8 Lesser-Known Facts About Wizkid’s Rise From Surulere to Global Stardom

Wizkid, born Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, is one of Nigeria’s biggest music exports and a leading figure in Afrobeats’ global rise. From Surulere, Lagos, he has built a career that has produced hits including “Ojuelegba”, “Come Closer” and “Essence”. Before fame, he sang in a childhood gospel group called Glorious Five and performed as Lil Prinz. He also recorded with producer OJB Jezreel at a young age, an experience that helped shape his early understanding of music. Wizkid grew up with 12 sisters in a home influenced by both Islam and Christianity. He later enrolled at Lead City University to study International Relations but left to focus on music. His early international collaboration with Akon and his record as the first Nigerian musician to reach one million followers on X reflected his growing influence.

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