Grammy award winning singer/songwriter Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, known by his stage name Wizkid, began his career in music when he was just 11 years old in Lagos, Nigeria. His first record, Lil Prinz, was recorded in 2001 in collaboration with Glorious Five, a group consisting of Balogun and his friends from church. In 2006, he started pursuing music full-time, at first collaborating with various Nigerian pop acts including OJB Jezreel, Naeto C, and Banky W. By 2011, he was ready to record his debut studio album as a solo artist; Superstar was released via Empire Mates Entertainment to great critical and public acclaim across Africa, propelling him to stardom in his home country. In 2014, Wiz released his sophomore album titled Ayo, which had a multitude of guest appearances, including a spot from Femi Kuti, and it also featured Balogun's global breakthrough track "Ojuelegba." Not only did the single cement his status as one of Nigeria's biggest pop acts, it was also picked up and remixed by Drake and Skepta, thrusting Wizkid into the international spotlight. In return, Wizkid appeared on Drake's 2016 smash single "One Dance." In March 2017, it was announced that Wizkid had signed a major deal with RCA Records and Sony International, which released his third LP, Sounds From the Other Side, later that year.
Following his impressive international campaign, Wizkid solidified himself as a millennial pioneer for African entertainment. As an ode to his hometown, Wizkid released his fourth full-length project titled Made in Lagos in 2020 with guest appearances from Burna Boy, Skepta, Damian Marley, H.E.R, Ella Mai, and more. The album is the highest charting Nigerian album on the Billboard 200 of all time, the longest charting Nigerian album of the century on Billboard World Albums chart, and the first African album to be RIAA certified Gold in the US with half a million in sale units. The hit single "Essence" featuring Tems became the first Nigerian song to feature on the Billboard Hot 100 and peak #1 on US urban radio. Made in Lagos, along with his Grammy award winning feature with Beyonce and five sold-out shows at the o2 Arena, continued to prove Wizkid's movement to be one of lasting global impact. In 2022, Wiz released his fifth studio album, More Love, Less Ego that he had major milestones around including his incredible Apple Music Live performance with Apple Music and his first-ever Madison Square Garden show in New York. Now, Wizkidreturns with new single "Piece of My Heart" featuring Brent Faiyaz and the announce of his forthcoming six studio album, Morayo, coming out November 22nd. This new album will be very personal as it's a tribute to his late mother; the meaning of the Yoruba word morayo is "I see joy." Wizkid continues to cement himself within the music industry at a global level and with the release of this single and new album coming next month, it will only solidify his place further as a global phenomenon superstar.
