A LITTLE MAN WITH A GREAT MIND- WIZKID

 

         He was only 11yrs of age when he recorded his first celebrated song with producer and singer OJB Jezreel, Ayodeji Ibraham Balogun was known back then as Lil’ Prinz—a little man making a big splash, at least within his church and family and among very close friends then. He might have become a bit more famous after releasing a 7-track album .Today, of course, you know him as WizKid, one of Nigeria’s fastest growing and popular stars of Afro-pop.

     Looking from the outside, it can look like success in show business comes magically and overnight, but Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (WIZKID) can say to the fact that it takes extra patience, talent and hard work to becoming popular in life. From when he was born, July 16, 1989 to when he rebranded in 2006, Wizkid had seen plenty in life that he just wanted to tell through lyrics and rhythm of his songs. He got back into the studio and began working with Nigeria’s celebrated music icons such as Naeto C and Ikechukwu, and partnered once again with OJB Jezreel.

    After few years in building his singing career, Wizzy had even bigger breakthroughs. His collaboration with M.I in “Fast Money, Fast Cars” on the “Talk About It” album. He was featured on “Turn by Turn” a hit Barcelona radio jingle by rapper Kel. In addition to the good tidings he had, he finally got hooked to Banky W’s Empire Mates Entertainment record label and played a major role in bringing Banky’s “the W Experience” LP into the limelight.

Finally in his race, 2010 saw the release of WizKid’s smash singles “Holla at Your Boy that blew the whole air,” “Tease Me” and “Don’t Dull.” He released his debut album ‘Superstar‘ in 2011, and performed his sold out concert of the same name in June.

     With a rare combination of charisma and humility, Wizkid has become a huge success story even at just 23 in in entertainment industry. He walked home with a brand new car as the next rated winner at the 2011 Headies and probably has more wrist watches than the president. He continues to rack up chart-topping hits and has rendered too many collaborations with both national and international stars, including Camp Mulla of Kenya, to count.

     In 2012, WizKid recently won the BET Best International Act in Africa award with Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie, and he’s been signed to the prestigious Konvict records label. With “Dance for Me,” he became one of the first musicians in Nigeria to shoot a video in 3D.

As his fame continue to spread worldwide, he still keeps it all about working hard to please his fans no matter what it takes. “I’m trying to be one of the best that’s ever done it- Wizkid, so for me to do that I have to work 10 times harder than the people who’ve been here before me,” he recently told DJ Fully Focus in an interview he had at  Konvict Studios in Atlanta. “My fans show me love, and I never want to let them down.