Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun better known across the globe as Wizkid (other name includes Big Wiz, StarBoy, Machala etc) is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, performer and label owner who hails from Ogun state, Nigeria. The singer was born in Surulere local government of Lagos state where he started his music journey from the early age of 11 according to reports provided on his Wikipedia page.
The story of this music genius is generally known to a large number of people across the globe so there’s no need for more introduction. Wizkid is no doubt the most highly rated and influential African artist of the moment and he has been top of his game for the last decade.
Many believe that the singer has rare qualities which sets him apart from the rest of his peers and these qualities are believed to be the reason he is the number one artist in Africa and not just in his country, Nigeria. Wizkid has had a lot of influence in the growth of African music since his emergence as a young artist, he is responsible for inspiring a large number of African children to pursue a career in music and never feel too little or limited to be at the top of their game regardless of the competitions.
Over the years, Wizkid had gone to set massive records and win an insane number of prestigious awards nobody would have thought a young African child would win or go close to. Wizkid can easily be described as a “scale” due to how often he is being used to measure the qualities of other artists. He has had a lot of competitors and controversies while on his journey but when you look back to reminisce on these competitors and controversies to see where it all ended, you will find out beyond reasonable doubts that Wizkid has gone miles away from them all, leaving them with no other choice but to settle for new competitions.
The rise of Wizkid from grass to grace plays an important role in the manner at which the singer is applauded for breaking boundaries and putting the name of Africa right in front of the rest of the world with the help of a couple of other influential artists in the continent.
Here are some of the 5 things we know about Wizkid;
1. PROUD, BUT INTENTIONAL
A lot of people believe that Wizkid has so much pride and ego which restricts him from interacting and being easily accessible like his peers, but this is obviously an intentional move from the singer to maintain his worth and respect. There’s no doubt that an easily accessible person tends to receive more disrespect and with time, people get too used to them and want to try something different.
It’s a fact that Wizkid is truly hard to access and this is one reason why people who eventually get access to him treat him like the king that he is and even become his fans whether they are ordinary persons or celebrities. If Wizkid was easily accessible, he wouldn’t have been where he is today. That’s fact.
For example, we have often witnessed situations whereby upcoming artists receive help from other artists in order to get their song heard and after the fame and recognition, they finally meet Wizkid and praise him so badly to the extent they give all the credits to him when they finally get to work with him. You can’t totally blame them because it’s like earning two thousand naira daily from a company and feeling very satisfied then all of a sudden, you meet a new company that pays two thousand dollars weekly. Now tell me who you will praise the most? Lol
2. A TREND OF HIS OWN
Now let’s talk about this rare quality Wizkid has been feeding us with. The singer is the kind of person who doesn’t follow trends just to stay relevant. We have often seen how other artists effortlessly follow new trends just to stay relevant, but Wizkid always comes out with his own way of staying relevant.
From his sound to fashion, Wizkid does exactly what he is cool with and not what the people talk about, and this is one of the reasons he has been able to stand the test of time cause one thing is for sure, trends come and go, but intentional creativity with a clear purpose will always last long than anything else. And this is why Wizkid hardly own songs that trends massively for a month or two and then disappears forever after the short term fame.
3. FC: A FORCE TO RECKON WITH
Wizkid’s biggest strength is not just in the contents he creates but mainly on the unshakable fan base he has been able to build over the years. Wizkid FC as they are called have been ranked amongst the top fan base in the world, alongside fan base of the likes of Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and other highly placed artists in the world.
The presence and activity of his fan base have recently earned them the name “Toxic FC” because of their constant trolling and attacks on other fan base that try to compete with their unifier. They have also shown their strength through his stream numbers, votes, ticket sales and many more.
4. CHARISMA
Yes, although Wizkid seem like the most attacked artist especially when people are out for clout, there’s no doubt that the singer has so much charisma which has the power to easily attract new fans and open potential doors for expansion. If we must be honest, Wizkid is loved by a lot, even his competitors. Several of them have said it via interviews and social media posts then debunk it later when he doesn’t respond to them or express the same to them cause he is good at doing that.
But nonetheless, even people he has had controversial issues with have expressed their love for him after they must have eventually squashed the feud or any issue that must have caused them to write him off their radar.
Wizkid has been able to build a very loyal team and fan base due to his plans and target of attracting people naturally and not through gifts or support he offers them.
5. THE CARE LESS SAVVY
This is the final quality we would be talking about, not because it is the last quality we know of, but because the list can go on and on if we continue.
So let’s dig in. On this podium, we all know that it’s almost impossible for Wizkid to respond to controversies whether via social media, interviews or in his songs. This has been a part of the singer which definitely annoys his foes. When Wizkid is dragged over an issue, the singer is always expected to say nothing about the issue even when people are desperate to hear his own side of the story, yes we are used to that, to the extent that he can come in the middle of a burning issue and start a conversation about something totally different, leaving those dragging him to look jobless and frustrated.
At most times, his fans take care of the issues by themselves without letting the singer to give a single reaction. These are things you barely see other artists doing, but Wizkid treats everyone in this manner whether low or highly placed.
