Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born 16 July 1990), popularly known asWizkid,[6] is a Nigerian singer and songwriter.[7] Born in theOjuelegba suburb ofSurulere, Lagos, Wizkid is a voice in the emergingAfrobeats movement.[8] His music is a blend of Afrobeats,[9]afropop,[10]R&B,[11]afrobeat,[12]reggae,[12]dancehall,[12] andpop.[12] He began recording music at the age of 11 and released a collaborative album with the Glorious Five, a group he and a couple of his church friends formed. In 2009, Wizkid signed a record deal withBanky W'sEmpire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E). He rose to the limelight after releasing "Holla at Your Boy", the lead single from his debut studio album,Superstar (2011), which also spawned the singles "Tease Me/Bad Guys" and "Don't Dull".
On 17 September 2014, he released the self-titled second studio album,Ayo, which was supported by six singles, including "Jaiye Jaiye". Wizkid left E.M.E. after his contract expired.[13] In 2016, he achieved international recognition following his collaboration withDrake on the hit single "One Dance", which reached number-one on the USBillboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in 14 additional countries. The song broke multiple records, making Wizkid the first Afrobeats artist to appear in theGuinness World Records.[14] In March 2017, he signed a multi-album deal withRCA Records and released his third studio album,Sounds from the Other Side, later that year. The album was supported by five singles, including "Come Closer" (featuring Drake).
In October 2020, he released his fourth album,Made in Lagos, which received commercial success and acclaim,[15] reaching number-one on theBillboard World Album Chart.[16] The album includes the single "Essence" featuringTems, which became the first Nigerian song to chart on theBillboard Hot 100,[17] and reached the top ten following a remix released byJustin Bieber. Wizkid's fifth album,More Love, Less Ego, was released on 11 November 2022.[18] His sixth albumMorayo, which is dedicated to his late mother, was released on 22 November 2024. The album broke the record for the biggest streaming debut for an African album onSpotify.[19][20]
Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun was born on 16 July 1990, inOjuelegba,Surulere, Lagos.[21][22] He grew up in aninterfaith household with twelve female siblings. His mother was aPentecostal Christian and his father practices Islam.[23] Wizkid attendedIjebu Ode Grammar School.[24][23] He grew up listening toKing Sunny Ade,Fela Kuti andBob Marley.[25] In a radio interview withTim Westwood in 2012, he said that "his father has three wives".[26] In another interview with Adesope of Factory 78 TV, Wizkid said he formed a group called the Glorious Five with a couple of his church friends.[27] They managed to release an album prior to disbanding. Wizkid went by the stage nameLil Prinz until 2006.[28] He later metOJB Jezreel, a record producer who prevented him from recording for a year.[27] While visiting OJB's Point Beat Studios frequently, he watched2 Face Idibia record songs for hisGrass 2 Grace album. He was also present during the recording sessions forSound Sultan's debut albumJagbajantis.[29][27] He citedNaeto C as one of the people who mentored and coached him when he was 15 years old. Wizkid signed a record deal withEmpire Mates Entertainment in 2009. He co-wrote "Omoge You Too Much", a song from Banky W.'sThe W Experience album.[27][29] He also worked with Naeto C, Ikechukwu andM.I while developing his craft.[30] In mid-2009, he dropped out ofLagos State University (LASU). He later attendedLead City University, but dropped out after completing two sessions.[29]
Wizkid began recording his debut studio albumSuperstar in 2009.[29] He released "Holla at Your Boy" as the album's lead single on 2 January 2010.[31] The song was nominated for Best Pop Single, and earned him theNext Rated award atThe Headies 2011. In addition to winning the award, he was awarded a 2012Hyundai Sonata courtesy of the organizers.[32] Its music video was nominated for Most Gifted Newcomer Video at the 2011Channel O Music Video Awards.[33]
Wizkid toured London in 2012 and performed at theHammersmith Apollo on 4 June 2012.[39] He worked with Banky W., Skales,Shaydee andNiyola to record E.M.E's compilation albumEmpire Mates State of Mind (2012).[40] Following the album's release, E.M.E acts toured the United States. The tour kicked off in July and ended in September 2012. EME acts performed in several cities, including Houston, Dallas, Toronto, Vancouver,New York City, Providence, Calgary, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Chicago.[41][42] On 12 November 2012, Wizkid performed at theBBC Radio 1Xtra Live 02 Academy inBrixton alongsideTrey Songz,Tulisa,Kendrick Lamar andAngel.[43]
Between 2012 and 2014, Wizkid recorded his second studio albumAyo. It features guest appearances fromFemi Kuti, Banky W.,Seyi Shay,Phyno,Tyga,Akon andWale. The album's production was handled bySarz,Shizzi,Uhuru,Del B, Dokta Frabz,Maleek Berry,Legendury Beatz and Spellz. It was initially titledChosen.[44] According toMTV Base, the album suffered from a pushed-back release date.[45] It was reported earlier that the album would featureDon Jazzy,Efya and Olamide.[46] On 6 September 2014, Wizkid revealed the album's cover art and track listing. Prior to announcing plans for a second studio album, Wizkid had plans to release a mixtape in April 2013.[47] In an interview with Ok!Nigeria TV at Disturbing Headquarters in London, he said the mixtape would be released in April. He also said it would feature Wale andTinie Tempah.[48] Wizkid later announced that he would be releasing his second studio album on 12 June 2013.[49] In an interview withHipTV, Banky W revealed the album's title and commented on the album's delay. He also gave an estimated time frame for the album's release.[50]
On 2 May 2013, Wizkid released the album's lead single "Jaiye Jaiye". It features Grammy-nominated Nigerian musicianFemi Kuti. Wizkid told Showtime Celebrity he collaborated with Femi Kuti to prevent people from depicting him as an artist whose lyrics revolve around girls, cars, and materialistic things.[51] On 17 October 2013, he performed at the 2013 edition ofFelabration, a yearly concert dedicated toFela Kuti.[52] TheDel B-produced "On Top Your Matter" was released as the album's second single on 26 October 2013.[53] The song's music video directed and shot in South Africa bySesan.[54] On 2 November 2013, Wizkid performed at the Guinness Colorful World of More concert alongsideD'banj,Tiwa Savage,P-Square,Davido,Ice Prince,Burna Boy, Olamide andPhyno. The concert took place at the Eko Convention Centre in theEko Hotels and Suites.[55] On 23 November 2013, he performed at the Guinness Big Eruption Concert in Accra, Ghana.[56]
In February 2014, Wizkid became the first Nigerian musician to have over one million followers on Twitter.[57][58] In July 2014, Wizkid visitedThe Beat 99.9 FM studio in Lagos and toldToolz he had collaborated with Barbadian singerRihanna.[59][60] Wizkid was invited as a special guest for some shows onTinie Tempah's UK tour in 2014.[61]
2015–2018:Sounds from the Other Side and the international success with "One Dance"
Wizkid was involved in the writing and production ofDrake's "One Dance".
On 5 January 2015, Wizkid released the music video for "Ojuelegba", a song that highlights the struggles he endured in the early years of his recording career.[62] The song's official remix features vocals fromDrake andSkepta; it premiered onOVO Sound Radio in July 2015.[63] Wizkid first announced that he was working on a new album during a visit to London in October 2014. He revealed "African Bad Gyal" as his collaborative single withChris Brown and said it would be the lead single from his third studio album.[64] In April 2015, both Wizkid and Chris Brown performed "African Bad Gyal" at Brown's concert in Durban, South Africa.[65] Wizkid released "Expensive Shit", anAfrobeats song built on light guitars, saxophone lines and acoustic percussion in May 2015; the song was reported as being a likely inclusion on the album.[66] In July 2015, Wizkid announced on Twitter thatAngélique Kidjo would be featured on the album.[67] In September 2015, he said he was dropping his EP and postponing the release of his third studio album. He made this announcement onInstagram shortly after the conclusion of2Face Idibia's Fortified tribute concert.[68]
On 5 April 2016, Wizkid became Nigeria's first artist to be listed onBillboardsTwitter Last 24 hours chart, following his guest feature on Drake's Afrobeats-infused "One Dance" single, which charted at number 21.[69][70] On 12 May 2016, the song reached number-one on theBillboard Hot 100 chart, a position it kept for 10 non-consecutive weeks.[71] "One Dance" went on to become an international smash hit, topping charts in 15 countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France and Germany. The single became Wizkid's first number-one single as a featured artist in these territories.
Wizkid released the promotional single "Like This" on 5 June. The song premiered on Drake's OVO Sound Radio the same month.[citation needed] It was produced by Amsterdam-based Ghanaian producer DJ Henry X.[72]Pitchfork writer Sheldon Pearce said the song is a "frolicking, summery jam that revels in all the work he [Wizkid]'s put in."[73] In May 2015, Wizkid joinedChris Brown on his "One Hell of a Nite" world tour.[74][75]
On 6 December 2019, Wizkid's label Starboy Entertainment released the EPSoundman Vol. 1, centering mainly on Wizkid, and containing features fromChronixx, and a variety of other artists.[91]
During 2020, Wizkid featured on various singles, including "Escape" byAkon, "Gbese 2.0" with DJ Tunes andSpax, "Eve Bounce" by Yung L, and "Consider II" with Walshy Fire. He also released a collaboration with American singer,H.E.R., titled "Smile". On 17 September, Wizkid released the single "No Stress", and announced that he would be releasing his fourth album,Made in Lagos, on 15 October 2020.[90] The album launch was later postponed due to the NigerianEnd SARS protests nationwide, until 30 October 2020. "Essence", a single from the album, became the first Nigerian song to chart on the USBillboard Hot 100.[17]
On 13 August 2021, he released a remix of "Essence", featuring Canadian singerJustin Bieber.[93] The song became the highest-charting song on theBillboard Hot 100 by an African act, peaking at No. 11 on 4 October 2021.[94][95]
In November 2021, at the64th Annual Grammy Award, his album,Made in Lagos and his song "Essence" earned him two Grammy nominations.[96] In the same month, he also received four Soul Train Awards nominations, winning one for "Essence" forBest collaboration.[97]
On the first anniversary ofMade in Lagos, Wizkid announced his fifth albumMore Love, Less Ego, originally set for release on the last day of the Made in Lagos tour, 22 January 2022.[98] In September 2022, Wizkid headlined the Rolling Loud Toronto hip-hop festival, becoming the first African artist in history to achieve this feat.[99][100] His fifth studio albumMore Love, Less Ego was released on 11 November 2022.[18]
On 18 October 2024, Wizkid released the song "Piece of My Heart" featuring American singerBrent Faiyaz as the lead single from his forthcoming sixth studio albumMorayo.[101][102]
In November 2024, Asake's song "MMS", which featured Wizkid, was nominated for Best African Music Performance at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.[103] This was Wizkid's fifth nomination for the coveted honor in his career.
In 2012, Wizkid signed a one-year endorsement deal withPepsi reportedly worth US$350,000.[105] He travelled toBeirut,Lebanon, withTiwa Savage for a Pepsi commercial shoot.[106][107] On 28 May 2013,Premium Times reported that Wizkid had signed a one-year deal withMTN Nigeria. The newspaper also reported that Wizkid's Pepsi contract was renewed for two more years.[108][109] In November 2013, Wizkid signed an endorsement deal withGuinness for the Guinness World of More concert, held at the Eko Convention Centre of theEko Hotel and Suites on Victoria Island, Lagos.[110][111] In June 2015, Pulse Nigeria reported that Wizkid had leftMTN and signed a ₦128 million deal withGLO.[112] He is the first African artist to reach onemillion followers onTwitter.[113]
In February 2013, Wizkid tweeted a subliminal message and tweaked his Twitter account.[114][115] He also moved out of the E.M.E mansion in Lagos and acquired his home in the Lekki Phase 1 area.[115] Prior to Wizkid's subliminal tweets, Banky W pacified fans by assuring them that nothing was amiss. Furthermore, it was reported that troubles within E.M.E began as early as the E.M.E All Stars concert in 2012.[115] It was also reported that money was at the centre of the controversy.[115] On 30 April 2013,Nigerian Entertainment Today reported that Wizkid and E.M.E had reunited after contract negotiations.[116] Wizkid departed E.M.E following the release of his second studio album and the expiration of his five-year contract.[117] In a video interview withCapital Xtra in October 2019, Wizkid said he left E.M.E without any money.[118]
Wizkid has four children with three different women.[133][134] The children were born in 2011, 2016, 2017, and 2022.[135] His mother died in London on 18 August 2023.[136]
In August 2011,Nigerian Entertainment Today reported that the singer fathered his first child at the age of 21. After a thorough investigation, the newspaper concluded Wizkid impregnated then-undergraduate student Sola Ogudugu.[137] When the story broke, close friends and associates of Wizkid did not confirm it because DNA results were pending at the time.[137] Wizkid broke his silence on the story during several interviews. In an interview with aNigerian Entertainment Today editor, he denied having a child.[137] In another interview conducted in Ogudu-GRA, Lagos, he said he really did not want to find himself in that peculiar situation.[137] In December 2012, Wizkid denied the baby scandal during an interview with Nonye Ben-Nwankwo ofThe Punch. In October 2013, he uploaded a picture of himself and his 2-year-old son, Boluwatife Balogun, to his Instagram account. The photo confirmed the 2011 report published byNigerian Entertainment Today.[138]
In an interview with Alex Frank ofVogue magazine in February 2015, Wizkid said he wears a mixture of streetwear and traditional Nigerian clothes. He citedPharrell Williams as one of his fashion style icons. Moreover, he revealed plans to establish a clothing line following the release ofSounds from the Other Side.[145]
Wizkid's work is credited for popularizingAfrobeats worldwide in the late 2010s and early 2020s.[146] Morgan Enos ofThe Recording Academy praised his 2020 albumMade in Lagos as a "potent mix of Afrobeats and R&B", stating that it "further accelerated the already-unstoppable surge of Nigerian music throughout the world".[147]NotJustOk opined "The 'afrobeats to the world' movement is one that has progressed from being a trek, to a trot and now presently, a swift race, with baton tightly clenched by several star players whose sounds have sliced through the airwaves to reach international heights and by so doing, level the once seemingly unsurmountable playing field. One of such acts is Wizkid".[148]Critics noted that Wizkid has introduced Afrobeats to a wider audience, paving the way for other African artists to reach international success.[149]
In 2021Billboard stated that Wizkid "is the first African artist to truly make a major pop breakthrough in the United States and seems best poised to do so globally, too".[150]Eromo Egbejule ofThe Guardian Nigeria mentioned Wizkid as an inspiration for a generation of African artists, includingTiwa Savage,Davido,Mr Eazi,Maleek Berry,Tekno andBurna Boy.[151]
Wizkid in 2020
Poppie Platt ofThe Daily Telegraph said "The Afrobeats pioneer's fusion of traditional rhythms, slick R&B production and a smattering of pop-ready lyrics, sung in a mix of Yoruba and English, have helped to commercialise the genre across the West, making it one of the industry's most profitable – and brilliant – imports. ".[152] Nicole Vassell ofThe Independent deemed Wizkid "king of Afrobeats", by asserting that he's "undeniably one of the reasons for the genre's mainstream appeal".[153] Joe Coscarelli ofThe New York Times credited his collaborations with international artists such asChris Brown andMajor Lazer for cementing him as a "lasting internationalpop cultural ambassador".[154] FormerGovernor ofMinnesotaMark Dayton declared 6 October as "Wizkid day" in the state, stating "Wizkid has inspired Minnesotans, and music fans around the world as one of the biggest cultural influencers of our time."[155][156]
^Wizkid began his singing career when he was 11 years old, in 2001. He recorded his first song withOJB Jezreel and also recorded a 7-track album under the stage name Lil Prinz.[5]
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