Yemi Alade facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yemi Alade
Alade in 2024
Born	Yemi Eberechi Alade (1989-03-13) 13 March 1989 (age 36)
Alma mater	University of Lagos
Occupation	Singer songwriter
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Born	Ondo State, Nigeria
Genres	Afropop R&B world
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2005–present
Labels	Effyzzie Music Group Rebel Movement Universal Music Africa

Yemi Eberechi Alade (born March 13, 1989), known as Yemi Alade, is a famous Nigerian singer, songwriter, and activist. She comes from Ondo State, Nigeria. Her music mixes different styles like Afropop, highlife, dancehall, pop, and R&B. Her songs are popular in many African countries. She sings in English, Igbo, Pidgin, Yoruba, French, Swahili, and Portuguese.

Yemi Alade won the Peak Talent Show in 2009. After that, she signed with Effyzzie Music Group. Her song "Johnny" became a huge hit in 2014. She has released several successful albums like King of Queens and Mama Africa. She has also gone on many world tours.

In 2015 and 2016, she won the MTV African Music Awards for Best Female. She was the first female artist to win this award twice in a row. Yemi Alade was also the first African female to be nominated for the MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) in 2015. Her song "Johnny" is the most-watched music video by an African female artist on YouTube. In 2024, her song "Tomorrow" was nominated for a Grammy Award.

Early Life and Start in Music

Yemi Alade grew up in a family with different backgrounds in Nigeria. Her father, James Alade, was a police commissioner from Ondo State. Her mother, Helen Uzoma, is from Abia State. Yemi says she gets inspiration from both the Igbo and Yoruba cultures of her parents.

She went to Victory Grammar School in Ikeja and the University of Lagos. While at university, she joined the Peak Talent Show on TV. She won the show, which was her first time appearing on television. This win helped her become well-known and led to her signing with Effyzzie Music Group.

Music Journey and Albums

First Albums: King of Queens and Mama Africa

Yemi Alade performing in the Peak Talent Show, 2009

Yemi Alade and Runtown at the Mama Africa album listening party, London

Yemi Alade released her first album, King of Queens, on October 2, 2014. She worked with many producers on this album. Popular songs like "Johnny," "Tangerine," and "Kissing" came from this album. The album also featured other artists like R2Bees and Phyno. Yemi promoted the album by touring in countries like Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa. A special version of the album with French songs was released later. King of Queens sold over 100,000 copies.

Her second album, Mama Africa, came out on March 25, 2016. Yemi said the album was about the strengths and weaknesses of African women. It blended Afropop, highlife, R&B, and hip-hop. She worked with artists from different parts of Africa, including P-Square and Sarkodie. Yemi announced that money from the album sales would go to the Feed a Child charity. Mama Africa won the World Beat Album award at the 2016 Independent Music Awards.

Later Albums and Global Recognition

Yemi Alade's third album, Black Magic, was released on December 15, 2017. It included songs like "Knack Am" and "Single & Searching." In 2017, she also became a coach on The Voice Nigeria, a popular TV singing competition.

In 2019, her remix of "Oh My Gosh" with Rick Ross got one million views on YouTube in just one day. This was one of the fastest view gains for an African artist. In July 2019, Yemi became the first African female artist to reach one million subscribers on YouTube. She was also featured on "Don't Jealous Me" from Beyoncé's album The Lion King: The Gift.

Yemi Alade performing in Sydney during her Woman of Steel tour

Her fourth album, Woman of Steel, was released on August 30, 2019. Yemi described it as a "buffet with different kinds of meals." She named it Woman of Steel to show her strength and to get the same respect as male artists. The album featured artists like Rick Ross and Angélique Kidjo. In September 2019, Yemi signed a big deal with Universal Music Africa. She also became an ambassador for several brands like Maybelline and Shell.

Recent Projects and Grammy Nomination

In 2020, Yemi Alade became a brand ambassador for Hollandia Yoghurt. She also appeared in Beyoncé's visual film Black Is King, which premiered on Disney+ in July 2020. She performed at "The Global Goal: Unite for Our Future" concert in June 2020, alongside global stars like Miley Cyrus and Shakira. She returned as a coach for The Voice Nigeria Season 3 in 2020.

On November 20, 2020, she released her fifth album, Empress. It had 15 songs and featured artists like Estelle and Patoranking. In 2021, she released her EP Queendoncom, and in 2022, African Baddie. Yemi Alade received a Grammy certificate for her work on Angélique Kidjo's Mother Nature album. She also made history as the first Afrobeats artist to get a Latin Grammy nomination for her song "Cónexion Total" with Bomba Estéreo.

In October 2023, Yemi Alade was featured on "Akwaba," the official theme song for the 2023 AFCON football tournament. She performed the song at the opening ceremony in January 2024. Later in 2023, she released an EP called Mamapiano. On November 8, 2024, Yemi Alade was nominated for a Grammy Award for her song "Tomorrow" from her Rebel Queen album. In April 2025, it was announced she sang the opening song, "You Are," for the animated series Iyanu.

Advocacy and Community Work

Yemi Alade uses her platform to support important causes.

In November 2018, she visited her old secondary school, Victory Grammar School. Through her Helen and James Pathway Foundation, she helped students with poor eyesight get equipment to see better. In November 2019, she spoke at The Nairobi Summit on ICPD25 to help children with disabilities in Kenya.

Yemi Alade performs at the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25, 2019

In 2020, Yemi joined the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to help poor people in Africa affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. She also worked with the One Campaign on a song called "Stand Together" to fight COVID-19.

On September 23, 2020, Yemi Alade became a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). She promised to focus on reducing inequality, empowering women, and raising awareness about climate change. In October 2020, she performed at the TED virtual countdown global launch, an event focused on climate solutions.

Yemi Alade with Prince William, then Duke of Cambridge

On October 17, 2021, Yemi performed at the first Earthshot Prize ceremony in London. This event, hosted by the Royal family, gives awards to people who help the environment. Yemi performed her song "Rain," which the Royal family personally chose for the event. In March 2022, she became a global ambassador for the "It's Up To Us" campaign. This campaign, with the Africa Centre For Disease Control, encourages Africans to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Achievements and Influence

In 2018, Yemi Alade was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for Africa. This recognized her as one of the top young creative leaders on the continent. She was also on Avance Media's list of the 100 most influential African women in 2020. Many artists, like Tems and Ayra Starr, have said that Yemi Alade is an inspiration and a role model to them.

Music Releases

Film and TV Appearances

Film

Television

Concert Tours

• King of Queens Tour
• Mama Africa Tour
• Black Magic Tour
• Woman of Steel Tour
• Empress Tour

See also

In Spanish: Yemi Alade para niños

• List of awards and nominations received by Yemi Alade
• List of Nigerian musicians