, not just for her own music.