WizKid

Wizkid, a Nigerian singer-songwriter and record producer, has blended Afrobeats, hip-hop, and R&B to achieve global acclaim, solidifying his status as an international music influencer. After signing with Empire Mates Entertainment in 2009, Wizkid gained prominence with ‘Holla at Your Boy,’ the lead single from his 2011 debut album, Superstar. This album, featuring ‘Tease Me/Bad Guys’ and ‘Don’t Dull,’ earned him a Next Rated award at The Headies 2011 and Best Album of the Year at the 2012 Nigeria Entertainment Awards. Wizkid secured endorsement deals with Pepsi (2012), MTN Nigeria (2013), and Guinness (2013).

That same year, he established Starboy Entertainment, and by 2014, became the first Nigerian musician to amass over one million followers on Twitter, preceding his second studio album, Ayo, later that year. Wizkid’s international breakthrough arrived in 2016 with his collaboration on Drake’s hit single ‘One Dance,’ soaring to number-one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topping charts in 14 other countries, earning him recognition in the Guinness World Records in 2018 as the first Afrobeats artist to do so. In March 2017, he signed a multi-album deal with RCA Records/Sony Music International, releasing his third studio album, Sounds from the Other Side, later that year. His single ‘Soco’ became his first Afrobeats track certified gold in Canada (2018).

His collaboration ‘MMS’ featuring Asake, garnered a nomination for Best African Music Performance at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in 2024. Wizkid’s innovative blend of Afrobeats, hip-hop, and R&B has consistently pushed cultural boundaries, solidifying his status as an international music influencer and an instrumental force in globalizing Afrobeats, inspiring a new generation of artists.