Reekado Banks | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ayoleyi Hanniel Solomon |
| Also known as | Spicy |
| Born | (1993-12-06)6 December 1993 (age 31) Lagos,Lagos State, Nigeria |
| Genres | Afropop |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2008–present |
| Labels |
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Ayoleyi Hanniel Solomon (born 6 December 1993),[1] who is better known by his stage nameReekado Banks, is aNigerian singer and songwriter. He was signed toMavin Records between 2014 and 2018,[2] and went by the stage nameSpicy before his record deal with the label. Banks won Rookie of the Year atThe Headies 2014,[3] and received the controversialNext Rated award atThe Headies 2015. His debut studio albumSpotlight, which was released on 1 September 2016, debuted at number 10 on theBillboard World Albums chart.[4]
Reekado Banks is the last-born child of a family that adores music. His mother is a caterer and pastor, while his father is a clergyman fromOndo State.[5] He grew up in a disciplinarian setting due to both of his parents being pastors. He completed secondary school at the age of 14 and started recording music in 2008. All of his previous songs were produced by his older brother Temi Solomon, who taught him the fundamentals of writing, singing, and producing. He derived the stage name Reekado Banks by combining the meaning of the two names; the former part of his stage name translates to "strong ruler", while the latter part means "wealth".[6] In 2014, Banks graduated from theUniversity of Lagos with a degree in history and strategic study.[7][3] He has citedDon Jazzy,2face Idibia,DJ Jimmy Jatt,Olamide andM.I as his key musical inspirations.[8]
After his older brother submitted some of his songs toMavin Records through an internet talent search, the label selected his entries from over 5,000 submissions and signed him to a record deal.[9] In an interview with theNational Mirror, he said his brother submitted his songs and communicated with the label on his behalf without his initial consent. Banks also said he is a versatile artist who makes music with the thought that people are different and have varying taste.[6]
On 21 February 2014, Banks premiered the single "Turn It Up", which coincided with the day he signed with Mavin Records. The song features vocals byTiwa Savage and was released as his first official single under Mavin Records.[10] The highly regarded song "Dorobucci" included Banks,Don Jazzy,Korede Bello, Savage,Di'Ja,Dr SID, andD'Prince.[11] Additionally, he collaborated on the tracks "Adaobi", "Arise", and "Looku Looku" with the previously mentioned musicians. On 13 February 2015, he released the Don Jazzy-produced single "Katapot", which was alleged to be adiss track towardsD'banj andWande Coal. In February 2015, Don Jazzy debunked the allegations in a series of tweets.[12] In a March 2015 interview with newspaperVanguard, Banks said he created "Katapot" for his fans.[13]
In July 2015, Banks and the Nigerian cellular providerGlobacom inked an endorsement agreement.[14] He declared his exit from Mavin Records and the debut of his recording outfit, Banks Music, on December 7, 2018.[15]Vanguard revealed in September 2019 that Banks had fired his older brother as manager.[16] In 2021, he released the single "Ozumba Mbadiwe".[17] Olukorede Ikazoboh, who heads the Nigerian arm ofVirgin Music, announced that the label will be in charge of distributing Banks and Darkoo's music.[18]
Studio albums
Extended plays (EPs)
Selected singles
| Title | Year | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| "Turn It Up" (featuringTiwa Savage) | 2014 | 21 February 2014 |
| "Dorobucci" (withDon Jazzy Tiwa Savage,Dr SID, D’Prince, Korede Bello andDi'Ja) | 1 May 2014 | |
| "Adaobi" (withDon Jazzy,Korede Bello andDi'Ja) | 27 May 2014 | |
| "Chop Am" | 8 August 2014 | |
| "Arise" (withDon Jazzy andDi'Ja) | 20 September 2014 | |
| "Looku Looku" (withDon Jazzy Tiwa Savage,Dr SID, D’Prince, Korede Bello andDi'Ja) | 31 October 2014 | |
| "Katapot" | 2015 | 13 February 2015 |
| "Corner" | 9 July 2015 | |
| "Sugar Baby" | 10 July 2015 | |
| "Tomorrow" | 11 July 2015 | |
| "Oluwa Ni" | 2016 | 15 January 2016 |
| "Standard" | 5 June 2016 | |
| "Spotlight" | 1 September 2016 | |
| Easy (Jeje) | 2017 | 29 July 2017 |
| "Kiss Me" | 29 July 2017 | |
| "Like" (withTiwa Savage and Fiokee) | 6 December 2017 | |
| "Pull Up" | 2018 | 3 April 2018 |
| "Bio Bio" (featuringDuncan Mighty) | 9 July 2018 | |
| "Blessings On Me" | 26 September 2018 | |
| "Yawa" Banks Music (featuring Reekado Banks and DJ Young) | 2019 | 21 March 2019 |
| "Maria" | 29 March 2019 | |
| "Rora" | 5 September 2019 | |
| "In Put In Pressure" | 2019 | 29 November 2019 |
| "You Dey Mad" (featuring AttiFaya) | 2020 | 20 November 2020 |
| "Speak to Me" (featuringTiwa Savage) | 2020 | 26 November 2020 |
| "Need More" (featuringKida Kudz and EO) | 2020 | 27 November 2020 |
| "Happy Yourself" | 2020 | 27 November 2020 |
| "Ozumba Mbadiwe" | 2021 | 21 October 2021 |
