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Who is Wizkid? Age, Biography and Awards of the Star Musician

Wizkid (born 16 July 1990), whose real name is Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, is a Nigerian songwriter and singer and one of the most famous Nigerian artists, who is probably one of the youngest too. The 33-year-old singer is also one of the richest musicians in Nigeria and Africa.

Wizkid started his singing career at the age of 11 and became a force to reckon with in the music scene in no time. To crown his talent and contribution to the music scene, he has been honored with several national and international awards.

Starboy, as he is also called, started his career from scratch and built it to where he is today. Let’s take a tour of his rise to fame and the awards he has won so far. We will also compare him to his co-star Davido to see who is more successful and more liked.

Wizkid’s Biography and Profile Summary

• Full name:  Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun
• Nickname:  Wizkid, Starboy, Lil Prinz, Wizzy, Big Wiz, Baba Nla, Daddy Yo, Eleniyan, Machala
• Gender: Male
• Date of birth:  16th July 1990
• Wizkid’s Age: 33 years old
• Ethnicity:  Yoruba
• Nationality:  Nigerian
• Zodiac Sign:  Cancer
• Sexual Orientation:  Heterosexual (straight)
• Religion:  Christian
• Education:  Ijebu Ode Grammar School, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State
• Occupation:  Singer, Songwriter, Record Producer, Businessman
• Marital Status:  Single
• Wizkid’s Children: 3- Zion Ayo-Balogun, Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun Jnr., and Boluwatife Balogun
• Wizkid’s Parents: Alhaji Muniru Olatunji Balogun and Mrs. Jane Dolapo Balogun
• Siblings:  12, including Yetunte Awoniyi, Lade Balogun
• Wizkid’s Height in Inches:  5 feet, 4 inches
• Wizkid’s Height in Centimetres: 162.5cm
• Wizkid’s Weight: 65kg
• Wizkid’s Net worth: $30 million
• Famous for:  Holla At Your Boy, Azonto, Essence, Brown Skin Girl, Ojuelegba, Love My Baby, On Top Your Matter
• Wizkid’s Instagram:  wizkidayo
• Twitter:  @wizkidayo
• Facebook:  @Wizkid

How Old is Wizkid?

Wizkid is 33 years old in 2024. Starboy was born into a polygamous family on 16th July 1990. He is from an interfaith family where his father is a Muslim while his mother is a Christian. From his mother, he is the last child and has many sisters. The celebrity was born and raised in Surulere, Lagos State, where he lived with his family. There are conflicting opinions about his state of origin; while some say he is from Ogun State, others say Lagos. The truth about this has not been revealed by the star.

The 33-year-old Afropop king is among the youngest singers who reached their height of fame at a very young age. What many singers can only dream of, Wizkid achieved early in life. His song reflects the environment where he was born and brought up. One of his albums is titled Made in Lagos, which shows how much he cherishes the environment he grew up in.

He Dropped Out of School to Concentrate on His Music Career

The ace musician attended Ijebu Ode Grammar School, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State. For his university education, he first got admission into Lagos State University but dropped out. He later gained admission into Lead City University, Oyo State. However, he dropped out after two academic sessions to pursue his musical career.

It is important to note that Wizkid started singing at 11 in his church choir and continued while still a student. He interrupted his education for his music career. Big Wiz says that he is glad he did so and will be pleased to continue his education in the future because education is essential. He made his choice while still a teenager, which greatly favored him. At such a young age, he has made a name, money, and fame for himself. And he may decide to go back to school or not.

Wizkid Started Singing in His Church Choir

Coming from the kind of home he has, every child has the right to choose the religion they want. Because his mother is a Christian, she took her children to church. Wizzy joined the church choir as a young boy because of his love for music. When he was 11 years old, he formed a group with some of his church friends called Glorious Five, under which he released his first song, a collaborative album.

Wizkid Was Shot into the Spotlight in 2009

Before he finally adopted the stage name Wizkid, he went by other names such as Lil Prinz. When he was using the name Lil Prinz, Wizkid recorded an album with seven tracks. He recorded many other songs but couldn’t break through the music industry. It must have been disappointing, but he never gave up. With determination, Starboy got his big break and became famous.

He came into the limelight in the music industry in 2009. At the time, he collaborated with M.I. Abaga , who was already a big fish in the industry. They produced the award-winning song titled “Fast Money.” This song did not only get many nominations and awards, but it also received massive airplay in Nigeria and internationally. This song brought Wizkid to the spotlight and left the fans wanting more.

Having gained ground in the music scene, Wizkid released his first hit single, “Holla at Your Boy,” in 2010. This song earned him many awards and nominations, and from then, he has continued to be in the spotlight. With this, he released more songs which have contributed to his rise to fame and continual relevance in the industry. Some of the songs that contributed to his fame are “Tease Me/Bad Guys” (2010), “Don’t Dull” (2010), “Brown Skin Girl” (2019), “Holla At Your Boy” (2011), “Azonto” (2013), “Caro” (2014), “Love My Baby” (2011), etc. His albums Superstar, Ayo,  and others all added to his rise to fame.

List of Wizkid’s Songs and Albums

Wizkid has many songs and albums to his name. In less than 13 years in the music industry, he has released four albums, an EP, 33 music videos, 53 singles, including those he featured in, six cameo appearances, and 44 promotional singles. Here’s a list of some of his most famous songs and albums.

Who Has Wizkid Collaborated With?

Ever since his breakthrough in the music scene, Starboy’s music career has been on the rise, and he has been privileged to work with famous artists both locally and internationally. In the Nigerian music industry, Wizkid has collaborated with Naeto C , 2Face Idibia , Banky W , Don Jazzy , Wale, Olamide , Phyno , Femi Kuti , Seyi Shay , and many others. In the international scene, Wizkid has collaborated with artists like Drake, French Montana, Chris Brown, Kranium, Trey Songz, Skepta, Beyonce, and Ty Dolla $ign, among others.

In a more recent international collaboration, Wizkid was featured in Beyoncé’s Brown Skin Girl, which earned him so many national and international awards, including his first Grammy Award. With that song, he expanded his boundaries to include more international fans and partners. With the height he has attained in the music industry, it will be difficult for him to be out of the spotlight anytime soon.

Some of His Most Outstanding Achievements

In about 13 years of active contribution to the music industry, Starboy can boast of many achievements. He started at a young age and has achieved what many musicians like him can only dream of. Here’s a list of some of his notable achievements.

Starboy Has Received Several Awards and Recognition 

Here’s a list of some of the awards he has won so far.

• Best New Male Artist in the 2011 City People Entertainment Awards
• Musician of the Year (Male) in the 2011 City People Entertainment Awards
• HER Award in the 2020 BET Awards
• Best International Africa Act in the 2017 BET Awards
• Best International Act Africa in the 2012 BET Awards
• Most Gifted Duo/Group or Featuring award in the 2014 Channel O Music Video Awards
• Most Gifted Video of the Year award in the 2013 Channel O Music Video Awards
• Artist of the Year in the 2016 Ghana Music Awards
• African Artiste of the Year in the 2012 Ghana Music Awards
• Best African Act in the 2020 MOBO Awards
• Best International Act in the 2017 MOBO Awards
• Viewer’s Choice Awards and Artist of the Year in 2020 The Headies Awards
• Best R&B/Pop Album, Best Collabo, Viewer’s Choice Awards, and the Best Music Video in 2018 The Headies Awards
• Top R&B Collaboration, Top R&B Song, and Top Streaming Song in the 2016 Billboard Music Awards
• Hottest Single of the Year and Male Artist of the Year in the 2015 Nigeria Entertainment Awards
• Hottest Single of the Year in the 2014 Nigeria Entertainment Awards
• Best Pop/R&B Artist of the Year and Best Album of the Year in the 2012 Nigeria Entertainment Awards
• Best African Act in the 2021 MTV Europe Music Awards
• Best Worldwide Act in the 2016 MTV Europe Music Awards
• Best Music Video (“Brown Skin Girl”) in the 2021 Grammy Awards
• Musician of the Year in the 2012 Future Awards
• Best Music Video (“Brown Skin Girl”) in the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards
• Canadian Single of the Year (“One Dance”) in the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Video Awards
• Digital Artist of the Year in the 2017 SoundCity MVP Awards
• Artist of the Year in the 2011 Dynamix All Youth Awards
• Promising Artiste of the Year in the 2010 Dynamix All Youth Awards
• Best Male Artist, Album of the Year, Best Collaboration, Best Video, and Song of the Year in the 2021 African Entertainment Awards USA
• Song of the Year, Best West African Artiste, Artiste of the Year in the 2017 AFRIMA awards

Who Is More Successful Between  Wizkid and Davido?

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Davidowizkidmedia (@davidowizkidmedia)

In the Nigerian and African music industry, Wizkid and Davido are ranked close to each other in terms of fame, achievements, and likes from fans. In terms of their age, Wizkid is two years older than Davido. Both started singing at a young age, but Wizkid came into the music industry before Davido. They have both contributed immensely to the music industry, and they are famous not only in Nigeria but in Africa and the world at large.

In terms of awards, Wizkid has received more awards than his counterpart Davido. In the 2017 BET award for the Best International Act (African category), both artists were nominated for the award, but Wizkid won the award. However, Davido won several other awards over Wizkid; nevertheless, Wizkid has more Awards. Wizkid has also won the Grammy Award, an edge he has over Davido.

Coming to their fans and how much they are liked, here’s a rundown on their social media followers.

• Wizkid has over 7.2 million Facebook followers, 13.8 million Instagram followers, and 9.1 million followers on Twitter.
• Davido has over 22.6 million Instagram followers, 7.2 million Facebook followers, and 10 million followers on Twitter.

With these statistics, it is clear that Davido has more followers on Instagram and Facebook, thereby making him one of the most followed African artists. While some show their love for the artists by identifying with them on their social media pages, we should know that some others will like to love them anonymously, while others who love them are not on social media.

Both artists are successful in their own rights. Aside from singing, both own record labels and other businesses that add more money to their already fat pockets. They are from different family backgrounds, one rich and the other poor, but they have achieved their present status through their efforts and determination. With this, we can say that Wizkid and Davido are both successful, and it may be difficult to establish who is more successful.

How Much Does Wizkid Charge Per Show?

Wizkid charges between $800K to $1 million per show. This makes him one of the most expensive Nigerian musicians to hire for a public performance. Others that fall in this category include Burna Boy – $1 million, Davido – $500K, Olamide – $500k, Rema – $200k, and Tiwa Savage – $1000K.

Mind you, asides the outright payment of his performance fees, you also have to book flights for Wizkid and his entourage as well as rent hote accommodations for them. You also have to pay daily performance charges running into hundreds of dollars.

Besides His Career, Wizkid Has 3 Children and Is Still Single

Wizkid is indeed the ladies’ man as he has been linked with so many ladies since his music career began. He was first rumored to be involved with Sophie Rammal and then Sola Ogudugu, with whom he has a child. He has also been linked with the following ladies: Tiwa Savage , Tonto Dikeh , Temilaade Opeyemi (Tems), Victoria Kimani, Hudah Monroe, Binta Diamond Diallo, Seyi Shay, Justine Skye, Chidinma Ekile , and Tania Omotayo.

However, the singer has never been engaged and has never been married. He currently has three children, all boys, from three different women. The children are Zion Ayo-Balogun, born in 2017 by Jada Pollock ; Boluwatife Balogun, born in 2011 by Shola Ogudu; and Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun Jnr., born in 2016 by Binta Dallo. He features his sons in his music videos and spends quality time with them.

FAQs about Wizkid 

Who is wizkid.

Wizkid is a popular Nigeria afro-beats musician. He has dropped numerous hit tracks and has won many awards including a Grammy award.

How Tall is Wizkid?

Wizkid is 5 feet 4 inches or 1.63 m tall.The Nigerian musician is shorter than the average height of Nigerian men which is put at 5 feet 7 inches or 170 cm.

What is Wizkid’s Net Worth?

Wizkid’s net worth is $4 million. He acquired this from record sales, streaing revenue, endorsement deals, performance fees etc.

Is Wizkid Married?

Wizkid is not married but he is in a relationship with Jada Pollock, his music manager.

How May Children Does Wizkid Have?

Wizkid has four children, all sons, and they are Boluwatife Balogun (born 2011), Ayodeji (2016), Zion Balogun (2017), and unnamed fourth son (born 2022).

Who are Wizkid’s Baby Mamas?

Wizkid’s baby mama’s are Oluwanisola Ogudu (Boluwatife’s mother), Binta Diallo (Ayodeji’s mother), and Jada Pollock (mom of his 3rd and 4th sons), who is his current partner.

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Who is nigerian music star wizkid – and why is he taking over the world.

The global appreciation of West Africa’s Afrobeats music has grown significantly in the last decade. Afrobeats stars are touring the world, racking up record sales, winning awards and collaborating with big-name international artists.

In fact, seven of the nine African artists  nominated  for a 2022 Grammy Award – one of the world’s most sought-after music awards – are West African. Most of these make music driven by Afrobeats sounds.

Afrobeats is a broad, generic term for African contemporary popular music with rhythmic and harmonic influences of West Africa’s highlife and Afrobeat traditions and Euro-American funk and hip-hop.

For the 2022 edition of the Grammy Awards, Nigeria’s  Wizkid  is nominated twice – for best global music album and best global performance. Wizkid won his first Grammy Award in 2021 for the video of ‘Brown Skin Girl’, a track he made with US superstar Beyoncé.

The 31-year-old stands out as a leading Afrobeats artist from Nigeria whose music has already made a huge sway on the charts of many countries. Wizkid boasts over 32 hits, more than 70 music awards, 50 singles and four albums, as well as sold-out concert performances across Africa, Europe and America. As a result, he commands a fan base of more than 30 million combined followers on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

His songs straddle the rhythmic texture of Nigerian pop that connects with West African diaspora communities across the globe. And when it comes to his career, he set his eyes firmly on America and strategically propelled himself to global fame.

Wizkid was born Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun on 16 July 1990 in Surulere, Lagos State, Nigeria. He started singing and recording music at the age of 11 in a group called the Glorious Five. He joined Empire Mates Entertainment record label in 2009.

The songwriter, singer and performer worked hard in the early days of his music career in Nigeria’s highly competitive industry. In one of his hit songs, Ojuelegba, he narrates his experience at Mo’Dogg studio in Lagos, where he toiled for a better life. He became famous in Nigeria in 2011 after the release of his debut album titled Superstar. The album opened up many more live performance opportunities.

As a young star who foresaw his music travelling beyond Nigeria, Wizkid seized every opportunity to make connections across the music world. For instance, when US R&B star Chris Brown (also famous for allegations of sexual violence against women) performed in Lagos in 2012, Wizkid was with him on stage and subsequently collaborated with Brown on the song African Bad Gyal.

Unlike some other Nigerian popular musicians, Wizkid understood the power of transnational collaboration and worked hard to align his music within the structure and texture of American hip-hop and R&B. In a 2019 interview, he is quoted as saying he did not make music just to be an African superstar.

In 2016, transnational appreciation of his music grew after his collaboration with Drake, the Canadian singer and rapper. It is a popular opinion among Nigerian music analysts and journalists that Wizkid’s collaboration with Drake marked the genesis of his global appeal.

He has since collaborated with top-notch American stars such as Beyoncé, Akon, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and Nicki Minaj.

Wizkid’s music career has not been without controversy. Like many of his contemporaries in the industry, he rose to fame amid worries over objectifying images of women in some of his lyrics and music videos. I have argued elsewhere that sexual objectification of women has been a useful strategy for publicity, and serves as a means of enhancing his social status and commercial viability in the Nigerian popular music industry.

Wizkid is particularly accused of emphasising and objectifying female bodies in the songs In My Bed and Expensive Shit. The public outcry against sexist messages in his music culminated in the banning of In My Bed in 2015, by the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. Despite this, his local and international appeal continued to grow.

Pop’s promised land

Wizkid has won more prestigious local and international music awards than any of his Afrobeats peers. He has more than 100 nominations in different categories of music awards. Some of his big wins include Artist of the Year at the 2021 Apple Music Awards, two BET Awards for Best International Act, three Soul Train Music Awards, an MTV Europe awards for Best African Act, three Billboard Music Awards – and that 2021 Grammy.

For Africa, especially Nigeria, America is the popular culture promised land. To make it in America is to conquer the pop world. And a US Grammy is the most cherished music award. Following the global spread of West African migrants that consume and promote Afrobeats, the music will continue to gain more listeners across the world as more people yearn for new sounds from Africa. Likewise, the demography of its global consumers on Youtube and Spotify grows as top record labels – such as Sony and Universal Music – sign up and promote more Afrobeats artists.

Propelled by the growing spread of Afrobeats, Wizkid has achieved global fame through a strategic set of music goals throughout his career – and has boosted his image by courting controversy and big-name collaborators, infusing Western pop with African flavour in the process.

Samson Uchenna Eze is a lecturer at the University of Nigeria. This article first appeared on  The Conversation . 

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One of Nigeria's biggest R&B crossover acts; he has worked with Drake, Skepta, and Chris Brown in the past.

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Wizkid Talks Touring, Fatherhood And World Domination

By Chioma Nnadi

It’s almost showtime at the Tabernacle, the hundred-year-old church-turned-concert-hall in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, where Wizkid is set to perform to a sold-out crowd. Though the 31-year-old Nigerian megastar himself has yet to arrive, preparations are being made for him backstage. Steaming trays of jollof rice are lined up on the bar next to bottles of Hennessy; a fresh batch of performance outfits is being arranged by his stylist Karen Binns, who has flown in from London for the last leg of the American tour. A member of his entourage scurries in wearing head-to-toe tie-dye and schlepping a royal blue Goyard duffle bag, stuffed to the gills. He unpacks it hurriedly, pulling out box-fresh pairs of slip-on shoes – Balenciaga slippers, Gucci mules, Rick Owens ’s much sought-after Birkenstock clogs – like rabbits out of a hat, and lines them up on the floor. Moments later, Wizkid ambles through the door in a cloud of smoke, dressed in the kind of loungewear that would look right at home in Liberace’s mansion: a pyjama set cut from vintage baroque-print silk, Chanel sunnies and furry red Balenciaga slides. Even in the half-light of the green room, it’s impossible to ignore the two gigantic diamond-encrusted Jesus-piece chains that are glistening around his neck or the sizeable diamond hoops tugging at his earlobes.

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“Back home, we dress comfortably, it’s everything for me,” says Wizkid, born Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, with an accent that falls somewhere between east London and Lagos. He inspects the rack of clothes with an intensity that suggests he understands the devil is in the detail, and wastes no time in picking out his favourite things: two looks that have been created especially by British menswear designer Bianca Saunders , a pair of slouchy, black, patent-leather trousers that he rules out (“they need to be tighter”) in favour of a beige-pleated pair. “This is it,” he says, buttoning up the matching short-sleeved shirt and serving his best blue steel in the mirror. He douses himself with a mystery fragrance, one he refuses to name, like it’s holy water. One shiny pair of black Martine Rose slip-on loafers later, and he’s ready to go. “It’s funny because now you see all the guys wearing slippers and tight pants,” Binns says, racing after Wizkid as he heads towards the stage door. “The impact he has beyond that, well, it’s just huge.”

By Alice Newbold

By Deanna Pai

By Joy Montgomery

In the past year alone, Wizkid’s sphere of influence has exploded. Released in October 2020, the critically acclaimed Made in Lagos , Wizkid’s fourth studio album, continues to smash one industry record after another, including the one set posthumously by 1970s Afrobeats legend Fela Kuti in the late 1990s. The album’s success – it has been streamed more than one billion times – has been largely buoyed by the colossal triumph of “Essence”, a lilting Afrobeats love song. Originally recorded as a duet with rising Nigerian Alté singer Tems, the track caught the ear of Justin Bieber who jumped on the remix as the song became inescapably popular over summer.

But British music fans have been mesmerised by Wizkid’s sweet melodies for quite some time. It is a testament to his ultra loyal fanbase in the UK, or the Wizkid FC as they are known as a global collective, that the O2 stadium recently sold out all of its 20,000-plus seats for three consecutive tour dates in a matter of minutes. Thanks in no small part to its thriving diaspora communities, London has become a home away from home for Wizkid and a generation of fresh young Nigerian talent – Burna Boy, Davido and Rema, to name a few – that cross-pollinates R&B, dancehall and potent palm wine beats. Now, that proudly African sound is being rapidly exported across the globe in a moment when we need its feel-good music the most.

“London has always been a special place for me,” says Wizkid when we catch-up on the phone a few days later – much like any rock star who’s routinely trailed by hoards of screaming fans, Wizkid can be a hard man to pin down. About to board a plane to the next leg of his tour, he sounds weary but sanguine, his three-year-old son, Zion, babbling in the background. “From the moment I landed, it was love everywhere I went,” he continues. “It’s crazy because the first time I was actually booked for a show in London, I couldn’t get the visa to go. I remember I filmed a video to apologise to my fans – and they went in on me!” A few months later and the fresh-faced singer, then only 21, would play his first international gig at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo. Even grainy YouTube videos of his set prove he had the makings of a star.

To see Wizkid perform is to comprehend his prowess as an entertainer. The atmosphere at his mid-week show in Atlanta is nothing short of ecstatic, somewhere between Sunday service and Saturday-night rave. The moment Wizkid starts performing, all three tiers of the hall are on their feet singing in unison.

By Natty Kasambala

“As soon as he came on to the stage, I just got it,” says Naomi Campbell , self-confessed Afrobeats fanatic and friend of Wizkid, over the phone from her home in London. She is recalling his headline set at Homecoming, a festival co-conceived by British-Nigerian creative Grace Ladoja as a celebration of Lagos’s vibrant cultural scene, which the model attended with grime legend Skepta and actor John Boyega in the summer. “He’s very much loved by the people in Lagos,” continues Campbell. “Whenever I’m there with him, I’m just mesmerised by how much the people on the street love him. It’s a beautiful thing to witness.”

The album Wizkid is currently touring has come to symbolise a sort of post-lockdown euphoria, but it’s easy to forget that Made in Lagos was released when many places in the world were in the throes of a second wave. The musician found himself stranded in London during lockdown. When I ask him about that time, his voice takes on a different tone. “Being away from Nigeria and my family for so long brought me to my darkest point. That’s why I feel this album means the same thing to me as it does to a lot of other people – it really helped me through a tough time,” he says. It was only earlier this year that the singer was finally able to return home and introduce Zion to Boluwatife, his 10-year-old son from a previous relationship, for the first time. “To see the two of them playing together, that almost made me cry. It was a blessing.”

Blessed is without question the adjective Wizkid uses most often to describe his extraordinary path (it’s also – surprise, surprise – the title of the song he sings with Damian Marley on the latest album). Raised by a Muslim father and Christian mother, Wizkid and his seven siblings grew up in Surulere, the bustling middle-class enclave in Lagos. Here, the city’s bright-yellow auto rickshaws, or keke maruwas , are always bumper to bumper in traffic, and street vendors peddle their wares on every corner. “There are no amount of words I can put together to make you understand what Lagos is, to explain the hustle, or the political injustice, the strength of the people or the number of amazing creatives,” he says. “To fully understand it, you have to experience it for yourself. Go to Lekki, go to Ojuelegba [a particularly vibrant area of Wizkid’s neighbourhood], go to the clubs and you’ll see what the music does to the people.”

In fact, “Ojuelegba” was the title of the 2014 hit that put his local-boy-done-good origin story to song and celebrated the place that shaped him (he came to music at the age of 11 as a choir boy and formed a boy band a few years later with friends from church). The tune caught the attention of Drake – on whose “One Dance”, the Afrobeats-inflected anthem heard around the world, Wizkid appeared two years later. “There is a cultural shift happening, where people here are beginning to embrace artists outside of the norm of Western culture,” says longtime friend and sometime collaborator, Virgil Abloh . “For me, he’s a vital representation of a young African creative experiencing success on a global level.”

However Wizkid defines the parameters of “crossing over”, he hasn’t lost sight of where he came from. “I’m unapologetically Nigerian, I’m unapologetically Lagosian, and that’s something I’ve stuck to from the beginning of my career,” he says. “And when I say I’m here for my people, I mean it.” Last October, the musician took to the streets of London to march in solidarity with the thousands protesting Nigeria’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad, or SARS , in Lagos. “For Nigerian youths, don’t let anyone tell you you don’t have a voice,” he says in a viral video clip, his fist raised. “It was very important for me to be direct and vocal because I’ve always been direct and vocal about political injustice in Nigeria,” he explains. “To see that conversation happen and know that we’re one step forward from where we used to be, that’s amazing to me. And there’s no question I’ll keep speaking out loud.”

Not since the late great Fela Kuti has an artist waved the flag for African pride with quite the same fervour. As it turns out, Wizkid grew up within skipping distance from Kuti’s storied Afrika shrine and a tattoo of the home-town hero is etched on his right arm – though he’s wary of any comparisons. Whatever the similarities or differences, Wizkid’s fate as a cultural icon has long been sealed, both at home and abroad. “I know there is a saying that if you make it New York, you can make it anywhere, but shit, that’s a lie. If you can make it in Lagos, you can make it anywhere,” he says, pausing to reflect on the thought. “And I’m living proof.”

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Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, known professionally as Wizkid and sometimes Starboy, is one of this time's most famous Nigerian singers and songwriters. Wikzid has enjoyed an impressive career, getting recognition locally and internationally, from collaborations to chart success awards and endorsements. In 2018, Wizkid walked the runway for luxury Italian designer Dolce and Gabbana with Naomi Campbell.

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Home > Editors Pick > Who Is WizKid… | Biography, Albums, Awards, Hit Songs

Who Is WizKid… | Biography, Albums, Awards, Hit Songs

Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun known professionally as Wizkid, Big Wiz, Machala , etc is a Nigerian singer and songwriter born on 16th of July, 1990 in Surulere, Lagos Nigeria to a polygamous family. He comes from a multi-devotional family and got exposed to both the Christian and Islamic religion while growing up as a young boy. His mother is a Christian while his father is a practicing Muslim. Wizkid attended Ijebu Ode Grammar School and Lead City University, although he later dropped out of the latter.

Wizkid currently lives in the United Kingdom with his manager and baby mama, Jada Pollock. He has 3 children from 3 different women. He began recording music at the age of 11 and released a collaborative album with the Glorious Five, a group he and a couple of his church friends formed.

Later on, Wizkid moved on to become a studio rat at OJB Jezreel`s Point Beat studio in Surulere, studying the game for five good years and watching Afrobeats legends such as 2Baba, Sound Sultan, Konga etc, do their thing.

“ I hung around the studio for a year and never recorded one song, watching stars record and just learning and waiting for my time. I was about 11, 12 when I met him (OJB Jezreel) and was frequent there until 16 .” – WIZKID

In 2009, Wizkid signed a record deal with Banky W’s E.M.E. and he was brought out alongside Skales at the 2009 Hip Hop World Awards, with Banky W proclaiming the two young artists as the future.

He later rose to the limelight after releasing Holla At Your Boy , the lead single from his debut studio album, Superstar which dropped in 2011. The album also included the singles Tease Me and Don`t Dull, and went on to become one of the most successful debut albums in the history of the Nigerian music space.

With the Superstar album , Wizkid solidified his artistry in 2011, and carted home most of the awards at the year`s Headies including the coveted Next Rated Awards & Album of the year award. Holla at your boy also went on to clinch the single of the year category in style.

In September 2014, he released the self-titled second studio album, AYO . The album was supported by six singles, including the monster hit single; Jaiye Jaiye . Wizkid left E.M.E after the expiration of his contract in 2015. Wizkid departed E.M.E following the release of his second studio album and the expiration of his five-year contract. In a video interview with Capital Xtra in October 2019, Wizkid said he left E.M.E without any money.

In 2014, Wizkid became the first Nigerian musician to have over one million followers on Twitter. Later that year, Wizkid visited The Beat 99.9FM studio in Lagos and told OAP Toolz on the Midday show that he had a song in the works with singer Rihanna.

On 5 January 2015, Wizkid released 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 & Skepta and it premiered on OVO SOUND Radio in July 2015. The remix of Ojuelegba went on to become one of the biggest songs in the world in 2015. It was named by Fader Magazine as the 5th biggest song in the world in 2015.

Wizkid first announced that he was working on a new album during a visit to London in October 2014. He revealed “ African Bad Gyal “, a single with Chris Brown and said it would be the lead single from his third studio album, but it was met with criticism. In April 2015, Wizkid and Chris Brown performed “African Bad Gyal” at Brown’s concert in Durban, South Africa.

In April 2016, Wizkid became Nigeria’s first artist to be listed on Billboard`s Twitter Last 24 Hours chart, tasting a glimpse of global success and acclaim following his guest feature on Drake’s Afrobeats-infused One Dance single, which charted at number 21, the song reached number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a position it kept for 10 non-consecutive weeks.

“ One Dance ” went on to become an international smash hit, topping the charts in 15 countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France and Germany. The single became Wizkid’s first number-one single as a featured artist in these territories, and made him become the first Afrobeats artist to be featured in the Guinness Book of World Records.

In March 2017, Wizkid signed a multi-album deal with RCA and released his third studio album Sounds From The Other Side (SFTOS) later that year. The album was supported by five singles, including lead single Come Closer featuring Drake. SFTOS debuted at number 107 on the US Billboard 200. It also debuted at number 58 on the Canadian Albums Chart. The album’s release was preceded by three singles: Daddy Yo featuring Efya , Sweet Love , and Come Closer featuring Drake .

In 2019, Wizkid was featured on Beyonce`s single Brown Skin Girl which reached number-one on the World Digital Song Sales chart, earning him two (2) Soul Train Music Awards, a NAACP Image Awards, a BET Awards, and his first Grammy Award, for Best Music Video .

On 6 December 2019, Wizkid’s label Starboy Entertainment released the EP Soundman VOL 1 , featuring Wizkid, Chronixx, Legendury Beatz and other artists.

In October 2020, Big Wiz released his fourth album, Made In Lagos which received global commercial success and acclaim, reaching number-one on the Billboard World Album Chart. Made In Lagos is currently the longest charting Afrobeats album on the billboard charts, having dominated the global album charts for over 52 Weeks and counting.

The album includes the single Essence , featuring Tems which became the first Nigerian song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top ten following a Remix that featured Justin Bieber .

Wizkid is currently one of the biggest music exports out of Africa and definitely the biggest Afrobeats artist in the world at the moment. In 2021, Wizkid sold out the O2 on 3 consecutive days, breaking a world record that had previously been set by only 8 artists.

A member of the WIZKID FC, Wizkid`s cult-like fan group @BigMallyy, claims the singer is the first African artiste to break the record. He wrote on Twitter, “ @wizkidayo becomes the first African Artist to Sell Out The O2 Arena in 2 Minutes ”, breaking his first record as the first to sell out the Arena in 12 Minutes.

Written by AfrobeatsMerije. Bisi-Taiwo Chukwumerije is a blood-bound Nigerian writer & Music Executive. Tweet your favourite, random, mind-boggling songs, EPs, LPs, Albums, & music projects to him; @AfrobeatsMerije.

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1990 - Today

Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born 16 July 1990), who is known professionally as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. Born in the Ojuelegba suburb of Surulere, Lagos, Wizkid is a prominent voice in the emerging Afrobeats movement. His music is blend of Afrobeats, afropop, R&B, afrobeat, reggae, dancehall, and pop . Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Wizkid has received more than 3,160,368 page views. His biography is available in 19 different languages on Wikipedia . Wizkid is the 3,361st most popular singer , the 141st most popular biography from Nigeria and the 4th most popular Nigerian Singer .

Memorability Metrics

Page Views (PV)

Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

Languages Editions (L)

Effective Languages (L*)

Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Page views of Wizkids by language

Over the past year Wizkid has had the most page views in the English wikipedia edition with 629,338 views, followed by French (58,760) , and Simple English (7,961) . In terms of yearly growth of page views the top 3 wikpedia editions are Dutch (178,300.00%) , Simple English (148.70%) , and Hebrew (58.97%)

Among SINGERS

Among singers , Wizkid ranks 3,361 out of 4,381 .  Before him are Dina Garipova , Sílvia Pérez Cruz , Hovi Star , Komal Oli , Ira Losco , and Anmary . After him are Aleyna Tilki , Lim Na-young , Yolanda Adams , Farruko , Killer Mike , and Laura Tesoro .

Most Popular Singers in Wikipedia

Dina Garipova

1991 - Present

Rank: 3,355

Sílvia Pérez Cruz

1983 - Present

Rank: 3,356

1986 - Present

Rank: 3,357

Rank: 3,358

1981 - Present

Rank: 3,359

1980 - Present

Rank: 3,360

1990 - Present

Rank: 3,361

Aleyna Tilki

2000 - Present

Rank: 3,362

Lim Na-young

1995 - Present

Rank: 3,363

Yolanda Adams

1961 - Present

Rank: 3,364

Rank: 3,365

Killer Mike

1975 - Present

Rank: 3,366

Laura Tesoro

1996 - Present

Rank: 3,367

Contemporaries

Among people born in 1990 , Wizkid ranks 505 .  Before him are Hua Chenyu , Stefano Lilipaly , Masashi Ebinuma , Lucas Lima , Nicole Gale Anderson , and Charlotte Hope . After him are Anders Christiansen , Keisha Castle-Hughes , Anna Tatishvili , Michael Schulte , Mattia Cattaneo , and Achille Lauro .

Others Born in 1990

Stefano Lilipaly

SOCCER PLAYER

Masashi Ebinuma

Nicole Gale Anderson

Charlotte Hope

Anders Christiansen

Keisha Castle-Hughes

Anna Tatishvili

TENNIS PLAYER

Michael Schulte

Mattia Cattaneo

Achille Lauro

Among people born in Nigeria , Wizkid ranks 141 out of 309 .  Before him are Toks Olagundoye (1975) , Daniel Igali (1974) , Isaac Okoronkwo (1978) , Jaycee John Okwunwanne (1985) , Shola Ameobi (1981) , and Joel Obi (1991) . After him are Michael Babatunde (1992) , Brown Ideye (1988) , Alex Iwobi (1996) , Henry Onyekuru (1997) , Burna Boy (1991) , and Simeon Nwankwo (1992) .

Others born in Nigeria

Toks Olagundoye

Daniel Igali

1974 - Present

Isaac Okoronkwo

1978 - Present

Jaycee John Okwunwanne

1985 - Present

Shola Ameobi

Michael Babatunde

1992 - Present

Brown Ideye

1988 - Present

Henry Onyekuru

1997 - Present

Simeon Nwankwo

Among singers in nigeria.

Among singers born in Nigeria , Wizkid ranks 4 .  Before him are Sade (1959) , Nneka (1980) , and Rema (2000) . After him are Burna Boy (1991) , and Yemi Alade (1989) .

Nigerian born Singers

1959 - Present

1989 - Present

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Wizkid Biography, Age, Height & Net Worth 2024

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Wizkid Biography

Wizkid , whose real name is Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun , is a Nigerian singer and songwriter who was born on July 16, 1990 in Surulere , Lagos . He started making music at a young age and gained fame with the release of his debut studio album , Superstar , and its hit single " Holla at Your Boy ." After his contract with Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E) expired, he left and collaborated with Drake on the chart-topping song " One Dance ," which helped him gain global recognition. In 2017, he signed a multi-album deal with RCA Records .

Wizkid has achieved many milestones throughout his career, including being the first Afrobeats artist to be listed in the Guinness World Records. He won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video for his collaboration with Beyoncé on the song " Brown Skin Girl ," which was included in her album The Lion King: The Gift. His fourth album, Made in Lagos , was a commercial and critical success, featuring the hit song " Essence " featuring Tems , which became the first Nigerian song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 .

As of February 2023, Wizkid's net worth is estimated at around $17 million . He has earned a significant portion of his income from endorsement deals with companies like Pepsi , Guinness , MTN , and Glo , as well as collaborations with Nike and Puma. He also serves as a brand ambassador for Ciroc Premium Vodka.

Wizkid 's father is Alhaji Muniru Olatunji Balogun , and his mother is Jane Dolapo Balogun . His father had thirteen children with three different women who are his legal wives, and they currently reside in Shitta, Surulere, Lagos.

Wizkid Basic Information

Wizkid attended Ijebu Ode Grammar School in Ogun State before briefly attending Lagos State University in 2009 and then transferring to Lead City University in Ibadan. However, he only completed two semesters before dropping out.

Wizkid has three children with three different women. His first child, Boluwatife Balogun , was born to Shola Ogudugu when she was 19 years old. The couple had a dispute about child support, which was eventually resolved through a DNA test that confirmed Wizkid's paternity.

Wizkid 's second child, Ayodeji , was born to Guinean model Binta Diallo in 2016. Initially, there was controversy about the child's paternity, but a DNA test later confirmed that Wizkid was the father.

In 2017, Jada Pollock gave birth to Wizkid's third child, Zion Balogun. Unlike the other two mothers, Pollock is five years older than Wizkid and had previously worked with him. The couple dated during their professional collaboration, which resulted in the birth of Zion.

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