Wizkid

About Wizkid

"One Dance" was still dominating global charts when Wizkid cemented his place as Africa's biggest music export.

Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun was born on July 16, 1990, in Ojuelegba, a suburb of Surulere in Lagos. He showed musical talent early, beginning to record music at just 11 years old. With a few church friends, he formed the Glorious Five and released a collaborative album while still a teenager.

In 2009, Wizkid signed a record deal with Banky W's Empire Mates Entertainment. The move proved decisive. His debut album Superstar arrived in 2011, led by the hit single "Holla at Your Boy," which introduced him to millions of listeners across Nigeria and beyond.

The singles "Tease Me/Bad Guys" and "Don't Dull" followed, establishing Wizkid as more than a one-hit wonder. By 2014, he had already outgrown his first label. His second studio album, Ayo, dropped on September 17, 2014, and spawned six singles including "Jaiye Jaiye," which became a continental favorite.

Everything changed in 2016. Wizkid's collaboration with Drake on "One Dance" reached number-one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped charts in 14 countries. The song made history—Wizkid became the first Afrobeats artist to appear in the Guinness World Records. International recognition followed almost instantly.

Success at that scale required a major label. In March 2017, Wizkid signed a multi-album deal with RCA Records. That same year, he released his third studio album, Sounds from the Other Side, supported by five singles including "Come Closer," another collaboration with Drake.

His music blends Afrobeats, afropop, R&B, reggae, dancehall, and pop into something distinctly his own. The formula worked. With an estimated net worth between $20 million and $30 million, Wizkid had transformed from a Lagos teenager into a global phenomenon.