How Wizkid Went From Ojuelegba to Owning Afrobeats

Do you know that thing where someone has been so great for so long that we start acting like it’s normal? That’s Wizkid.

For over 16 years, he’s been on our screens, in our speakers, and on our minds. Whether you’re a day-one fan from Holla at Your Boy or you joined the train at Essence, you’ve felt the Starboy effect.

His latest album Morayo just clocked over 111.8 million streams, and that’s just across four platforms. Na who dey breeeeet?

But before all this Grammy glitz and O2 Arena glory, there was a boy from Surulere, Lagos, Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, singing in church with his group, Glorious Five.

He started music at 11, went by “Lil Prinz,” and even dropped an album with his church guys. Real OG moves.

How His Big 3 Era Started

If you weren’t singing “Holla at your boy!” in 2010, were you even outside? That song and the Superstar album that followed, launched Wizkid into the big leagues.

From “Don’t Dull” to “Pakurumo,” every track slapped. Every party in Naija had at least one Wizkid song on rotation. He wasn’t just good, he was the moment.

By 2013, Wizkid was ready to do things his way. He left E.M.E, started his own label, and began building the Starboy empire. That’s when we started seeing the full picture. He wasn’t just a talented guy with a soft voice — he had vision.

He brought us talents like Maleek Berry, L.A.X, and later Mr Eazi and Terri. Starboy wasn’t just a name; it became a sound, a squad, a movement.

The game changed in 2016 when Drake dropped One Dance. You heard that “Wizkid and Kyla” at the start? That was a shift.

Suddenly, Wizkid wasn’t just our own treasure, he belonged to the world. Billboard charts. Guinness World Records. A record deal with RCA. Collabs with Chris Brown, Beyoncé, Skepta.

And then came Made in Lagos in 2020 an album so smooth, it became the soundtrack for everything from romantic vibes to Nigerian protests (No Stress felt like a hug).

“Essence” wasn’t just a song, it was the song. It entered Billboard’s Hot 100, made Tems a household name, and had Justin Bieber begging to jump on the remix.

Wizkid is the Culture

Wizkid doesn’t talk much online. No constant drama. No interviews every other week. He drops music, breaks records, collects awards, and disappears to vibe. That’s power.

His fashion is elite (shoutout to his Pharrell-inspired drip), his kids are adorable (Zion fans, where you at?), and even when he’s in wahala from Twitter beefs to baby mama headlines he always finds a way to let the music do the talking.

Awards and Endorsements

Let’s be clear: Wizkid is not your fave’s mate.

• First Nigerian to sell out the O2 Arena multiple times.
• Most awarded artist in The Headies history.
• Grammy winner for Brown Skin Girl.
• Over 3.4 billion Spotify streams (let that number breathe).

From Pepsi to MTN to Glo endorsements, he’s bagged the checks. From “Ojuelegba” to “Ginger,” he’s given us memories. From Surulere to stadiums, he’s carried Nigerian music like agbada