Date of Birth:
16 July 1980
Place of Birth:
Ojuelegba Surulere, Lagos state
Profession
Nationality:
Zodiac Sign:
Age:
ABOUT
Wizkid’s the stage name of Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, a Nigerian singer and songwriter born on July 16, 1990. He is from Ojuelegba, a Lagos suburb. Wizkid is a made star in the Afrobeats industry. The Nigerian music star plays a mixture of Afrobeats, Afropop, R&B, and sometimes sings Reggae, Dancehall, and Pop for entertainment purposes.
BEFORE FAME
He grew up in an interfaith household with twelve sisters. Wizkid attended Ijebu Ode Grammar School and was influenced by the music of King Sunny Ade, Fela Kuti, and Bob Marley during his upbringing. In mid-2009, he dropped out of Lagos State University (LASU). He later enrolled at Lead City University but left after completing two semesters.
Wizkid began making music at the age of 11 and even released an album with his church friends as part of a group called Glorious Five. Until 2006, he performed under the stage name Lil Prinz and recorded a 7-track album. Later, he met record producer OJB Jezreel, who advised him to refrain from recording for a year.
Then in 2009, Wizkid signed a record deal with Banky W’s Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E). His career took off after “Holla at Your Boy,” the hit single from his first album, Superstar (2011). Superstar also gave us jams like “Tease Me/Bad Guys” and “Don’t Dull”.
CAREER
Wizkid’s musical journey began in 1990. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, he grew up in a large, interfaith family. Inspired by musical legends like Fela Kuti and Bob Marley, he started making music at the young age of 11. He formed a group with his church friends and even released an album before disbanding.
Early on, Wizkid adopted the stage name Lil Prinz. He met record producer OJB Jezreel, who mentored him while recording for other artists. Around this time, he connected with established musicians like 2face Idibia and Naeto C, who further shaped his artistry.
In 2009, Wizkid signed with Empire Mates Entertainment. He tried his skills again by collaborating with label artist mates and music industry veterans. He eventually dropped out of university to pursue music full-time.
Wizkid’s music career began with Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E.) After several years and two studio albums, he left the label in 2014. In 2013, he established his own music label, Starboy Entertainment. Later, in 2017, he signed a major record deal with Sony Music. Since then, he has produced meledious songs including collaboration with Beyonce, Chris Brown and other international superstars, to push his career to greater heights.
FAMILY LIFE
Wizkid is from Ojuelegba, a suburb of Lagos with 11 other siblings. His father has three wives and his mother is a Pentecostal Christian, while his father practices Islam. For now, Wizkid has four children (Boluwatife Ayodeji, Ayodeji Ibrahim, Zion Ayo and AJ Balogun), with three different women; Oluwanisola (Shola) Ogudugu, Jada Pollock, and Binta Diallo . His children were born in 2011, 2016, 2017, and 2022. Sadly, his mother passed away in London on August 18, 2023.
ASSOCIATED WITH
Wizkid has been involved in several Twitter banters with various artists, including his former boss Banky W and former label mate Skales. Other artists he has clashed with include Davido, Dammy Krane, Saeon, Samklef, Reekado Banks, blogger Linda Ikeji, and comedian Mr. Jollof.
Wizkid Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun’s discography includes Superstar (2011), Ayo (2014), Sounds from the Other Side (2017), Made in Lagos (2020), More Love and Less Ego (2022). He has two “Tours including Made in Lagos Tour” in 2021 as well as “More Love, Less Ego Tour” in 2023.
Wizkid’s music career is successful & decorated with accolades. He’s the most awarded African artist at major award shows like BET Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and Soul Train Awards. He notably won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video as a lead artist on Beyoncé’s “Brown Skin Girl” and holds two Guinness World Records for his contributions to Drake’s “One Dance.” In 2021, he was recognized as Apple Music’s Artist of the Year (Africa).
Wizkid’s Net Worth
The net worth of Wizkid is estimated from $4million – $10million. He owns multiple luxary cars including a Ferrari, Bentley, Range Rover Autobiography, Mercedes Benz, Rolls Royce etc. Wizkid paid $595,000 for his Rolls Royce Cullinan. In September 2022, he bought seven luxury cars in one day, including an $826,000 Lamborghini Aventador, a $443,000 Rolls Royce Black Badge, and a $185,000 Maybach Minivan. Additionally, in December 2022, he purchased a $230,000 Lamborghini Urus for Christmas. Wizkid’s source of income is basically from his hit albums music earnings on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, YouTube, Facebook, sold-out tours, endorsements, successful business ventures, Advertisements, Music Shows and so on. He earns massively from Music Concerts and Shows.