Wizkid

Born: 16 July 1990

Age:

Years Active: 2001–present

Genre/s: Afrobeats, afropop, R&B, afrobeat, reggae, dancehall

Label/s: Starboy Records, RCA

Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born 16 July 1990), better known as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. Born in the Ojuelegba suburb of Surulere, Lagos, Wizkid is a voice in the emerging Afrobeats movement. His music is a blend of Afrobeats, afropop, R&B, afrobeat, reggae, dancehall, and pop. He began recording music at the age of 11 and released a collaborative album with the Glorious Five, a group he and a few of his church friends formed. In 2009, Wizkid signed a record deal with Banky W's Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E). He gained recognition after releasing a hit called "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".

On 17 September 2014, he released the self-titled second studio album, Ayo, which was supported by six singles, including "Jaiye Jaiye". Wizkid left E.M.E. after his contract expired. In 2016, he achieved international recognition following his collaboration with Drake on the hit single "One Dance", 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, he 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 2019 he collaborated on the track "Brown Skin Girl" on Beyoncé's record and visual project The Lion King: The Gift, winning several accolades, including the 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 Albums 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 featuring Justin Bieber. Wizkid's fifth album, More Love, Less Ego, was released on 11 November 2022. His sixth album Morayo, which is dedicated to his late mother, was released on 22 November 2024. The album broke the record for the biggest streaming debut for an African album on Spotify.