Wizkid Biography: Age, Career, Spouse, Family, Net Worth

Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun referred to professionally as Wizkid is a Nigerian musician and singer. An important name in the contemporary Afrobeats world of music, Wizkid has been regarded to be one of the most powerful as well as most influential African performers ever.

Profiling Wizkid

Biography

Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born July 16, 1990) is a Nigerian music superstar who is known professionally as Wizkid or Starboy. He is considered to be one of the top three Afrobeats artists from the African continent due to his influence in growing the music culture over the years. Formerly known by the stage name, Lil Prince, Wizkid became a national sensation after the release of Holla At Your Boy, the lead single in his chart-topping debut album, Superstar. He is also addressed as Big Wiz or Machala.

The singer stepped into the world’s attention in 2016 when the singer-songwriter lent his voice to Drake‘s award-winning track, One Dance which became a worldwide smash. The songwriter and singer released the fourth album of his studio, “Made In Lagos in October 2020. Since it was made available to an open public realm, the album has won numerous awards and broken several records. The album’s best song, Essence, was the first Nigerian track to be charted on the Billboard Hot 100.

Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born on 16 July 1990) is a Nigerian musician and megastar. He is known professionally by his stage name Wizkidor Starboy, or Big Wiz. He made his debut after signing with Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E) in 2009 and releasing his most popular track, Holla At Your Boy.

The hit song that enthralled millions of followers set the stage the way for Wizkid to release commercially successful albums over the past 12 years. His most recent album “Made In Lagos is a huge success and garnered the attention of the world when it was ranked number one on the Billboard World Album Chart.

The album’s song, Essence featuring Tems is now the first Nigerian track to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Additionally, it was announced on February 20, 2021, the fact that Wizkidhas achieved the distinction of being the most streamed Nigerian musician on Spotify having amassed more than 3.4 billion streams across all his music.

Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun became famous professionally through Wizkid is 32 years old Nigerian rapper, singer, and songwriter. His current position in the Nigerian business is considered an opportunity.

Early Life

Wizkidwas born into the Balogun family consisting of the late Mr. Ibrahim Balogun (father) and Mrs. Jane Dolapo Balogun (mother) on the 16th of July of 1990. His birthplace was an interfaith family, in which his father adhered to the Muslim faith while his mother was a follower of his Christian faith. His parents were the ones to christen the boy Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun.

A resident of Ogun State, which is located in Ogun State in the South West region of Nigeria He comes from a large family – since he has 12 siblings, all of whom are females. He was raised in a polygamous family located in the Ojuelegba district of Surulere City in Lagos State. His father has three wives.

His formative years were spent in Lagos City, which exposed him to the vibrant Nigerian music scene and sparked his love for art. When he was a child was a regular attender at church alongside his mother and children and took part in activities related to the choir section of the church he was in.

At the age of eleven, he co-founded an ensemble of musicians named the Glorious Five They released an album before disbanding to pursue solo career options. At the time his stage name of Lil Prinz. His passion for music was stimulated through listening to legends of the music industry such as Fela Anikulapo Kuti Bob Marley, Lucky Dube, and the King of Sunny Ade.

As he entered his teenage years and began going to the recording studio of the legendary Nigerian producer OJB Jezreel and began to become acquainted with the legendary artist. OJB Jezreel was a mentor to Wizkid who advised that he wait until the age of one year before beginning recording, and also to make use of this time to perfect his sound. The path he took also led him to rapper Naeto C at the age of 15 and they developed an enmity relationship between mentors and students. The turning point in Wizkid‘s profession was when he was spotted by a talent executive, and music executive manager along with singer Banky W…

Wizkid was born into a polygamous clan on the 16th of July 1990. He is a member of the Yoruba tribe and was named Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun by his parents. His father is a Muslim and his mother is of the Christian religion and is a member of a Pentecostal Church in Nigeria.

The man was raised and raised to Ojuelegba, which is in the Ojuelegba district in Surulere. While he was born in Lagos State, He is an Ogun State native. Ogun State. He was raised as the sole son of twelve siblings, all of whom are females. His father Mr. Balogun had three wives. Although they were a polygamous family The Baloguns were peaceful and in harmony. This allowed Wizkidto to pursue his music goals without the burden of family problems.

Wizkid‘s journey into music began at the age of 11 when he founded a music band, Glorious Five together with his buddies. The group was comprised of his church friends. They recorded a joint album before breaking up. Wizkid‘s first performance title used to be Lil Prinz before he changed to his present name in the year 2006.

In the course of becoming Advanced through the years, he started meeting prominent stars in the world of music. He first met a renowned music producer named OJB Jezreel who advised him to not make any music recordings for a year and instead focus on improving his songwriting skills. At the time the musician paid a frequent check-in at OJB Jezreel‘s Studio which was within his neighborhood, Ojuelegba. It also provided him with the chance to observe artists such as 2baba and Sound Sultan create music.

Later, he came into contact with rapper Naeto C who is one of his teachers in the business. It was finally Wizkid‘s shoulders when his paths crossed paths with Banky W who is a musician, talent manager, and the CEO at E.M.E Records. Banky W was introduced to his Wizkid immediately and began working with the young artist to improve his style. The result was that Wizkid signed a recording contract with E.M.E Records in the year 2009.

Education

Wizkidhailed from a wealthy family that allowed him the opportunity to study at the top privately-run schools located within Surulere for his secondary and primary schooling.

He was accepted into Lagos State University but he dropped out of the institution in the year 2009. He then applied to Lead City University, Ibadan, and was accepted, and was able to attend two academic sessions before resigning from the school to take on the music head-on.

Balogun did not spare a cent in providing their son with an education of the highest quality. Wizkid attended the top privately-run schools located within Surulere for his secondary and primary schooling.

After receiving a West African School Certificate, the student was admitted to Lagos State University. Then, however, he quit school.

Age

How old is Wizkid? He was born on the 16th of July 1990, he is 32 years old as of April 2023.

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Career

In 2009, Wizkid signed a record deal with Empire Mates Entertainment which was owned and managed by Banky W . He first gave the world a taste of his exceptional songwriting skill when he co-wrote the single, Omoge You Too Much, one of the songs of Banky W‘s album – The W Experience. That same year he began recording his debut album titled Superstar and released the project’s lead single, Holla At Your Boy, on the 2nd Of January 2010. The song was an instant hit, helping to skyrocket his fame in the music space and winning him the coveted Next Rated Artist award at The Headies in 2011.

The second single from the album, Tease Me/Bad Guys was released into the world on the 2nd of April, 2010. The third track, Don’t Be Dull became a festive jam on December 6, 2010. Two years later, after recording and putting together the album, Superstar– which blends Afrobeats Dancehall, R&B, and Reggae sounds- was released on the 12th of June 2011 during a launch celebration which was hosted at Eko Hotel and Suites. The album earned numerous nominations and went on to be awarded the Best Album of The Year award at the 2012 Nigerian Entertainment Awards.

Following the release of his debut flagship album, Wizkid embarked on a tour in London along with his label mates, Skales, Shaydee, Banky W, and Niyola. Wizkid also collaborated alongside his labelmates to make E.M.E‘s compilation album entitled, Empire Mates State Of The Mind which was released in the year 2012.

In the year 2012, Wizkidhad began recording his second album in the studio, Ayo, which was finished and made available in the year 2014. The album became a commercial hit thanks to the contributions of creative minds such as Femi Kuti Seyi Shay Phyno, Tyga, Akon, Wale, Sarz, Shizzi, Legendury Beatz, Dokta Frabz, Maleek Berry, and Spellz. In May of 2013 the album’s first single, Jaiye Jaiye was released. The song featured Afrobeat legend Femi Kuti as the featured artist.

In October of 2013, he released his album On the Top of Your Matter the album’s 2nd single. The credits for the production of the single are given directly to Del B. After the expiration date of his deal in E.M.E., he quit the record label to be an independent artist, creating his own label.

At the beginning of 2015 (January 2015), he released the track Ojuelegba The song is about the early years of his career as well as the challenges he encountered in his climb to the highest levels. After signing a recording contract in March 2017 with RCA Records in March 2017, he released his much-anticipated new album, Songs From the Other Side which came out in July of 2017. The album included notable songs such as African Bad Gyal featuring American singer Chris Brown, Expensive Shit, Daddy Yo featuring Efya The Closer Closer featuring Drake, and Sweet Love.

In the year 2016, Wizkidwas guest was featured as a guest on Drake‘s smash hit track, One Dance. The single helped him gain more exposure internationally because it climbed to the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, being there for a period of 10 consecutive weeks. It also made it to the top of the charts across fifteen different countries. Because of his involvement in One Dance and One Dance, he was the first artist from Afrobeats to be included on the list of 2018 Guinness World Records.

In 2018top international performers, Normaniand Calvin Harris reached out to Wizkidto join forces. They released the single Checklis that year and it was a massive success. It rose to the top position in the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart. In the year 2019, he was given the privilege of being asked to collaborate on Beyonce‘s new album The Lion King the Gift. The album featured him on its track, Brown Skin Girl alongside SAINt JHNand Blue Ivy Carter, which was later awarded the Grammy Award For Best Music Video in 2021.

In October 2021, He released his fourth album, Made In Lagos It was a commercial hit internationally The album made its way to the top spot on the Billboard World Album Chart. One of the singles from the album, Essence, with fellow Nigerian performer, Tems became the first Nigerian song to make it onto the Billboard Hot 100. The track also made it into the top ten spots following the remix by Justin Bieber. On February 20, 2021, he became the most streamed Nigerian artist ever on Spotify with more than 3.4 billion streams for the songs on his discography.

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After signing with E.M.E Records, Wizkidbegan creating Superstar, his album debut. Superstar. The album includes a blend of Afrobeats R&B as well as Reggae sounds and was a chance for Wizkid to collaborate with talented producers, including Masterkraft, Samklef, Shizzi, Jay Sleek, and Q-Beats.

The singer released his first single, the lead single, of the album in January 2010. The track, called “Halla at Your Boy was a major hit and brought Wizkid into the spotlight which made him the most-loved artist of many young Nigerians. The song was credited with helping him get The next Rated Artist award in The Headies 2011.

Wizkid released the second single from his album Bad Guys/Tease Me in April 2020. As with his previous work, the song was a commercial hit. It was later followed by Don’t Dull which became the most popular club and party tune in the festive season of December. Superstar was launched to acclaim from critics on the 12th of June, 2011 and the launch party for it occurred on the premises of Eko Hotel and Suites. The album earned a nomination for the Album Of The Year at The Headies 2012.

in 2012 Wizkid was working with labelmates, Shaydee, Niyola, Skales, and Banky W for the album they co-produced: Empire Mates State Of The Mind. After the album’s release, Wizkid along with other E.M.E artists performed throughout the United States, performing in more than a dozen cities.

Amid two years of intensive work in the studio, The singer released his second album Ayo, which was also a huge success commercially. The album’s leading track, Jaiye Jaiye came out on May 2nd, 2013. The song featured the music icon Femi Kuti on the track. The second single from The album “On top of Your Matter released on the 26th of October 2013. He once again collaborated with producer Del B, an ace. Del B is on the track.

After the expiration date of his five-year deal with E.M.E record labels, He decided not to renew the contract and decided to walk away from the label. Instead, he set out to create his own music company which he named Starboy Entertainment. Before he left E.M.E, there was speculation of Wizkidwas struggling with management due to the terms of in his contracts. This was the reason stated for his departure from his home at the E.M.E mansion into his home in February of 2013. At the beginning of Starboy Entertainment, Starboy Entertainment signed the recording artists Legendury Beatz along Maleek Berry to the label.

In January of 2015, he released the single Ojuelegba in which he discussed his struggles through the beginning stage that led to his success. After appearing in Drake‘s track, One Dance He became the first Nigerian musician to get featured in Billboard’s Twitter’s last 24 Hours chart. By the end of May, the track was on the Billboard Hot 100 chart earning Wizkid further praise. In addition, thanks to his participation in One Dance He became the first artist from Afrobeats to be included in the 2017 Guinness World Records.

He signed a contract with the global music label RCA Records in March 2017. After a few months after the signing, he released its third studio album, Sound From the Side. Side. The album featured Wizkid collaborating with major names such as Drake, Chris Brown, Sarz, Spellz, Del B, Major Lazer, Ty Dolla Sign, Efya as well as DJ Mustard. Before the album’s release, Wizkid released three successful singles: Yo, Sweet Love, and Come Closer. Yo, Sweet Love and Come Closer..

In the year 2019, he got approached by American pop star, Beyonce and invited to collaborate with her on her album The Lion King: The Gift. The result was that the singer-songwriter contributed his voice to the top charting song, Brown Skin Girl. The track helped him win the first Grammy Award for Best Music Video. In addition, it was nominated for the BET Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and Soul Train Music Awards.

On October 30, 2021, Wizkidreleased his fourth studio album, Made In Lagos. The album was released in 2021. the track Essence is one of his album’s songs and was the first Nigerian track to be charted at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The album has also garnered thousands of streamers, which has placed Bieber numerous nominations. Because of the popularity of The Essence, Justin Bieber approached Wizkidto to collaborate on an original remix.

The legendary Nigerian artist, Wizkid was formerly signed by Banky W to Empire Mate Entertainment (EME) in 2009 and became famous through “Holla At Your Boy,” one of the songs from the Superstar Album. He was released from EMEdue due to contract disputes. EME due to contract disputes and launched his own company StarBoy.

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EPS & Albums

• Superstar (2011)
• Ayo (2014)
• Sounds from the Other Side (2017)
• Made In Lagos (2020)

EPs and Compilations

• Empire Mates State of Mind (with EME) (2012)
• Soundman Vol. 1 (2019)

Discography

• Made In Lagos
• Made In Lagos Deluxe
• Sounds From The Other Side
• Ayo
• Superstar
• Soundman Vol. 1

Personal Life

Wizkid is 31 currently. Despite being the father of three beautiful sons who include Boluwatife Balogun, Ayodeji Balogun as well as Zion Balogun He is thought to be single. Rumors suggest that the singer is dating Jada Pollock his manager and also the mom of his son’s third, Zion Balogun. Some blogs have suggested that he is engaged to Tems. However, Wizkid dotes on his kids and spends his free time with them when there’s no music to make on the stage or out on tour.

Wizkidis an extremely successful artiste in both musical and financial assets. He is currently shifting the time between his two homes in Lagos as well as Accra. Apart from having an array of luxury cars as well as a selection of properties around the globe and a variety of investment opportunities in business.

He also works as a music manager since he launched his music label, Starboy Entertainment in 2013, and signed artists like Maleek Berry and Legendury Beatz. The fast-growing singer Starboy Terri is currently contracted with the company.

The ambassador for Pepsi signed his first agreement with the company in 2012. He also had agreements with brands such as MTN Nigeria, Guinness Nigeria Plc, and The United Bank Of Africa (UBA).

He is currently overseen by Mr. Sunday Are. Also, he is identified by various nicknames such as Starboy, Machala, Big Wiz, and Big W…

Wizkid is usually regarded as one of Africa’s top three performers. Other artists include Burna Boy and Davido. Also, he has the largest fan base in Nigeria which identifies itself with the name Wizkid FC. Wizkidis often referred to by nicknames of Starboyor Big Wiz or Big W.

The Lagos-born musician is aged 32. While he has yet to be married, he is blessed with three sons with different women. The first son, Boluwatife, was born in the year 2011. He was only 21 in the year. He is a big fan of his children frequently and loves relaxing with them or taking them to beautiful destinations.

It is believed that he might be in a relationship with his manager, Jada A who is his mother. son’s third, Zion Balogun. There is also a manager, whose name is Sunday Are. Additionally, he confirmed the hiring of singer Terri in the year 2018.

The singer, well-known for his iconic fashion sense, has a wide selection of homes across the world. He is currently spending the majority of his time in his homes located in Lagos in Nigeria and Ghana.

Net Worth

As one of the most important African musicians and music managers, Wizkid was an extremely wealthy person. He is able to earn a large number of royalties on his songs and also earns money through organizing shows and appearing at events all over the world.

Wizkid‘s net worth is thought to have an estimated value that is US30 million.

Social Media

• Instagram: @wizkidayo
• Twitter: @wizkidayo