Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born July 16, 1990), known professionally as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter widely recognized as one of the most influential African artists of the 21st century and a pioneer of the modern Afrobeats movement. Wizkid began his musical journey at the age of 11, initially recording an album with a church group called the Glorious Five under the name Lil Prinz. His career took off in 2010 after signing with Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E) and releasing his debut album, Superstar (2011), which featured the massive hit “Holla at Your Boy,” establishing him as a prominent figure in Nigerian pop music.
Wizkid achieved monumental international recognition following his 2016 collaboration with Drake on the worldwide smash single “One Dance,” which earned him a place in the Guinness World Records. He further solidified his global status with the 2020 album Made in Lagos, featuring the hit single “Essence” (featuring Tems), which became the first Nigerian song to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100 and won him a Grammy Award for Best Music Video for his work on Beyoncé’s “Brown Skin Girl.” Today, Wizkid continues to define the sound of Afrobeats on the world stage, blending Afropop, R&B, and dancehall elements.
