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Wizkid
EntityQ16233663· pop 32· linked from 1,379 articles

Also known as Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, Lil Prinz, Starboy, Big Wiz, Machala

Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (; born 16 July 1990), better known as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. Born in the Ojuelegba suburb of Surulere, Lagos, Wizkid is a voice in the emerging Afrobeats movement. His music is a blend of Afrobeats, afropop, R&B, afrobeat, reggae, dancehall, and pop. He began recording music at the age of 11 and released a collaborative album with the Glorious Five, a group he and a few of his church friends formed. In 2009, Wizkid signed a record deal with Banky W's Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E). He gained recognition after releasing a hit called "Holla at Y

Music · MusicBrainz

Type
Person
Country
NG
Active from
1990-07-16

via MusicBrainz · CC0

Listeners · Last.fm

Listeners
611,188
Total plays
14,869,942

Tags

afrobeatHip-Hopafrobeatsnigeriaafropop

Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born 16 July 1990), known professionally as Wizkid (sometimes stylized as WizKid), Wizzy, Big Wiz or Starboy, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter.[3] The recipient of received several international music award nominations and awards,[4] he began recording music at the age of 11 and managed to release a collaborative album with the Glorious Five, a group he and a couple of his church friends formed. Wizkid signed a record deal with Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E) in 20

via Last.fm · Wizkid

Key facts

Person.name
Wizkid
Person.image
Wizkid in Canex - Algiers 2025 (cropped).jpg
Person.caption
Wizkid performing at Canex in Algiers in 2025
Person.birth_name
Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun
Person.birth_place
Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria
Person.years_active
2001–present
Person.notable_works
Discography
Person.awards
Full list
Musical artist.origin
Lagos, Nigeria
Musical artist.embed
yes
Musical artist.instruments
Vocals

via Wikipedia infobox

Official website

Link to the official site · 3,569 chars · not written by Vinony

~25 min read

Encyclopedic overview

24 sections
Contents
  • Life and music career
  • 1990–2010: Early life and career beginnings
  • 2010–2011: ''Superstar''
  • 2012–2014: E.M.E tour, ''Ayo'' and other recordings
  • 2015–2018: ''Sounds from the Other Side'' and the international success with "One Dance"
  • 2019–2023: "Brown Skin Girl", ''Made in Lagos'' and international collaborations
  • 2024–present: ''Morayo'' and new record projects
  • Endorsements
  • Record label and contract
  • Empire Mates Entertainment
  • Starboy Entertainment
  • Sony Music/RCA
  • Personal life
  • Fatherhood controversy
  • Feuds
  • Fashion style
  • Legacy
  • Awards and nominations
  • Discography
  • Filmography
  • Tours
  • Notes
  • References
  • External links

Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (; born 16 July 1990), better known as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. Born in the Ojuelegba suburb of Surulere, Lagos, Wizkid is a voice in the emerging Afrobeats movement. His music is a blend of Afrobeats, afropop, R&B, afrobeat, reggae, dancehall, and pop. He began recording music at the age of 11 and released a collaborative album with the Glorious Five, a group he and a few of his church friends formed. In 2009, Wizkid signed a record deal with Banky W's Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E). He gained recognition after releasing a hit called "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. In 2016, he achieved international recognition following his collaboration with Drake on the hit single "One Dance", which reached number-one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in 14 additional countries. The song broke multiple records, making Wizkid the first Afrobeats artist to appear in the Guinness World Records. In March 2017, he signed a multi-album deal with RCA 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.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Wizkid” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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