Nigeria’s musical behemoth Wizkid is 30 today and in a career spanning just over a decade, the one and only Starboy has maintained his position at the top with hits and feats to his name.
Not many can boast of the kind of success that Wizzy has, and even fewer have a more unique story of his roller coaster ascent to the top.
In commemoration of his birthday and recognizing his spectacular talent, we bring to you ten feats that Wizkid has achieved.
TWITTER RECORD
As one of the hottest music artists on the continent, Wizkid gained a massive amount of fanbase, and in February 2014, he became the first Nigerian musician to have over one million followers on Twitter.
Presently, Wizkid has about 6.8 million followers on Twitter; no easy feat for anyone but apparently a piece of cake for the Starboy.
NEXT RATED AWARD
Wizkid’s Holla at Your Boy, released on January 2, 2010, as the lead single of his Superstar album, won him the Next Rated award at The Headies 2011.
In addition to winning the award, he was awarded a 2012 Hyundai Sonata courtesy of the organizers. The music video was nominated for Most Gifted Newcomer Video at the Channel O Music Awards.
UK, US, & CANADA TOUR
Wizkid toured London in 2012 and performed at the HMV Apollo on June 4, 2012. Following the release of E.M.E’s compilation album Empire Mates State of Mind (2012), he was part of the acts that toured the United States.
The tour kicked off in July and ended in September 2012. Wizkid and the other artists performed in cities like Houston, Dallas, Toronto, Vancouver, New York City, Providence, Calgary, Atlanta, Washington DC, and Chicago.
WORKING WITH RIHANNA
In July 2014 while on a visit to The Beat 99.9 FM studio in Lagos, Wizkid revealed to Toolz that he had collaborated with singer Rihanna.
Though the song with Rihanna was never officially released, the fact that he worked with her is a major feat in itself.
BILLBOARD RECORD
On April 5, 2016, Wizkid became the first Nigerian artist to be listed on Billboards Twitter Last 24 Hours chart, following his involvement on the Afrobeats-infused One Dance single with Drake.
On May 12, 2016, the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a position it held for 10 non-consecutive weeks.
COLLABORATION WITH DRAKE
Wizkid achieved international recognition in 2016 following his collaboration with US rapper Drake on the song One Dance. It became a global hit, reaching number in 15 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.
RECORD DEAL WITH RCA RECORDS
In a move that was a major milestone in the career of the diminutive superstar, RCA Records came calling and in March 2017, Wizkid signed a deal with the American record label owned by Sony Music, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.
GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS
Wizkid became the first Afrobeats artist to appear in the 2018 Guinness Book of Records. This was as a result of his contribution to One Dance.
The singer’s name is listed under the ‘Most streamed song on Spotify’ category along with Drake for their One Dance collaboration.
PERFORMANCE WITH CHRIS BROWN
Wizkid announced in October 2014 that he was doing a collaborative single with Chris Brown titled African Bad Gyal. It was to be the lead single off his third studio album.
Wizkid and Chris Brown performed African Bad Gyal at the latter’s concert in Durban, South Africa. It was a memorable affair as fans turned out in droves to witness two of music’s hottest stars on the planet.
STAR BOY ENTERTAINMENT
The singer established his label imprint Starboy Entertainment in March 2013, disclosing to Yvonne Ekwere of Silverbird Television that he planned to sign new acts to the label.
Comments are closed.