I recently watched the Apple Music interview commemorating Wizkid’s emergence as the Artist of the Year (Africa) on Youtube and my spirit was lifted. I got this needed lift because whenever I think about what the future holds for Nigeria, the imagery that emerges from my imagination is that of the various calamities that presently beset us. From Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen, Unknown Gunmen, and Bandit’s killings in northern, middle belt, south-east Nigeria, to the cultism that has pervaded tertiary institutions and has now gained a foothold on secondary schools. My vision of the future of Nigeria is also often awash with the consequences of the debts that the Buhari administration has been collecting like valuable souvenirs. So, to see a young, super talented Nigerian from a humble background being elevated to global prominence and giving a good account of himself on screen, was a very uplifting sight. Wizkid has indeed come a long way.
Wizkid whose real name is Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun was born on the 16th of July 1990. He began his journey into musical stardom as an 11-year-old. Wizkid and the group he formed with some of his church friends called Glorious Five, released a collaborative album that gave him a foretaste of the life ahead. In 2009, Wizkid was signed on by Banky W’s Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E). This record deal produced the megahit “Holla at Your Boy”, the lead single from his debut studio album Superstar in 2011. The rest is history. Today, Wizkid is blazing the trail. In October 2020, he released his latest album, Made in Lagos, which reached #1 on the Billboard World Album Chart. The single “Essence” featuring Tems has caused a musical cultural shift. In night and day clubs in the US, Canada, and the UK, Essence is played like no other song by an African musician. This monster hit is the first Nigerian song to reach the Billboard Top Ten following the remix with Justin Bieber. As of February 2021, Wizkid was the most-streamed Nigerian artist of all time on Spotify, with streams exceeding 3.3 billion.
This Wizkid phenomenon that has seen him winning a Grammy and many other musical awards that include getting into the Guinness Books of World records with his collaboration with Drakes is opening new doors in addition to other doors that are already open for the new breed of Nigerian musicians. Tems who collaborated with Wizkid in Essence already has a record deal with Wizkid’s record label RCA, a division of Sony Music. Rema who was the first Nigerian artiste to be included in Barack Obama’s Summer playlist in 2019, also got his song included in FIFA 21 in September 2020. Presently Fireboy’s collaboration with the British superstar Ed Sheeran is moving upwards in many global chats. His hit song “Champion” was used by the German football team FC Bayern Munich for their UEFA Super Cup celebrations in 2020. The list goes on and on of the great things happening to Nigerian youths who regardless of the disappointments of our political leaders are doing their best to make the continent proud. If you are a youth, middle-aged, or even old, there is a cultural revolution taking place, the world is hungry for Nigerian creative content. Start creating! There is a market-ready for your creations.
Ata Ukuta, Editor – Towncryyers