Wizkid

Wizkid is Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, a Nigerian singer and songwriter born on 16 July 1990 in Ojuelegba, Surulere, Lagos. He grew up in a large family, recorded his first music at 11 with a church group called the Glorious Five, and learned the craft around studios where 2Face Idibia and Sound Sultan were working.

Banky W signed him to Empire Mates Entertainment in 2009. “Holla at Your Boy” (2010) won him Next Rated at The Headies, and his debut album Superstar (2011) made him a star. Ayo (2014) followed with “Ojuelegba”. His feature on Drake’s “One Dance” (2016) topped the Billboard Hot 100. He signed with RCA for Sounds from the Other Side (2017), and “Brown Skin Girl” with Beyoncé won him a Grammy.

Made in Lagos (2020) topped Billboard’s World Albums chart, and “Essence” with Tems became the first Nigerian song on the Hot 100. More Love, Less Ego (2022) and S2 (2023) followed. Morayo (2024), dedicated to his late mother, set the record for the biggest Spotify debut by an African album. He runs his own label, Starboy Entertainment.