Wizkid Biography
Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, also known as Wizkid or Starboy, is a well-known musician from Nigeria who was born on July 16, 1990. Due to his contribution to the development of the music scene over the years, he is regarded as one of the top three Afrobeats performers from the African continent. Wizkid, formerly known by his stage name Lil Prince, rose to fame after the release of Holla At Your Boy, the first single from his critically acclaimed debut album Superstar. His other names are Big Wiz and Machala.
He gained notoriety internationally in 2016 when he contributed vocals to Drake’s Grammy-winning single, One Dance, which became a worldwide success. In October 2020, the singer-songwriter released Made In Lagos, his fourth studio album. Since its release into the public domain, the album has gone on to garner numerous awards and break numerous records. Essence, one of the album’s best songs, made history as the first song from Nigeria to reach the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, a megastar of Nigerian music, was born on July 16, 1990. Professionally, he is known as Wizkid, Starboy, or Big Wiz. After joining Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E) in 2009 and releasing his hit tune, “Hola At Your Boy,” he gained notoriety.
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In the previous twelve years, Wizkid has released several financially successful albums thanks to the song that garnered him millions of followers. Made In Lagos, his most recent album, debuted at the top of the Billboard World Album Chart, earning him widespread praise.
Essence featuring Tems, one of the album’s songs, is the first Nigerian song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Additionally, it was revealed in February 2021 that Wizkid has amassed over 3.4 billion plays from all of his works, making him the most streamed Nigerian musician on Spotify.
Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, a 32-year-old Nigerian singer, rapper, and songwriter who rose to fame professionally through Wizkid, is regarded as a blessing in the country’s music industry.
Wizkid Early Life
On July 16, 1990, Wizkid was born into the family of Mr. Ibrahim Balogun and Mrs. Jane Dolapo Balogun. He was raised in a multifaith home where his mother was a Christian and his father was a practising Muslim. He was given the name Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun by his parents.
He is a native of Ogun State in the South West of Nigeria and hails from a huge family with twelve sisters and two sisters. He was nurtured in a polygamous home in Surulere City’s Ojuelegba neighbourhood in Lagos State. His father is wed to three different women.
He spent his formative years in Lagos City, where he was exposed to the vibrant Nigerian music scene, which fueled his enthusiasm for the genre. With his mother and other siblings, he routinely attended church as a young kid and actively participated in choir-related activities at his local church.
He co-founded the Glorious Five at the age of eleven, and they put out an album before splitting up to pursue separate careers. He used Lil Prinz as his stage name during this time. By listening to musical greats like Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Bob Marley, Lucky Dube, and King Sunny Ade, he developed a passion for music.
He met the more experienced artiste as he entered his teenage years and started going to the legendary Nigerian producer OJB Jezreel’s recording studio. Wizkid was mentored by OJB Jezreel, who suggested that he wait a year before starting to record and use that time to perfect his sound. At the age of 15, his path also intersected with the rapper Naeto C, with whom he later formed a mentor-mentee relationship. The turning point in Wizkid’s career came when he was found by singer, talent manager, and music executive Banky W.
On July 16, 1990, Wizkid was born into a polygamous family. His parents gave him the name Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun and he is of the Yoruba tribe. His mother practises Christianity and goes to a Pentecostal church in Nigeria; his father is a Muslim.
He was raised in the Surulere neighbourhood of Ojuelegba. He is an Ogun State native despite being born in Lagos State. The only son of twelve siblings, all of whom are female, he grew up in isolation. Mr. Balogun, his father, had three wives. The Baloguns were a polygamous family, although they coexisted peacefully. And this freed Wizkid up to pursue his musical goals without having to worry about familial problems.
Wizkid’s career in music began when he and his pals founded the group Glorious Five when he was just eleven years old. His church members served as his friends. Before breaking up, the trio produced an album together. Lil Prinz was Wizkid’s original stage name until he changed it to his current one in 2006.
As Wizkid became older, he met some well-known figures in the music business. When he initially met legendary music producer OJB Jezreel, he was told to put off recording any songs for a year in favour of honing his songwriting skills. He frequented OJB Jezreel’s studio around this time because it was close by in his Ojuelegba area. And this provided him the chance to observe musicians like Sound Sultan and 2baba record songs.
He later met rapper Naeto C, whom he considers to be one of his mentors in the business. When Wizkid crossed paths with Banky W, an artist, talent manager, and the CEO of E.M.E Records, success finally dropped into his lap. Immediately after being taken to Wizkid, Banky W started developing the younger artist’s sound with him. Wizkid consequently agreed to a record deal with E.M.E records in 2009.
Wizkid Education
Wizkid came from a wealthy family, therefore he was able to receive his primary and senior education at prestigious private schools in Surulere.
He was admitted to Lagos State University, however he left the institution in 2009. After submitting an application and receiving admission to Lead City University in Ibadan, he managed to complete two academic semesters there before leaving the school to deal with the music head-on.
The Baloguns spent every penny possible on their son’s schooling. Wizkid received his primary and secondary studies at prestigious private schools in Surulere.
He was admitted to Lagos State University after receiving his West African School Certificate. However, after that, he left the university.
In order to further his education, he then enrolled at Lead City University in Ibadan. However, he only stayed for two sessions before leaving the facility.
Wizkid Career
Wizkid secured a record deal with Banky W-owned and -operated Empire Mates Entertainment in 2009. When he co-wrote the single Omoge You Too Much from Banky W’s album The W Experience, he first gave the world a taste of his extraordinary songwriting talent. He started work on his debut album, Superstar, that same year, and on January 2nd of that year, 2010, he released the project’s lead single, Holla At Your Boy. His prominence in the music industry skyrocketed because to the song, which also helped him win the prestigious Next Rated Artist prize at The Headies in 2011.
Tease Me/Bad Guys, the second single from the album, was made available to the general public on April 2, 2010. While the third single from the album, Don’t Dull, was made available as a Christmas jam on December 6, 2010. Superstar, a blend of Afrobeats, Dancehall, R&B, and Reggae sounds, was ultimately launched on the 12th of June 2011 during a launch party held at the Eko Hotel and Suites after two years of recording and compiling the project. The album received multiple nominations before taking home the 2012 Nigerian Entertainment Awards’ Best Album Of The Year trophy.
After releasing his debut album, Wizkid went on tour with his fellow label members Skales, Shaydee, Banky W, and Niyola in London. Additionally, he collaborated with other members of his label to record Empire Mates State Of The Mind, a 2012 compilation album by E.M.E.
Wizkid started recording his second studio album, Ayo, in 2012. The album was finished and released in 2014. Due to the contributions of artists like Femi Kuti, Seyi Shay, Phyno, Tyga, Akon, Wale, Sarz, Shizzi, Legendury Beatz, Dokta Frabz, Maleek Berry, and Spellz, the album was a financial success. The album’s lead song, Jaiye Jaiye, had been made available earlier in May 2013. Femi Kuti, a legend of Afrobeat, was a featured musician on the song.
The second single from the album, On Top Your Matter, was released in October 2013. Del B is should be credited for this song’s production. He left the record company after his contract with E.M.E. expired in order to become an independent artist and start his own record label.
Wizkid released the song Ojuelegba in the beginning of the year (January 2015), which discusses the beginning of his career and the challenges he encountered on the route to the top. He released his eagerly awaited third album, Sounds From The Other Side, in July 2017 after inking a record deal with RCA Records in March 2017. Expensive Shit, Daddy Yo with Efya, Come Closer with Drake, African Bad Gyal with American artist Chris Brown, and Sweet Love were among the album’s prominent tracks.
Wizkid made a guest appearance on Drake’s popular song One Dance in 2016. The song gave him more attention abroad because it peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remained there for 10 separate weeks. Additionally, the song was at the top of the charts in fifteen additional nations. He entered the 2018 Guinness World Records as the first Afrobeats artist as a result of his work with One Dance.
Additionally, Wizkid was contacted by prominent international singers Normani and Calvin Harris in 2018 to duet. In addition, the group recorded the hugely successful track Checklist that year. During this time, the song climbed to the top of the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart. He was given the privilege of being asked to contribute on Beyoncé’s album The Lion King: The Gift in 2019. Along with SAINt JHN and Blue Ivy Carter, he was a part of the song Brown Skin Girl, which went on to win the Grammy for Best Music Video in 2021.
In October 2021, he released his fourth studio album, Made In Lagos, which was a commercial success internationally, as the album found its way to the number-one position on Billboard World Album Chart. One of the project’s singles, Essence, featuring fellow Nigerian singer, Tems, became the first Nigerian song to appear on Billboard Hot 100. The song also made it to the top ten spots after the remix with Justin Bieber. In February 2021, he was the most-streamed Nigerian artist of all time on Spotify, garnering over 3.4 billion streams across the songs on his discography.
After he was signed to E.M.E records, Wizkid began working on his debut album, Superstar. The album, which is a mix of Afrobeats, R&B, and Reggae sounds, saw Wizkid work with talented producers such as Masterkraft, Samklef, Shizzi, Jay Sleek, and Q-Beats.
He released the first and lead single of the project in January 2010. The song titled Holla At Your Boy thrust Wizkid into the national limelight and made him the favorite artiste of many young Nigerians. In addition, the song is credited for helping him win the Next Rated Artiste award at The Headies 2011.
Wizkid released the second single of the album, Tease Me/Bad Guys, in April 2020. Like his first work, this song was also a commercial success. And the single was followed by Don’t Dull, which became the club jam and party song during the December Festive season. Superstar was released to critical acclaim on the 12th Of June 2011, and its launch party was held at Eko Hotel and Suites. The album secured a nomination for Album Of The Year at The Headies 2012.
In 2012, Wizkid worked with his label mates, Shaydee, Niyola, Skales, and Banky W, on the collaborative album: Empire Mates State Of The Mind. Upon the album’s release, he and other E.M.E acts toured the United States, performing at over two dozen cities.
After two years of working hard in the studio, he released his sophomore album, Ayo, which also did great numbers commercially. The album’s lead single, Jaiye Jaiye, was released on the 2nd of May, 2013. He featured music icon, Femi Kuti on the song. The second single of the album, On Top Your Matter, was dropped on the 26th Of October 2013. Again, he collaborated with ace producer, Del B on the song.
After the expiration of his five-year contract with E.M.E records, he chose not to renew his contract and left the label. Instead, he decided to set up his own music outfit, which he called Starboy Entertainment. Prior to leaving E.M.E, there had been speculations that Wizkid was having issues with the management due to the terms of agreement of his contract. And this was the reason given for his leaving the E.M.E mansion into his own house in February 2013. On the formation of Starboy Entertainment, he signed recording artists, Legendury Beatz and Maleek Berry to the label.
In January 2015, Wizkid released Ojuelegba, which spoke about his struggles during the early years of his career. After being featured on Drake‘s single, One Dance, he became the first Nigerian artist to be listed on Billboard Twitter’s Last 24 Hours chart. By May, the song had reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart earning Wizkid more accolades. Furthermore, due to his contribution to One Dance, he became the first Afrobeats artist to appear in the 2018 Guinness World Records.
He signed a record deal with the international music label, RCA Records in March 2017. Four months after, he released his third studio album titled Sounds From The Other Side. The album saw Wizkid collaborate with big names like Drake, Chris Brown, Sarz, Spellz, Del B, Major Lazer, Ty Dolla Sign, Efya, and DJ Mustard. Before the album’s release, he had released three hit singles; Daddy Yo, Sweet Love, and Come Closer.
In 2019, he was contacted by American diva, Beyonce and invited to work with her on the album: The Lion King: The Gift. As a result, he lent his vocals to the chart-topping song, Brown Skin Girl. The song helped him win his first Grammy Award for Best Music Video. Also, it earned him nominations at the BET Awards, NACCP Image Awards, and Soul Train Music Awards.
On the 30th Of October 2020, Wizkid released his fourth studio album titled, Made In Lagos. In 2021, Essence, one of the album’s singles, became the first Nigerian song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. The album has also amassed millions of streams, positioning him for many nominations. Due to the success of Essence, Justin Bieber reached out to Wizkid to work on a remix.
The Legendary Nigerian singer, Wizkid was formerly signed by Banky W to Empire Mate Entertainment (EME) in 2009 and rose to fame with “Holla At Your Boy,” a single off his Superstar Album. He left the label EME due to contract differences and started his own record label StarBoy.
Wizkid Personal Life
Wizkid is currently 31 years old. He is thought to be single despite having three charming boys named Boluwatife Balogun, Ayodeji Balogun, and Zion Balogun. The manager and mother of the superstar’s third child, Zion Balogun, Jada Pollock, is rumoured to be in a relationship with the star. Additionally, he has been linked to Tems in several blogs. However, Wizkid adores his kids and spends his downtime with them anytime he isn’t recording music or performing live.
Wizkid is an extremely successful musician in terms of both his musical and financial resources. At the moment, he divides his time between his homes in Lagos and Accra. Along with a fleet of high-end vehicles, he also owns posh houses around the globe and a variety of profitable business ventures.
He is also a music executive, having launched Starboy Entertainment in 2013 and signed musicians like Maleek Berry and Legendury Beatz to the label. Starboy Terri, a rapidly emerging vocalist, is now signed to the company.
He began his first contract with the multinational in 2012 and now represents Pepsi. Additionally, he has agreements for brand partnerships with organisations including the United Bank of Africa, MTN Nigeria, and Guinness Nigeria Plc (UBA).
Mr. Sunday Are is currently in charge of managing him. Additionally, he goes by the monikers Starboy, Machala, Big Wiz, and Big W.
One of the top three artists in Africa is frequently regarded as being Wizkid. Davido and Burna Boy round out the group. In addition, he has the largest group of Wizkid FC supporters in Nigeria. Other aliases for Wizkid include Starboy, Big Wiz, and Big W.
The 32-year-old vocalist is from Lagos. He has three sons from various ladies even though he has not yet been married. Boluwatife, his first kid, was born in 2011. He had just turned 21 years old. He adores his kids and spends his leisure time travelling or taking them to beautiful locations.
One of the top three artists in Africa is frequently regarded as being Wizkid. Davido and Burna Boy round out the group. In addition, he has the largest group of Wizkid FC supporters in Nigeria. Other aliases for Wizkid include Starboy, Big Wiz, and Big W.
The 32-year-old vocalist is from Lagos. He has three sons from various ladies even though he has not yet been married. Boluwatife, his first kid, was born in 2011. He had just turned 21 years old. He adores his kids and spends his leisure time travelling or taking them to beautiful locations.
He is currently rumored to be dating his manager, Jada P, who happens to be the mother of his third son, Zion Balogun. He also has another manager named Sunday Are. In addition, he announced the signing of singer, Terri, in 2018.
The singer, who is known for his iconic fashion style, has choice properties across the world. Presently, he spends his time between his houses in Lagos and Ghana.
Wizkid is a father of three;
- Boluwatife Balogun mothered by Oluwanisola Ogudugu
- Ayodeji Balogun mothered by Binta Diallo
- Zion Balogun mothered by Jada Pollock
All three mentioned above are his baby mamas and ex-girlfriends except Jada Pollock. Wizkid has also dated Tonto Dikeh, Tiwa Savage, and Seyi Shay in the past.
Wizkid International Recognition
Wizkid’s official international recognition came in 2016 when Drake collaborated with him on “One Dance,” a chart-topping single in several countries including the United States, for which he is credited to be the writer. He also went ahead to feature Drake in Come Closer.
Wizkid EPS & Albums
PS: Wizkid has an upcoming Album Made In Lagos dropping on the 15th of October 2020, the Album release was halted due to the End SARS protest in Nigeria. Other albums and projects by Wizkid are;
- Superstar (2011)
- Ayo (2014)
- Sounds from the Other Side (2017)
- Made In Lagos (2020)
EPs and Compilations
- Empire Mates State of Mind (with EME) (2012)
- Soundman Vol. 1 (2019)
Wizkid Discography
- Made In Lagos
- Made In Lagos Deluxe
- Sounds From The Other Side
- Ayo
- Superstar
- Soundman Vol. 1
Social Media
In 2013, Wizkid became the first Nigerian artist to have one million followers on Twitter.
He currently has over 13.1 million followers on Instagram.
- Instagram handle – @wizkidayo
- Twitter handle – @wizkidayo
Wizkid Net Worth
As one of Africa’s most significant artists and music executives, Wizkid is a very wealthy man. He earns a lot of royalties from his songs and makes money from organizing shows and performing at shows across the world.
Wizkid‘s net worth Cannot be estimated But He will worth More $30 million.