WIZKID! 7 YEARS IN REVIEW. KILLING IT? + (PDF)

Wizkid is unarguably one of Nigeria's biggest export. I'm not even sector/ industry specific while saying this, so let's not put it up for debate.
Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun. I know y'all prolly know his full name and story (not snap story but the Ojuelegba one). He's a singer, songwriter and a fashion killer (If that's a thing).

 He came through the industry like a car with brake faults coming at 200mph, smashing everything on the way to his destination. Before his breakthrough in 2010, he had his fair share of trying times and struggles with the glorious five group from church, his back and forth endeavors in studios, working under OJB jezreel and seeing industry heavyweights record thier songs. All those periods he persevered and nutured his own craft. The moments obviously paid off but we're focused on his journey from 2010.
Wizkid came through with 'Holla at your boy' after inking a deal with EME. Holla at your boy was something new for the Nigerian music industry. It  came along with an inaudible but loud announcement of the introduction of new Skool afro pop in the industry.

 I was in my freshman year in the University that period and it resonated so much with youngings like us and it was a phenomenon. I then saw him in a commercial for a certain campaign (One Nigeria.. I guess) on soundcity alongside Mo'chedda. We suddenly had that 'Lil Bow wow' or 'Lil romeo' kinda entertainment figure we could relate to in the country. Wizkid and Ice prince immediately had snapbacks trending and a guy's outfit is almost incomplete without a snapback at that period. Holla at your boy earned him the next rated award and for the first time, I actually saw the next rated category taking proper shape and awarding acts befitting for the award. In a short while he released 'tease me' with an accompanying video. One good and satisfying feeling about everything wizkid released at that period was that it had this distinguishing factors from everything we've been listening to in the industry before he came. Aside the fact that he had an industry big shot behind him at the time, his content sold the whole empire and attracted audience on a larger scale. He acknowledged several heavyweights in the industry as a sign of paying homage or showing respect on the tease me single and most of them reciprocated by doing a cameo appearance on the video.
Then Don't dull! Hands down one of the best songs wizkid has recorded till date. Don't dull can still come off as a very constructive and trendy song even five years from now. The kicks on the Instrumental had a very chilled and banging vibe. The lyrics had good punchlines and few playful parts but in its entirety, is a long way above average. What the hell am I saying? It's an excellent song. Akon immediately jumped on the remix after hearing the song.

Within the space of 2011- 2013, Wizkid has changed the game with brain dissecting songs. Evergreen features, remixes and His debut album 'Superstar' is somewhere fixed within this time frame. The Superstar album was straight up pure greatness. Everything out that album was a certified hit with the inclusion of the previous mentioned songs and others like:
Oluwa loni
Pakurumo
Say my name
Scatter the floor
No Lele
Love my baby
Gidi girl
Slow whine
What you wanna do
EME boys
For me
Wadup
Shout out
Wiz party.
There's some kind of channeled excitement and joy at the mention of any of these songs. I did mention every single one is a hit right? Too good I need to run through some of them real quick. Oluwa Lo ni was pure inspirational, and a song for self reassessment and gratitude to God. That's a registered evergreen song.

Pakurumo! Ko jo dada! I think this was first of its kind among contemporary afro pop singers before it started getting replicas from every angle. The fusion of urban style with cultural/ fuji, talking about the fashion in the visuals and even the lyrical content. The video was hilarious and straight up one of the most creative so far. The song resonated with older folks who had something trendy to jeun soke to and blend with the youths. It was so uniting.
Say my name. "Say everybody say my name. Wizyy!" Say my name was like a first testimony of his stardom and announcing his arrival in the industry. Pretty slow and cool but puts you in a hype mood. What sorcery is that?
Scatter the floor. The title did justice to the song and its impact on the dance floor. His lyrical prowess was on savage level. The tricky blend of yoruba and English in almost every bar and a fast rendition on the song was priceless.
Gidi girl. This one is an Rnb love song and it did things to girls who have a soft spot for Rnb songs. He won over many people's girlfriend with this one. No hard feelings.
Wadup is on my all time favorite list. D prince's verse on wadup is probably his best on any track so far. It's majorly reminiscent of years of no fame and money when he was stunted on, ignored and now getting all the hollers since his cake up.
Then "Shout out to my real Niggaz got go make you bigger oh ooh!" This one is also a show of gratitude to people who put him on, friends and those he look up to. And the recipe for greatness got blended with those songs.
In the same period of dishing out songs for the superstar album, he lent his unique artistry on loads of joints in the industry and so far one of the most featured artist in the game and some of his unforgettable features are:
Molowo Noni - Samklef
Tanker - Banky W
Jonzing World - D'prince
Familiarity - Jayru
Omo toh shan - Olamide
Follow me - Yung6ix
Bracket - Girl
Ice prince - Olofofo
Fine lady - Lynxx
R2bees - Dance
Sarz - Samba (beat of life)
Iyanya - Sexy Mama
Keresimesi - Skales
Well.. These are some of the collaborations he scored within that period, excluding his features on the EME compilation album with songs like Each of the mentioned songs were instant hits and he graced the hook on most of them. I can't move on without running through some of the joints.
Molowo Noni also had D'prince and Ice prince on it. Gathering on princes yeah? If only Wizkid maintained his first stage name 'Lil prinz' it would have been prince x3. Lol. Wizkid's pilot verse shaped the song though and whenever Molowo Noni comes up, be rest assured, some people are leaving their seats (to dance though).
Tanker. This is surely one of those periods Bank would go the bedroom/ bathroom and pat himself on the back for putting wiz on. He comes from another different clan musically but it doesn't prevent him from being shoulder bumped on his own song. Wizkid shared the hook with Banky and did a mad job.
Familiarity. This songgggg! Every male teenager who related to this song definitely found a spot in the song to get attached to. It was a Bragging rights typa song but the females are on the other side of the table and how he should not be belittled, also he's been doing things since 11 (What could that be?). The introduction of the 'carrot jeans' is partly owed to the video of familiarity.

Omo toh shan. It was pretty much an Okay song to me but the energy and hype it came with was too massive. Olamide was a rising force in the indigenous rap scene and wizkid also a rising force in the afro pop. So it banged and the video just icined it. Oh! He took the chorus.
Follow me with Yung6ix was too much. The too much juice, too much sauce expression should have been existent that period. It was fresh, urban and trendy. Two young fellows dishing out content pretty much relatable. Wizkid and some of his pairs came with that wave. It was something new and it has worked for him so far.
He took the chorus on Bracket's girl, Ice prince's Olofofo, Lynxx's Fine lady, Dance by R2bees, Iyanya's Sexy mama. And he owned those songs in the delivery so much I literally will the songs to him indeliberately.
Samba!! The fact that the actualization of the song was taped from the inception to the end and released to the public, bought wizkid a whole lot of fans. The song got so big it had comic interpretations on social media and Chris Brown danced to it the first time they went on stage together. That was actually the period his inevitable journey to take his craft worldwide started to surface. They should have done a video for samba though.
Within this period in 2012 precisely, he had his first London tour that cut through big venues like the Hmv Apollo, 02 academy and even high schools. I recalled watching his visit to a school where he performed in the assembly hall and the students took over when he was singing 'don't dull'. He released stray singles like 'London girl' and 'azonto' while touring cities. The songs were so big and never included in any of his albums or EP. He had one of the biggest endorsement by a Nigerian artist in 2012 with Pepsi as well. It was said to be worth $350, 000. When he was interviewed about his required job as a Pepsi ambassador, he was quoted to say "My job is to drink Pepsi and smile for the camera".
2013. He announced his newest creation "Starboy" records. He kicked off the signing of acts with producers. Firstly it was Maleek berry and a week later he also announced Legendary beats followed with a team photo of them in a blazer suit. The first single off the label was "The matter" by Maleek berry featuring wizkid. It was wizkid all through the song but fast forward to 2017, I wonder why Maleek berry kept shut all those moments. Man is a beast not just on the beats. Well around this period, there was the controversy of his departure from EME with the issue of the unfair percentage cut he was getting. It became obvious when he moved out of the EME mansion to a private residence he aquired.  His contract was said to be still in place, so his subsequent release still rolls back to EME which should be a mother/ partner label housing his release at those periods. In May 2013, he churned out 'Jaiye jaiye' and it was massive.

 Jaiye Jaiye was a pure afro beat material Sarz can't stop doing magic experiments with his production skills. Creating a Fela impression with the lyrics and instrumental, alongside a wonderful sax infusion by Femi kuti himself was priceless. The Visuals was quite eye soothing. It was really a new school afro pop. The Fela attire, his kind of dancers, the shrine and a Bentley, Sesan did wonders. Few months later, August precisely, he also brought LAX on the team with the Caro song alongside a video in the UK, shot and directed by Moe Musa. On top your matter came through shortly with a video shot in south Africa.
In 2014, plans to release his second studio album came in play and it housed songs like:
Jaiye jaiye
Show you the money
In my bed
Mummy Mi
Kind Love
On top your matter
Ojuelegba
In Love
For you
Kilofe
Omalicha
Bombay
 Dutty Whine
One question
Celebrate
Show you the money rmx
Murder
Joy.
It is a good album I must say. It did figures on digital sales platforms and even worldwide acclaim. But to be honest I think the superstar is better. Not every song on this one turned out to be a hit or kickass. Some of the songs are forgetable. But it's just my opinion though. Lemme look at the good ones. I talked about jaiye jaiye, Show you the money was nice, jumpy and very danceable. In my bed was also cool but skeletal lyrics. Kilofe was a jam! He was trapping with yoruba words. That was very soothing to hear. Bombay had Phyno on it and it was so nice seeing the two on a song. The lyrics were playful but a very fun song to bump to. Show you the money rmx had Tyga on! That was massive for a Nigerian artist at that point. I believe Tyga developed interest on wizzy's music after jumping on his don't dull beat on Tim Westwood. There was no video for that though. Like yo! You T- raw on a joint and not put out a video? He does that alot. Murder with Wale was also on the album and nice. Joy! That was his own version of Bob marley's 'No woman no pride' and words are not befitting for the amount of Musical wizardry he displayed on that one.
Then! Ojuelegba! This one, without any doubt catapulted him to the global market. It contains tales about his early struggles and gratitude for how long he has come. The purest form of music is the one that comes straight from the heart mirroring your own life in lyrics. Ojuelegba subsequently got remixed with skepta and drake on it. It was premiered on OVO sound radio in 2015. He released Babanla which was my best song of the year from wiz. It was slow and cool. He then released 'expensive shit'. It had a massive hype and promotion but I think that was one of his worst song though. A very crisp and nice visuals by Sesan followed but the lyrical content still didn't sum it up. Around this period in felt a bit of decline in his lyrical content.
Fast forward to 2016 in April, Wizkid made history  on drake's one dance alongside Kayla as the first african artist to appear on the US hot 100 billboard chart and also topped charts in 15 different countries. This one was a major milestone for wiz. It blew up his international recognition, his confidence as an artist and his craft. 2016 was for jumping on international collaborations.

He got on Tinie tempah's mamacita. It was a carribean calypso sound. Completely different from what the usual wizkid is expected of. The growth of wizkid's artistry could not get a better description than what he did on mamacita. He also featured on Dj Henry's whine. He also got featured on Roc nation act Justin skye's you don't know with a followed visuals that had cameo appearance from American hip hop act, Machine gun kelly.

In the middle of 2016, he released a massive collaboration with Chris Brown, French Montana and Trey Songz on the joint Shaba. He also went on tour with Chris Brown and performed his highly anticipated collaboration between the two, titled 'African bad girl' (please do a video for this one 😢).  Around September 2016, rumors were tossed around about a Sony music worldwide deal in play with the act. In 2017 it was confirmed by the RCA records management.
It's 2017 and he's officially a global artist taking Africa to the world. His international collaborations are piling up right now and counting. He started 2017 with 'Come closer' featuring drake. The appeal was massive. The Visuals came out dope and faultless but drake was missing innit. Well He seems to be having a swirl time in 2017 and the year is not over yet, he's been interviewed on apple beats, all time records broken for online streams by an African artist, top charting songs in foreign countries, a full fledged international album with a long list of features, on tour with Future, covered American magazines, most awarded/ celebrated African artist, first african artist to hit a million follows on twitter and also built a reputable empire with international acts like Mr eazi on a roll put on as the first african artist to be apple's focus artist of the month alongside an exclusive appearance and performance on James corden show in LA. Wizkid's 'sweet love' is among sound tracks used for a Hollywood series 'Ballers' on HBO with Dwayne Johnson (The Rock).

Funny part is that it seems like he's just starting. So back to my question, killing it? Slap me for asking. Hell yeah! He's killing it, burying it, resurrecting and killing it again.

Thanks for reading.
Catch me on Twitter and IG @Iam_dr_moh

Download pdf version