Ugbekile David Osemeke (born 10 May 2001), known professionally asBoy Spyce, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. He gained recognition following his 2021 cover ofWizkid's song "Essence". Its success led him to sign a recording contract withMavin Records, which released his debut extended play, self-titledBoy Spyce, in 2022 to modest commercial success.[4]
Boy Spyce launched his music career by posting song covers on social media platforms in 2019. In 2021, he gained recognition after posting a cover ofWizkid's hit song "Essence" featuringTems. The cover caught the attention ofDon Jazzy, the founder ofMavin Records, who offered him a recording deal and introduced him to the public on 14 April 2022.[8][9] He then released his debut EP, self-titledBoy Spyce, on April 15, 2022, which peaked at number one on Nigeria's Apple Music chart.[10] Emmanuel Esomnofu, reviewing forThe Native, described the EP as "a collage of vibrant sounds and tradition" that generated significant buzz for the young artist.[11] On 7 May 2022, Boy Spyce's single "Bad Things" led Pulse Nigeria's Future Sounds Vol. 6 playlist.[12]
Boy Spyce was featured on Mavin's hit song "Overdose" alongside Crayon and Ayra Starr on 13 May 2022.[13] The song ranked number 1 on TheCable's list of 10 TCL radio pick of the week on 28 May 2022.[14]
On 29 May 2022, Boy Spyce revealed how a direct message from Don Jazzy changed his life, sharing that he received a text message from Don Jazzy on Christmas Day in 2019. He disclosed this during an interview with theNigerian Tribune.[15] On 30 May 2022, Spyce performed withGlitch Africa Choir for his song "Nobody".[16]
In January 2023, he released his first single "Folake" after his debut EP, which peaked at number 5 on the NigeriaTurnTable Top 100.[19] "Folake" was produced by Sparrq Beatz, and its accompanying music video, directed by Ahmed Moss, currently has 5 million views onYouTube as of January 2024.[20][21]
On 24 January 2023,OkayAfrica cited him as one of the emerging artists to watch in 2023, alongsideKhaid andOdumodublvck.[22]
On 7 December 2023, he released "Pepe", which peaked at number 23 on theTurnTable Nigeria Top 100 on 12 January 2024, and debuted at number 13 on theTop Streaming Songs on 18 January 2024.[23][24][25]
