Nigeria’s most important entertainment figure, Ayodeji Ibraham Balogun, popularly called Wizkid celebrated his 28th birthday on Monday July 16,2018. The buzz sounding Wizkid is not mere hype. There is no bigger act on the continent of Africa than him right now.
A combination of his boyish charm and his ability to deliver hits after hits has ensured that his being signed to an international record company is not a dud. His first body of work on Sony RCA just came out to much applause.
Any listener would agree that it is earned, otherwise successful artistes have tweaked their sand to sound like his, (no bigger example than Drake) and he has shown more light in the continent of Africa with his music.
With the release of “sounds from the other side”, it is a fitting time to explore the man Wizkid and give context to his continuous rise. Below is the A-Z Encyclopedia of Wizkid.
A: – Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun
How fitting it is that a Wizkid encyclopedia starts with the singer’s name, born July 18th 1990 in Lagos, he would grow up to be one of the most iconic music stars of his generation.
Awards: Wizkid boasts of several awards both international and continental they include: MTV Europe music awards for Best African, Act, The Headies Award for Artiste of the year, BZT Award for Best International Act:- Africa, MTV Africa music award for Best collaboration in partnership with Absolut and MTV Africa music award for Bes male.
Others are MTV Africa music award for Best male, MTV Europe music award for best worldwide Act, MTV Africa music award for artiste of the year, I Heart Radio music Award for Hiphop Song of the year, Nigeria. Entertainment award for Hottest single of the year, the Headies Award for song of the year, Teen choice award for choice RnB/Hiphopsong, city people entertainment award for pop artiste of the year Two Mobo Awards, two channel O music video awards etc.
B – Banky W:
Without a doubt Banky W. is the most important figure of Wizid’s career. When he returned to Nigeria to start a record label, Wizkid was the first Act signed (along with Skales) and that opportunity helped the teenage star show the world what he had to offer. Beyond the music, the two seemed to be brothers. There was however rumours of in fighting before Wizkid departed EME after his second album ‘Ayo’ but it has been nothing but love from both parties since then.
C- Come Closer
The second duet with Canadian- rapper Drake after the global success of ‘one dance’ became Wizkid’s fastest video to hit the 20 million mark on you Tube. It defied critics of the artiste and was Wizkid first official single under Sonny/RCA.
D- Davido:
Pop Star and Wizkid’s nemesis, except the slight difference in age and birth location the two could very well pass as siblings. They have had similar successes and live similar life styles, however as it sometime happens, these two do not like each other and that’s putting it lightly. They shot barbs at each other on wax and on social media. The most recent being the Yankee passport/frog voices subs on twitter (note that they reconciled by Christmases and are now besties).
D Rake: Canadian rapper who rode on Ojuelegba’s success to create an African flavoured album that turned out to be his most successful yet. After jumping on Ojuelega, Drake has gone on to be on ‘Come Closer’ returning the favour Wizkid did to him.
E: EME (Empire Males Entertainment)
Empire Mates Entertainment, Wizkid’s one for nearly six years owned by Banky W. The Demuren brothers, the record label was successful for its marquee signing even if the other guy Skales was dissatisfied at a point. For now only Banky W, continues to be the main player since his two biggest stars left, leaving Niyola and Shaydee to step out of the shadows.
F: Fela
Afrobeat god, music genius, social crusader and thorn in the flesh of the Nigerian government before his 1997 death. Fela is obviously Wizkid’s biggest influence right now. He references Fela in several interviews, dances like him and got the man tattooed on his arm.
G: Godwin Tom:
The manager that worked with Wizkid after he fired Osagie, appeared unsure of what his job was at the time and publicity dissed Wizkid’s fans who nailed. Eventually he would throw the towel and tweet, “Fuck this shit, I’m done”.
Hi- Holla at your boy:
This track introduced Wizkid to the world the lead single off his debut album, it made Wizzy the heart throb of all teenyboppers in Nigeria and cleared the way for the boy to shine, Banky should be proud.
– Headies : the award show where Wizkid was first crowned next Rated and where he would be crowned Artistes of the year in 2016. It was the first solid recognition of Wizkid talent and continues to be the holy grail for many Nigerian artistes. As a matter of fact many of them get upset when they don’t win.
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– Home Coming Tour: the failed concert series that Wizkid promised fans in 2016, after a great year and almost zero appearance on the Nigerian circuit in almost two years, fans were eager to end the year with a massive concert. Few days to the concert however, Wizkid announced a cancellation on doctors’ orders. He appologised profusely and promised to be back. In July 2017 he once again declined at he would hold a four stadium tour.
-1-International
Like Fela and Majek Fashek, Wizkid has become a truly international Act. Argue with Drake and Chris Brown and future and all the other acts that he’s been on stage with.
-J- Justine Skye
One of several beautiful women that our boy has been with, neither of them acknowledges or deny their relationship, but they’re hardly been seen together after a rumoured breakup.
– Jedda Pollock: The oldest but most recent baby Mama of Wizkid’s who was his UK Manager. She had his third son Zion in London last year and the two were most recently seen together at his Q2 Arena concert.
K- Konvict Music
Owned by Akon(who shold be given honourary citizenship). In 2016, it was reported that wizkid was signing to Akon’s label for a more global appeal, all that was seen from that deal were a few selfish and EME later denied that their star was signed anywhere else, but it shows that the boy was destined for bigger things if as far back as 2011 Super Stars like Akon were already famishing him.
L- Legendary Beatz:
The production team made up of brothers Vizezi and Oke Muite Oniko. They started their production credits with weird MC and soon moved to Brymo and then EME for whom they produced their compilation album. Their chemistry with Wizkid will turn out to be powerful as they were signed to his imprint, star boy. They produced Ojuelegba.
M-Mummy:
Well, he might be the biggest African Star in the word right now but the man has always been a mummy’s boy. He brought her on stage at an award show and did the mother and son dance and he also wrote a whole song for her on ‘AYO’.
N- Nigeria:
Also known as ‘Naija’, the laud of paradoxes, one day you are jumping bus in Surulere and the next, you are crashing Porsches in Likki, the land of 180 million brave hearts where Wizkid is from. The country that is capable of killing your dreams and making them come true at the same time. The country is the people resident, strong and proud who defy the odds daily, Wizkid is proof.
O-OJB:
Stop everything right now, if this man hadn’t opened his door to a nine-year old boy who wanted to be around music and musicians we wouldn’t have been talking about the name Wizkid today. OJB was far ahead his days and was a talented producer, song writer and singer he rapped a bit too, Wizkid was always in his studio and that where he first had dreams of being big, it happened to him, rest in peace Jegga.
-Ojuelegba: The song that practically shot Wizkid to the world named after a Lagos hot spot and ever pulsating hub where everything happens. For Wizkid it was an allegory, one that told his story better than mere words could have done. It caught Drakes attention and the rest is history, he can thank Fela for the inspiration too. It generously sampled from the 1975 record confusion.
Osagie: Nee Osarenkhoe the third part of the three prong boost that Wizkid got in the beginning he might have been given a platform by EME and he could have been one of the boys around OJB, but Osagie made it chick. She managed him from 2009 to 2012, called in favours to get him on a number of tracks and introduced him to Banky W. They would later fallout but Osagie’s work with Wizkid is indelible.
P- Porsche: The first peak of extravagance of our boy will indulge in, in 2013 he treated himself to a Porsche panama, just about a month later, he crashed it in an accident while returning from a show, like a true rock star, he replaced it with another one within a forth night.
Producers: Wizkid has always been blessed with good producers that are able to key into his vision. From his early days with Samklef master kraft, Sarz, Shizzi to meeting Maleek Bery and doing great stuff with legendary Beatz, producers have formed a very key part of Wizkid’s artistry.
Q- Questions: Questions have always followed Wizkid either as Banky’s protégé or in his personal life. Can he do this? Can he cross over? Can he still remain his identity? So much that the boy himself sang about it on talk and Oje. He is ensuring those questions, through the only way he knows by succeeding those that raised him.
R-RCA: The subsidiary though which Wizkid is signed to song music. RCA records was signed some of the biggest entertainers in the world throughout its 115 years history. Today it is home to artistes like US her, Miley Cyrus, Chris Brown, Zayn Malik and a host of others. Wizkid certainly is in good.
S-Surulere: The land that raised him Surulere in the 90s was the place to be. Rappers, singers, batters, it had it all, it was hard for a kid born in that era to have dreams of becoming grant, that was where Wizkid was born into, that is the culture that raised him.
Star Boy:
(A) A nick name Wizkid gave himself (b) the record label born out of that name founded as he neared his exit from EME.
T-Tinie Tempah: Arguably the first international connection Wizkid got, a friendship started between the two young men Tinie who was already a big shot in UK extended his good will to Wizkid. A management deal by Tinne’s label disturbing London “helped Wizkid crack that UK market early on.
U- University: Wizkid made an attempt to attend two but the pull of music was too strong. At Lagos State University, he no try at all a leak of his only semester that recently got out, he allegedly got 44 carry overs (how is that even possible). He spent a bit more time at lead city University in Ibadan and somehow did two semesters before he abandoning the whole thing. While there he collaborate with an Ibadan based rapper Jaru on a track called “Familiarity”.
V- Versus Davido/Linda Ikeju/Danny Krane: Wizkid doesn’t feel afraid of getting into people’s faces and under their skin He’s had few beefs most notably with Dared his arch rival in the >>>>> they two have never been the best of friends and the international exposure both artistes currently have has only heightened the rivalry. With blogger Linda Ikeji, its come from a place of irritation. She wrote something Wizkid didn’t like, then he insulted her on social media ballad, it was settled by the Commissioner of Police.