The Nigerian born Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, Wizkid as you know him, born July 16,1990 is a recording artist, songwriter and performing musician.

His musical career started at age 11, in a collaborative album entitled Lil Prinz (2001) with Glorious Five (a group he initiated). He signed a record deal with Empire Mates Entertainment in 2009 and rose to prominence in 2010 with the release of the song “Holla at Your Boy” from his debut studio album, Superstar (2011).

The same album recorded hit singles in “Teaser Me/Bad Guys”, “Don’t Dull”, Gidi Girl, “Love My Baby”, “Pakurumo” and “Oluwa Lo Ni”. Wizkid’s second studio album, Ayo (2014), was preceded by the singles “Jaiye Jaiye”, “On Top Your Matter”, “One Question”, “Joy”, “Bombay” and “Show You the Money”.

Wizkid has collaborated with several artist both home and abroad, proving his worth in all of the collaboration. He featured on the hits “Girl” (with Bracket), “Fine Lady” (with Lynxxx), “Sexy Mama” (with Iyanya), “Slow Down” (with R2Bees), “The Matter” (with Maleek Berry), “Pull Over” (with KCee) and “Bad Girl” (with Jesse Jagz).

His continued effort and pursue for success saw him ranked 5th on Forbes and Channel O’s 2013 list of the Top 10 Richest/Bankable African Artists, and he became the first ever Nigerian musician to have over 1 million followers on Twitter in February 2014.

EARLY LIFE OF WIZKID (1990-2010)

Wizkid in Surulere, a residential and commercial area of Lagos, to a polygamous family of three wives. At age 11, the 7 track album entitled Lil Prinz (2001) he released with his group, the Glorious Five (a couple of his church friends), marked the start of his beautiful career.

The group dropped the album prior to dismembering. Wizkid then met OJB Jezreel, a record producer and was prevented from recording for a year, watching 2 Face Idibia record Grass 2 Grace and Sound Sultan record Jagbajantis from the bench. A year later, Wizkid started recording.

His first song was met with great reception throughout Surulere and featured OJB Jezreel. Though his parents were not welcoming his career in music from the beginning, hard work and lots of time in the studio saw him gain his father’s trust, Wizkid said Naeto C is one of the people who mentored and coached him while he was 15 years and upcoming.

At this time, Wizkid has a great relationship with Banky W because they were first friends, before a professional relationship. He co-wrote Banky W’s “Omoge You Too Much”, a song off the The W Experience album. 2006 saw him collaborating with Naeto C and Ikechukwu before becoming a household name within Nigeria’s musical industry in 2009; same year he featured on M.I’s “Fast Money, Fast Cars” and Kel’s “Turn by Turn”.

FIRST STUDIO ALBUM: SUPERSTAR (2010-2011)

Wizkid began the recording for his debut studio album Superstar (2011) in 2010, realeasing “Holla at Your Boy” as the album’s lead single on the 2 January 2010, a song that earned him a Next Rated award at The Headies 2011, and was nominated for Best Pop Single at The Headies 2011.

The music video for “Holla at Your Boy” was nominated for Most Gifted Newcomer Video at the 2011 Channel O Music Video Awards. Same video was also nominated for Best Afro Pop Video at the 2011 Nigeria Music Video Awards (NMVA).

Still working on the album, a second single “Tease Me/Bad Guys” was released on 2 April 2010; which was initially as a freestyle, then followed “Don’t Dull”, the album’s third single, on 6 December 2010.

Finally, the album was released on 12 June 2011 by Empire Mates Entertainment; the album was recorded in Yoruba and English. It incorporates elements of R&B, dancehall, and reggae.

The album saw Wizkid collaborating with a wide range of music producers, including E-Kelly, Jay Sleek, Shizzi, DJ Klem, Sunny Nweke, Q-Beats and Samklef, featuring guest appearances from Banky W, Skales, D’Prince and Wande Coal. It was initially scheduled for release on 14 February 2011, but was later pushed back.

Wizkid hosted an album launch party at the Expo Hall of the Eko Hotel and Suites same day of realease. It featured performances from Banky W, Skales, 2face Idibia, Samklef, Wande Coal, D’Prince, Olamide, eLDee, Jesse Jagz, Ice Prince, Lynxxx and Seyi Shay.

The Superstar album won the Best Album of the Year at the 2012 Nigeria Entertainment Awards, and was nominated for Album of the Year at The Headies 2012.

SECOND STUDIO ALBUM: AYO (2012-2014) AND OTHER WORKS

Wizkid’s second studio album, Ayo, was set on motion in 2012 and continued through 2014. It featured guest appearances from Femi Kuti, Banky W, Seyi Shay, Phyno, Tyga, Akon and Wale. With productions handled by Sarz, Shizzi, Uhuru, Del B, Dr Frabz, Maleek Berry, Legendury Beatz and Spellz.

The album was initially titled Chosen but it suffered from a pushed back release date according to MTV Base. It was earlier reported that the album would feature Don Jazzy, Efya and Olamide. On 6 September 2014, Wizkid revealed the album’s cover art and track listing.

Before the plans for a second studio album, Wizkid had plans for a mixtape in April 2013 according to an interview with Ok!Nigeria TV at Disturbing Headquarters in London, saying it would feature Wale and Tinie Tempah. Before he later announced, he would be releasing his second studio album on 12 June 2013.

Wizkid and Starboy Entertainment, on 2May 2013 released the album’s lead single “Jaiye Jaiye” featuring Femi Kuti. He told Showtime Celebrity that he collaborated with Femi Kuti in order to prevent people from depicting him as an artist whose lyrics revolve around girls, cars and materialistic things.

Another song “On Top Your Matter” followed as the album’s second single on 26 October 2013; produced by Del B. It’s music video, released on 13 February 2014, shot and directed in South Africa by Sesan. In July 2014, at The Beat 99.9 FM studio in Lagos, Wizkid told Toolz that he collaborated with Barbadian singer Rihanna.

2015 – PRESENT

Wizkid thrilled his fans on 5 January 2015, with the release of the music video for “Ojuelegba”, a song that highlights the struggles he endured in the early years of his recording career. The song’s official remix features vocals from Drake and Skepta; it premiered on OVO Sound Radio in July 2015...

READ MORE @ https://idonsabi.com/2016/08/19/wizkid-biography/

Impressive

rosy1992:
Impressive

Yup!

You forgot to mention he is signed to KONVICT MUZIK abi? and Tinie Tempa's Management Disturbing london his currently his UK management.



IMC: What do you think of the music scene in Africa?
Bu: [/b]That’s so crazy you say that because I was at an African club this last Saturday, I caught myself actually dancing and I don’t dance in clubs. It was so dope, the music is so good. You know when I was 16 the music in Africa was good but it was very traditional and now you have guys like [b]Wiz Kid, these kids that are so talented, like incredibly talented. So now the music is crossing over to America. America loves it and I love it. It makes me proud to go into a club in America and have the crowd be so into it, and I’m also so into it. It’s incredible, and luckily we had the opportunity to sign Wiz kid earlier in his career. I am just so happy to be apart of it and see it continue to grow.

IMC: What’s special about Whiz Kid?
Bu: Wiz Kid, I think that he embodies everything from the swag of America to the swag of the music. He just has everything all the way, he has the “it factor” I was talking about.

IMC: So when he walks in a room, you know he’s a star?
Bu: Yes exactly, he walks in the room and he is a star, you can absolutely see it.


Bu is Akon's junior Brother and Chris Brown's Manager

pinkyruledworld:
You forgot to mention he is signed to KONVICT MUZIK abi? and Tinie Tempa's Management Disturbing london his currently his UK management.



IMC: What do you think of the music scene in Africa?
Bu: [/b]That’s so crazy you say that because I was at an African club this last Saturday, I caught myself actually dancing and I don’t dance in clubs. It was so dope, the music is so good. You know when I was 16 the music in Africa was good but it was very traditional and now you have guys like [b]Wiz Kid, these kids that are so talented, like incredibly talented. So now the music is crossing over to America. America loves it and I love it. It makes me proud to go into a club in America and have the crowd be so into it, and I’m also so into it. It’s incredible, and luckily we had the opportunity to sign Wiz kid earlier in his career. I am just so happy to be apart of it and see it continue to grow.

IMC: What’s special about Whiz Kid?
Bu: Wiz Kid, I think that he embodies everything from the swag of America to the swag of the music. He just has everything all the way, he has the “it factor” I was talking about.

IMC: So when he walks in a room, you know he’s a star?
Bu: Yes exactly, he walks in the room and he is a star, you can absolutely see it.


Bu is Akon's junior Brother and Chris Brown's Manager

OK, will check it out.