Wizkid

Wizkid was raised in an interfaith household in Lagos, where his mother practiced Pentecostal Christianity and his father practiced Islam. He grew up alongside twelve female siblings in a polygamous family setting. His mother, Jane Balogun, passed away in London in August 2023, later inspiring the title and theme of his sixth studio album.

Wizkid is a father to five children born to three women. In 2011, he had his first son, Boluwatife, with Shola Ogudugu. He also has a child with Binta Diamond Diallo, and shares children with his music manager and romantic partner, Jada Pollock.

Born Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun in the Ojuelegba suburb of Surulere, Lagos, Wizkid began singing at age 11 in his local church choir. Around that time, he formed a musical group named the Glorious Five with friends from church and released a collaborative project before the group disbanded. In the earliest stages of his career, he performed under the moniker Lil Prinz, a name he used until 2006.

During his formative years, he spent time at Point Beat Studios observing producer OJB Jezreel and veteran artists such as 2Face Idibia and Sound Sultan. He received early coaching and mentorship from Nigerian rapper Naeto C. Although he enrolled in tertiary education at Lagos State University and later Lead City University, he left both institutions to dedicate himself fully to a professional music career.

In 2009, Wizkid signed a recording contract with Banky W's Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E). His breakthrough came in January 2010 with the release of the single "Holla at Your Boy", which earned him the Next Rated award at The Headies in 2011. His debut studio album, Superstar, arrived in June 2011, incorporating elements of afropop, R&B, dancehall, and reggae, and featuring additional hit singles including "Tease Me/Bad Guys" and "Don't Dull".

Following widespread touring across the United Kingdom and the United States with the E.M.E roster, Wizkid began work on his follow-up record. In September 2014, he released his self-titled second studio album, Ayo, featuring prominent collaborations with Femi Kuti, Akon, and Tyga. The project included the standout single "Ojuelegba", which detailed his early struggles in Lagos. After fulfilling his contractual obligations with the release of the album, Wizkid departed E.M.E to focus on his own imprint, Starboy Entertainment.

Wizkid attained widespread international visibility in 2016 when he co-wrote and featured on Drake's global smash single "One Dance". The song reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it spent ten non-consecutive weeks, and topped the charts across 14 other countries. The success earned him an entry in the Guinness World Records as the first Afrobeats artist to achieve that distinction.

Building on this momentum, Wizkid signed a multi-album deal with RCA Records in March 2017 and released his third studio album, Sounds from the Other Side, in July of that year. The record leaned heavily into Caribbean and house grooves, containing collaborations with artists such as Major Lazer, Chris Brown, Trey Songz, and Drake.

In 2019, Wizkid collaborated on Beyoncé's "Brown Skin Girl" for The Lion King: The Gift project, which earned him a Grammy Award for Best Music Video. In October 2020, he released his fourth studio album, Made in Lagos, which became a critical and commercial milestone, topping the Billboard World Albums chart.

The album featured the breakout track "Essence", featuring Nigerian singer Tems. "Essence" made history as the first Nigerian song to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100, later reaching the top 15 following a remix featuring Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber. Wizkid followed this success with his fifth studio album, More Love, Less Ego, released in November 2022.

In November 2024, Wizkid released his sixth studio album, Morayo, named in tribute to his late mother. Preceded by the collaborative single "Piece of My Heart" featuring American singer Brent Faiyaz, the album set streaming records across Africa on Spotify and Apple Music upon release. The album showcased guest appearances from artists including Asake, Jazmine Sullivan, and Tiakola.

Expanding on his creative partnerships, Wizkid joined Nigerian artist Asake to release the collaborative EP Real, Vol. 1 in January 2026, which featured charting singles such as "Turbulence" and "Jogodo".