- Wizkid’s first band, the Glorious Five, was comprised of other churchgoers.
- Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun is his full name.
- He is better known by his nickname, Wizkid.
- He used to perform under the name “Lil Prince.”
- At the young age of 11, Wizkid began his musical career.
- His father is Muslim and his mother is a pentecostal Christian.
- He was born and raised in Surulere, Lagos State.
- At the tender young age of 21, he became a father.
- Wizkid dropped out of the Lagos State University (LASU).
- Wizkid’s father has three wives and thirteen children.
- His father is Muniru Olatunji Balogun, and his mother is Jane Dolapo.
- He has a net worth of approximately $4 million.
- His debut album was released in 2011 through EME.
- He is the father to three kids by three separate women.
Who is Wizkid?
Ayodeji Balogun, better known by his stage name Wizkid, is a musician from Nigeria. When he was young, he created a band with several buddies from church called the Glorious Five and recorded an album.
The label, Empire Mates Entertainment (EME), owned by Banky W, signed him to a record deal. After the release of his first hit, “Holla at Your Boy,” from the 2011 album Superstar, he quickly gained widespread attention.
Songs like “Jaiye Jaiye” were on his second studio album, named simply “Ayo,” which was released in September 2014. He quit EME when his contract ended.
In 2018, Wizkid appeared on “Checklist,” a song by Mormani and Cavin Harris that eventually climbed to number one on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales Chart. In the following year, Beyonce included him in one of her projects, “The Lion King: The Gift,” on the tune “Brown Skin Girl,” which also won first place.
Wizkid’s fourth studio album, “Made in Lagos,” was a critical and commercial success upon its October 2020 release. Release of his fifth studio album, “More Love Less Ego,” is anticipated this year.
He has had more than 3.4 billion Spotify streams so far this year.
What We Know About Wizkid
Wizkid was born Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun on July 16, 1990, in the Surulere neighbourhood of Lagos. He is one of thirteen children. His dad is an observant Muslim, but his mom is a devout Pentecostal. The music of Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, and Bob Marley were all part of Wizkid’s formative years.
Back in 2006, he ditched his original stage name, “Lil Prince.” He met OJB Jezreel, a record producer, who blocked him from releasing any new music for a full calendar year. At one of Jezreel’s recording sessions, he happened to meet 2 Face.
Wizkid honed his skills by collaborating with established artists like Naeto C, MI, and Ikechukwu. After failing to complete his first year at Lagos State University, he transferred to Lead City University, from which he subsequently withdrew after only two semesters.
What You Should Know About Wizkid’s Music Career
In 2009, he made his official studio debut with the album Superstar. In January of 2010, “Holla at Your Boy” was the most popular song. At the 2011 Headies, the song was honoured as Best Pop Single.
On April 2, 2010, he dropped his second single, titled “Tease Me/Bad Guys,” as freestyle rap. Superstar was released on June 12, 2011, and was recorded in both English and Yoruba. He recorded a duet with E-Kelly, Jay Sleek, DJ Klem, Masterkraft, and Q-Beats for the Superstar album.
As part of his 2012 tour of the UK, Wizkid stopped by the HVM Apollo to play. Femi Kuti, Phyno, Banky W., and Wale all made cameos on his second studio album, Ayo. Between 2012 and 2014, the recordings were made.
The album’s debut song, “Jaiye Jaiye,” was released on May 2, 2012. Femi Kuti was featured in it.
He performed with Tiwa Savage, P-Square, Ice Prince, D’banj, and Olamide in November of 2013. The Eko Convention Center was the venue of the event. He also performed at Guinness Big Eruption in Ghana.
It wasn’t until February of 2014 that Wizkid surpassed 1 million Twitter followers, making him the first Nigerian musician to do so. Rihanna, a Barbadian singer, collaborated with him at The Beat 99.9 FM in Lagos.
Wizkid made history by being the first musician from Nigeria to appear on Billboard’s Twitter page. Last twenty-four hour Chart on April 5, 2016. His song topped the Billboard Hot 100 the next month of the same year.
With the success of “Soco,” he achieved the first Afrobeats Gold certification in Canada and made history as the first artist in the genre to be included in the 2018 Guinness World Records.
The EP Soundman vol. 1, which had guest appearances from Chronixx and a few other musicians, was released in 2019 under his label, Starboy Entertainment, and mostly featured Wizkid.
On August 13, 2021, he remixed “Essence” with Justin Bieber as a featured artist. His song “Essence” and album “Made in Lagos” both garnered him nominations for the 64th Annual Grammy Award, which was held in November 2021. In the same month, he was nominated for five awards: four Soul Train Awards, including one for “Essence.”
Whereas he will be captioning this year’s Rolling Loud Toronto hip hop festival.
What Is Wizkid’s Belief? Is He a Christian or Muslim?
Growing up with a Christian mother and a Muslim father, Wizkid’s true religion is a mystery. One might assume with little effort that he is a Muslim.
Despite this, Wizkid admits that he is not religious, hence it is currently unknown if he identifies as Muslim or Christian.
Is Wizkid Married or Single?
It’s no secret that Wizkid’s love life is chaotic, but recent reports indicate that he’s set his sights on fellow Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage.
How Many Children Does Wizkid Have?
Though he hasn’t tied the knot yet, Wizkid is now the father of three kids by three separate women.
What is Wizkid’s Net Worth?
Wizkid has a net worth of 4 million dollars.
