When the 2021 Grammy for Best Music Video was announced, the winners were Beyoncé, Blue Ivy Carter, Saint Jhn and a singer from Surulere in Lagos. Brown Skin Girl, a song celebrating dark-skinned women, gave Wizkid his first Grammy. It was a long way from the teenager who had recorded his first songs in a Lagos neighbourhood studio more than a decade earlier.
Early life and Starboy
Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun was born in 1990 in Surulere, Lagos. He grew up in a large family and began making music as a child, singing in church and recording with friends. He signed to Banky W’s Empire Mates Entertainment and broke through in 2010 with Holla at Your Boy. His debut album, Superstar, followed in 2011 and made him one of Nigeria’s biggest young stars.
He later founded his own label, Starboy Entertainment, and his nickname “Starboy” became part of his brand.
One Dance and Brown Skin Girl
In 2016, Wizkid featured on Drake’s One Dance, alongside Kyla. The song topped charts around the world, including the Billboard Hot 100, and introduced him to a huge new audience. His 2017 album, Sounds from the Other Side, released on a major international label, featured collaborations with Chris Brown, Major Lazer and others. Brown Skin Girl appeared on Beyoncé’s 2019 album The Lion King: The Gift. The video, released in 2020, featured cameos from famous Black women and became an anthem of self-love.
Made in Lagos and Essence
His 2020 album, Made in Lagos, was widely praised for its smooth, laid-back sound. It included Essence, featuring Tems. Essence became a global hit in 2021, and a remix with Justin Bieber took it into the American top ten. It was one of the songs that opened doors for Afrobeats in the United States. Wizkid has headlined major venues, including London’s O2 Arena for multiple nights, drawing huge diaspora crowds.
Later albums and influence
He followed with More Love, Less Ego in 2022 and Morayo in 2024, the latter named after his late mother. Unlike many stars, Wizkid gives few interviews and keeps much of his life private, which has added to his mystique. Younger Nigerian artists often name him as an influence, and his success helped build the global market they now work in.
Wizkid started out singing in Surulere. He now shares a Grammy with Beyoncé, and he still lets his music do most of the talking.
