Gatekeepers News reports that Wizkid is a prominent figure in the modern-day Afrobeats music scene, and he is regarded as one of the biggest and most influential African artists of all time.
Early Life
Wizkid was born on 16 July 1990, in Surulere, Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria. He attended Ijebu Ode Grammar School. Wizkid said he grew up listening to King Sunny Ade, Fela Kuti, and Bob Marley.
Wizkid went by the stage name Lil Prinz until 2006. He later met OJB Jezreel, a record producer who prevented him from recording for a year. While visiting OJB’s Point Beat Studios frequently, he watched 2 Face Idibia record songs for his Grass 2 Grace album. He was also present during the recording sessions for Sound Sultan’s debut album Jagbajantis.
He cited Naeto C as one of the people who mentored and coached him when he was 15 years old. Wizkid inked a record deal with Empire Mates Entertainment in 2009. He co-wrote “Omoge You Too Much“, a song from Banky W.’s The W Experience album. He also worked with Naeto C, Ikechukwu, and M.I. while developing his craft.
Early Career
Wizkid began recording music at the age of 11 and released a collaborative album with the Glorious Five (5), a group he and a couple of his church friends formed.
In 2009, he signed a record deal with Banky W’s Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E). He later rose to the limelight after releasing “Holla at Your Boy“, the lead single from his debut studio album, Superstar (2011), which also spawned the singles “Tease Me/Bad Guys” and “Don’t Dull“.
In September 2014, he released the self-titled second studio album, Ayo. The album was supported by six singles, including the song “Jaiye Jaiye“. Wizkid left E.M.E. after his contract expired.
He achieved international recognition following his collaboration with Drake on the hit single “One Dance” in 2016, which reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in 14 additional countries. The song broke multiple records, making Wizkid the first Afrobeats artist to appear in the Guinness World Records.
In March 2017, Wizkid signed a multi-album deal with RCA Records and released his third studio album Sounds from the Other Side, later that year. The album was supported by five singles, including “Come Closer” featuring Drake.
In 2018, he was featured on the song “Checklist” by Normani and Calvin Harris, which reached number one on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart.
In 2019, Wizkid was featured on Beyoncé’s project The Lion King: The Gift on the single “Brown Skin Girl“, which also reached number-one on the World Digital Song Sales chart, and won him a Grammy Award for Best Music Video.
In October 2020, he released his fourth album, Made in Lagos, which received commercial success and acclaim, reaching number one on the Billboard World Album Chart. 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 released by Justin Bieber. Wizkid’s fifth album More Love, Less Ego was released on 11 November 2022.
Personal Life
Wizkid has four children from three women – Shola Ogudugu, Binta Diallo, and Jada Pollock (his manager).
Net Worth
According to reports, Wizkid’s net worth is estimated to be over $30 million.
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