Singer/songwriter Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (aka
Wizkid) is one of Nigeria's biggest R&B crossover acts, having worked with
Drake,
Skepta, and
Chris Brown, among others. He first found regional success in 2011 with the massively popular single "Holla at Your Boy," which appeared on his debut album,
Superstar.
Wizkid went global in 2016 after his collaboration with
Drake, "One Dance," soared to number one in 15 countries, resulting in a multi-album deal with RCA, which issued his Caribbean-influenced major-label debut,
Sounds from the Other Side, in 2017. The acclaimed
Made in Lagos followed in 2021, featuring the internationally charting hit single "Essence."
Balogun began his career in music when he was just 11 years old. His first record, Lil Prinz, was recorded in 2001 in collaboration with Glorious Five, a group consisting of Balogun and his friends from church. In 2006, he started pursuing music full-time, at first collaborating with various Nigerian pop acts including OJB Jezreel, Naeto C, and
Banky W. By 2011, he was ready to record his debut studio album as a solo artist;
Superstar was released by Empire Mates Entertainment (EME for short) to great critical and public acclaim across Africa, propelling
Wizkid to stardom in his home country.
After multiple delays and label disagreements, he released his sophomore studio album, Ayo, in 2014. The record featured a multitude of guest appearances, including a spot from
Femi Kuti. It also featured Balogun's global breakthrough track "Ojuelegba." Not only did the single cement his status as one of Nigeria's biggest pop acts, it was also picked up and remixed by
Drake and
Skepta, thrusting
Wizkid into the international spotlight. In return, he appeared on
Drake's 2016 smash single "One Dance." In March 2017,
Wizkid signed a major deal with RCA and Sony International, which would release his third LP,
Sounds from the Other Side, later that year. A handful of singles appeared in advance of the album, including "Sweet Love" and the
Drake-assisted "Come Closer."
In October 2018,
Wizkid issued a pair of singles, "Master Groove" and "Fever," to mark Nigeria's Independence Day. The following year, he joined
Beyoncé and
Saint Jhn for
The Lion King: The Gift track "Brown Skin Girl" and released his own single, "Joro." The EP
Soundman, Vol.1 was issued by Balogun's Starboy Entertainment imprint in 2019. Following his involvement in the successful protests to scrap Nigeria's controversial Special Anti-Robbery Squad,
Wizkid's fourth album,
Made in Lagos, arrived in October 2020. Featuring collaborations with
H.E.R.,
Damian Marley,
Burna Boy, and several others, the Grammy-nominated set was a critical and commercial success, appearing on numerous year-end album lists and reaching number 15 on the U.K. album charts. The record's fifth single, the Grammy-nominated "Essence" (featuring Tems), became a worldwide hit, reaching number 17 in the U.K. and even becoming the first Nigerian song to chart in the Billboard Hot 100. After the track became a hit, a remix featuring
Justin Bieber was released. ~ Liam Martin