Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born July 16, 1990), known professionally as Wizkid or Starboy, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. His influence over the years in establishing the music culture has seen him named as one of the top three Afrobeats performers from the African continent. Wizkid, once known as Lil Prince, shot to national stardom with the release of Holla At Your Boy, the lead track from his chart-topping debut album Superstar. He is also known as Big Wiz or Machala.

He first gained international recognition in 2016 when he contributed vocals to Drake’s award-winning single, One Dance, which became a worldwide success. The singer and composer launched his fourth studio album Made In Lagos in October 2020 and the project has won various awards and established different records since its introduction into the public sphere. The album’s top singles “Essence” made history as the first Nigerian song to chart on Billboard Hot 100.

Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun is a Nigerian music Megastar. He is professionally known as Wizkid or Starboy or Big Wiz. He gained prominence after signing to Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E) in 2009 and releasing his smash single, Holla At Your Boy

The song that fetched him millions of admirers set the tone for Wizkid to produce commercially successful albums in the past twelve years. His recent album, Made In Lagos, has helped him get international recognition, as it reached number one on the Billboard World Album Chart.

Essence featuring Tems, a single from the album, is the first Nigerian song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. In addition, in February 2021, it was announced that Wizkid has become the most-streamed Nigerian artist on Spotify with more over 3.4 billion streams across all his projects.

He became famous professionally with Wizkid Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun is a 32 years old Nigerian singer, rapper, and songwriter whose presence in the Nigerian industry is classified as a godsend.

Wizkid Early Life

Wizkid was born to the family of Mr Ibrahim Balogun (father) and Mrs Jane Dolapo Balogun (mother) on the 16th Of July 1990. He was born into an inter-faith household, with his father practicing the Muslim religion while his mother followed the Christian faith. His parents gave him the name Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun.

He hails from Ogun State in the South West region of Nigeria and comes from a big family as he has twelve sisters all females. He was born and nurtured in a polygamous setting in the Ojuelegba area of Surulere City in Lagos State. His father has three wives.

He grew up in Lagos City which saw him exposed to the rich Nigerian music tradition, and helped grow his enthusiasm for the discipline. As a young boy he routinely went to church with his mother and other siblings and became involved in activities pertaining to the choir section of his local church.

By the time he was eleven he had co-founded a music group called Glorious Five, and they had published an album before breaking up to go their separate ways. He was known as Lil Prinz during this time. He developed an interest in music by listening to music legends like as Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Bob Marley, Lucky Dube, King Sunny Ade.

As he entered his teens he started going to the studio of legendary Nigerian producer, OJB Jezreel and got to know the elder talent. OJB Jezreel took Wizkid under his wing and told him to take a year off before he started recording and use that time to perfect his sound. He also met rapper, Naeto C, when he was fifteen and they established a mentor-mentee connection. The turning point in Wizkid’s career came when he was discovered by music executive, talent management and musician Banky W.

Wizkid was born into a polygamous family on July 16, 1990. He is from the Yoruba tribe and his parents named him Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun. His father is a Muslim and his mother a Christian who attends a Pentecostal church in Nigeria.

He was born and bred in the Ojuelegba area of Surulere. He is from Ogun State, but was born in Lagos State. He has 12 siblings, all of which are females, and he is the sole boy. He is son of Mr. Balogun, who had three marriages. The Baloguns were a polygamous family, although they lived in peace and harmony. And that provided Wizkid room to chase his music dreams without having to face family concerns.

Wizkid started out in music at the tender age of 11, forming a music group called Glorious Five with his buddies. His church people were his friends. The group issued a collaboration album before disbanding. Wizkid’s first stage name was Lil Prinz, and he changed his name to Wizkid in 2006.

As Wizkid grew older, he was surrounded by some of the biggest personalities in the music industry. He first met an ace music producer OJB Jezreel who told him not to record any music for a year but to concentrate on strengthening his song composition ability. And during this time, he was a frequent at the OJB Jezreel’s studio in his ghetto, Ojuelegba. And this offered him the chance to observe singers like 2baba and Sound Sultan record songs.

He later connected with rapper Naeto C, who he says is one of his mentors in the profession. Wizkid’s success ultimately came when he crossed paths with Banky W, a musician, talent manager and CEO of E.M.E Records. Banky W picked Wizkid up instantly and began working with the younger singer on refining his sound. Consequently, E.M.E signed Wizkid to a record deal in 2009.

Wizkid Education

Wizkid came from a well-to-do family which enabled him to attend the best private institutions in Surulere for his basic and secondary studies.

He obtained entrance to the Lagos State University, but left school in 2009. He eventually enrolled to Lead City University, Ibadan and was given admission, and managed to study for two academic sessions before quitting from the institution to face music honestly.

The Baloguns left no stone unturned to ensure their kid had a quality education. For his primary and high school education, Wizkid went to the best private institutions in Surulere.

He acquired his West African School Certificate and earned admission into Lagos State University. But then he dropped out of college.

He then proceeded to Lead City University, Ibadan for higher education. But he quit the institution after two sessions.

Wizkid Music Career

In 2009 Wizkid signed to a record deal with Banky W’s owned and managed Empire Mates Entertainment. He initially showcased his remarkable songwriting skills to the public when he co-wrote the tune, Omoge You Too Much, one of the songs off Banky W‘s album – The W Experience. That same year he began recording his debut album named Superstar and released the project’s lead single, Holla At Your Boy on the 2nd Of January, 2010. The song became an instant hit and helped catapult his prominence in the music world, earning him the coveted Next Rated Artist title at The Headies in 2011.

Tease Me/Bad Guys, the album’s second single, was put into the public domain on the 2nd Of April 2010. The project released their third single on the 6th Of December 2010, Don’t Dull, as a Christmas jam. Superstar is a combination of Afrobeats, Dancehall, R&B and Reggae sounds, recorded and put together over two years. It ultimately dropped on the 12th Of June 2011 at a premiere party at Eko Hotel and Suites. The album received several nominations and eventually won the ‘Best Album Of The Year’ at the 2012 Nigerian Entertainment Awards.

After the release of his first flagship project, Wizkid went on tour in London with his label mates, Skales, Shaydee, Banky W and Niyola. He also worked with his labelmates to record E.M.E’s compilation album, Empire Mates State Of The Mind, which came out in 2012.

By 2012, Wizkid had started recording his second studio album, Ayo which was completed and released in 2014. The album was a commercial triumph, with inputs from creative minds like Femi Kuti, Seyi Shay, Phyno, Tyga, Akon, Wale, Sarz, Shizzi, Legendury Beatz, Dokta Frabz, Maleek Berry and Spellz. The lead song from the album, “Jaiye Jaiye”, was released earlier in May 2013. The track featured Afrobeat great Femi Kuti.

In October 2013 he released On Top Your Matter, the second single from the album. The single is produced by Del B. When his contract with E.M.E. expired, he quit the record label and became an independent artist, starting up his own record label.

Wizkid dropped the song Ojuelegba at the beginning of the new year (January 2015). The song speaks about the early days of his career and the challenges he endured on the route to the top. He signed a recording deal with RCA Records in March 2017. He later released his third studio album titled Sounds From The Other Side in July 2017. The album featured famous works including African Bad Gyal starring American artist, Chris Brown, Expensive Shit, Daddy Yo featuring Efya, Come Closer featuring Drake and Sweet Love.

In 2016, Wizkid featured on Drake’s blockbuster single, One Dance. The song helped him receive more international attention as it hit the number one spot in Billboard Hot 100 chart, staying there for 10 non-consecutive weeks. The song also hit number one on the music charts in fifteen additional nations. His work with One Dance made him the first Afrobeats artiste to be featured in the 2018 Guinness World Records.

Also, in 2018, top international artist Normani and Calvin Harris approached Wizkid to work together. And same year the trio released the track, Checklist that was a major hit. as the song reached number one on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart. In 2019, he was proud to be invited to collaborate on Beyoncé‘s album, The Lion King: The Gift. He appeared on the single Brown Skin Girl alongside SAINt JHN, Blue Ivy Carter which went on to win the Grammy Award For Best Music Video in 2021.

In October 2021, he released his fourth studio album, Made In Lagos, which was a huge success internationally. The album reached the number one spot on the Billboard World Album Chart. One of the project’s tracks, Essence, starring fellow Nigerian singer, Tems, is the first Nigerian song to feature on Billboard Hot 100. The song also entered top ten positions with the remix with Justin Bieber. In February 2021, he became the most streamed Nigerian artist of all time on Spotify with over 3.4 billion streams across tracks across his catalog.

Wizkid began working on his debut album Superstar after signing with E.M.E records. The album which is a combination of Afrobeats, R&B and Reggae sounds, had Wizkid working with outstanding producers like as Masterkraft, Samklef, Shizzi, Jay Sleek and Q-Beats.

He released the first and lead song from the project in January 2010. The song, Holla At Your Boy, catapulted Wizkid into the national mainstream and made him the favorite performer of many young Nigerians. The song is also recognized for helping him win the Next Rated Artiste title at The Headies 2011.

Tease Me/Bad Guys was released as the album’s second single in April 2020. This song was likewise a commercial success like his first one. And the record was followed by Don’t Dull which became the dance jam and party song during the December Festive season. Superstar was launched on the 12th Of June 2011 to critical praise. The launch party was hosted at Eko Hotel and Suites. The album was nominated for Album Of The Year in The Headies 2012

In 2012, Wizkid collaborated with his label mates Shaydee, Niyola, Skales and Banky W on the joint album: Empire Mates State Of The Mind. When the record was released he and other E.M.E performers toured the United States, hitting over two dozen cities.

His sophomore album Ayo, after two years of hard effort in the studio likewise did excellent numbers commercially. The lead single of the album, Jaiye Jaiye, was released on 2nd May, 2013. He featured music superstar Femi Kuti in the song. On Top Your Matter the second single of the album was released on the 26th Of October 2013. He again worked with ace producer, Del B on the tune.

After his five-year contract with E.M.E records expired, he decided not to renew his deal and departed the label. Instead, he chose to form his own music outfit which he dubbed Starboy Entertainment. Before exiting E.M.E, there were whispers Wizkid was facing problems with the management over the conditions of his contract. This was the reason why he left the E.M.E mansion for his own residence in February, 2013. Upon the formation of Starboy Entertainment, Legendury Beatz and Maleek Berry were signed as recording artists to the label.

In January 2015, Wizkid released Ojuelegba which is about his tribulations in the early years of his career. He appeared on Drake’s hit, One Dance, becoming the first Nigerian musician to be ranked on the Billboard Twitter’s Last 24 Hours chart. By May, the song had made its way to the Billboard Hot 100 chart giving Wizkid further honors. Also, he is the first Afrobeats artist to be featured in the 2018 Guinness World Records for his involvement in One Dance.

In March 2017 he secured a record deal with multinational music label, RCA Records. Four months later, he released his third studio album Sounds From The Other Side . The album featured collaborations with prominent stars like Drake, Chris Brown, Sarz, Spellz, Del B, Major Lazer, Ty Dolla Sign, Efya and DJ Mustard. He has released three successful songs before the album was published; Daddy Yo, Sweet Love and Come Closer.

In 2019, he was approached by American diva, Beyonce and invited to work with her on the album: The Lion King: The Gift. That’s why he sang on the chart-topping single, Brown Skin Girl. The song earned him his first Grammy for Best Music Video. It also landed him nods at the BET Awards, the NACCP Image Awards and the Soul Train Music Awards.

Wizkid released his fourth studio album named, Made In Lagos on the 30th Of October 2020. In 2021, one of the tracks from the album, Essence, became the first Nigerian song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. The record has also racked up millions of streams and is looking strong for numerous nominations. Justin Bieber contacted Wizkid to do a remix of Essence, which was a success.

Legendary Nigerian musician, Wizkid was first signed to Empire Mate Entertainment (EME) by Banky W in 2009. He shot to limelight with “Holla At Your Boy” a track off his Superstar Album. He left the label EME because of contract issues and launched his own record label StarBoy.

Personal Life

Wizkid’s current age is 31 years. Despite having three lovely sons – Boluwatife Balogun, Ayodeji Balogun and Zion Balogun – the singer is said to be single. But rumour has it that the celebrity is dating Jada Pollock, his manager and mother of his third son, Zion Balogun. Some sites have also accused him of dating Tems. But Wizkid is very fond of his children and spends his leisure time with them anytime he’s not in the studio recording songs or on tour.

Wizkid is a tremendously successful performer, both in terms of financial and music assets. He now divides his time between his homes in Lagos and Accra. Beyond having a fleet of luxury cars, he also owns desirable residences across the world and has diversified business investments.

He is also a music executive, starting his own music imprint, Starboy Entertainment in 2013, signing musicians such as Maleek Berry and Legendury Beatz. The fast-rising vocalist Starboy Terri is now signed to the label.

He is a Pepsi ambassador, signing his first partnership with the multinational in 2012. He has also done brand partnership arrangements with the likes of MTN Nigeria, Guinness Nigeria Plc and United Bank Of Africa (UBA).

Mr. Sunday Are is presently managing him. And he is also known by other nicknames such as Starboy, Machala, Big Wiz, Big W.

Wizkid is frequently listed among the top three artists in Africa. Others are Burna Boy and Davido. He also has the largest fanbase in Nigeria, who call themselves Wizkid FC. Wizkid is also known as Starboy or Big Wiz or Big W.

The singer is 32 and was born in Lagos. He is not yet married but has three sons from three separate women. His first child, Boluwatife, was born in 2011. He was only 21 years old at the time. He is very attached to his children and during his leisure time he is either on vacation with them or taking them out to beautiful areas.

Rumors have it that he is currently dating his manager, Jada P. She is also the mother of his third son, Zion Balogun. He also has another manager called Sunday Are. Also, he announced the signing of vocalist, Terri in 2018.

The singer is famous for his unique dress sense and has property holdings all around the world. He divides his time between his Lagos and Ghana properties.

Net Worth

Wizkid is a tremendously wealthy man being one of the most important African performers and music executives. Due to the royalties of his songs and arranging performances and playing at shows all over the world, he makes a lot of money.

Wizkid’s net worth is reported to have a net worth of US$35,000,000.