Olamide Gbenga Adedeji (born 15 March 1989) is a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. Widely regarded as one of the biggest and most influential artists in Africa, he has been instrumental to the launching of the careers of several

Afrobeats Afrobeats (not to be confused with Afrobeat or Afroswing), or Afro-pop or Afro-fusion (or Afropop or Afrofusion), is an umbrella term to describe popular music from West Africa and the diaspora that initially developed in Nigeria, Ghana, and ...

music stars. He records in

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

and English. In 2011, he released his debut studio album '' Rapsodi'' while signed to Coded Tunes. ''

YBNL ''YBNL'' (an abbreviation for Yahoo Boy No ''Laptop'') is the second studio album by Nigerian rapper Olamide. It was released on November 12, 2012, as the follow-up to his debut studio album '' Rapsodi'' (2011). The album features guest appearan ...

'', his follow-up album, was released under his label imprint "Yahoo Boy No Laptop" aka

YBNL Nation Yahoo Boy No Laptop Nation, popularly known as YBNL Nation or simply YBNL, is an independent record label founded by Olamide in 2012. History On 19 February 2020, YBNL Nation signed a distribution, and publishing deal with Empire Distribution ...

. The album was supported by the singles "First of All", "Voice of the Street", "Stupid Love", and "Ilefo Illuminati". On 7 November 2013, he released his third studio album ''

Baddest Guy Ever Liveth ''Baddest Guy Ever Liveth'' (abbreviated as ''BGEL'') is the third studio album by Nigerian hip hop recording artist Olamide. It was released on November 7, 2013, by YBNL Nation. Olamide recorded the album between 2012 and 2013; he enlisted Phe ...

''. The album's singles include "

Durosoke "Durosoke" (Yoruba: "Stay Up") is a song by Nigerian hip hop recording artist Olamide. It was released as the lead single from his third studio album, ''Baddest Guy Ever Liveth'' (2013). The song was produced by Pheelz and written by Olamide. It ...

" and "Yemi My Lover". On 17 July 2013, Olamide became the first Nigerian to sign an endorsement deal with

Cîroc Cîroc is a brand of alcoholic beverages produced in France since 2003 and distributed by the British-based multinational alcoholic beverage maker Diageo. The brand family includes vodka, flavored products containing vodka, and brandy. Since ...

Early life and musical beginnings

Olamide Gbenga Adedeji was born in

Bariga Bariga is a district and suburb in Lagos State, Nigeria. It was formerly under Somolu local government area of Lagos State but in 2013 it was upgraded by the State government as a Local Council Development Area. The local government secretariat is ...

Lagos State Lagos State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Èkó) is a States of Nigeria, state in South West (Nigeria), southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 States of Nigeria, states, it is both the List of Nigerian states by population, most populous and List of Nigerian state ...

, on 15 March 1989. He is the second of three children of Pa Adedeji and his second wife, Ronke Osisanya Adedeji. Olamide has two siblings, TemmyGold and Eniola Olamilekan (who is also known as

DJ Enimoney Eniola Olamilekan Adedeji, known by his stage name DJ Enimoney, is a Nigerian disc jockey. Enimoney is the official disc jockey of YBNL Nation and younger brother of Nigerian rapper, Olamide. Early life DJ Enimoney was born in Lagos to Niger ...

). Olamide started his career when he released the debut single, "Eni Duro," in 2010. In the same year, he performed at The Hip Hop World Awards. He studied mass communication at Tai Solarin University but dropped out due to financial problems. Adedeji is married to Adebukunmi Aisha Suleiman.They have two boys together, Batifeori Maximilliano Adedeji and Tunrepin Myles Adedeji. Olamide allegedly had a love child with Maria Okanrende, who at the time worked at The Beat 99.9 FM

Music career

He was signed to ID Cabasa's Coded Tunes record label and was managed by Toni Payne. In 2012, he left Coded Tunes and started his own record label

2011: ''Rapsodi''

Olamide's debut album '' Rapsodi'' was released in 2011. Its lead single "Omo To Shan" charted on several radio stations in

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...

and across

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. Olamide's debut offering led to collaborations with numerous artists, including

Wizkid Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born 16 July 1990), known professionally as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. A prominent figure in the modern-day Afrobeats music scene, Wizkid is regarded as one of the biggest and most influential Afri ...

, ID Cabasa,

9ice 9ice, born Alexander Abolore Adegbola Akande (born 17 January 1980), is a Nigerian musician, songwriter and dancer. He is known for his powerful use of the Yoruba language in his music as well as his proverbial lyrics and unique style of deliv ...

, Reminisce and

D'banj Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo (born 9 June 1980), better known by his stage name D'banj, is a Nigerian singer and rapper and the founder of Mo' Hits Records with producer Don Jazzy. He has won several music awards, including the awards for ''Best Af ...

2012: ''YBNL''

Adedeji's second studio album ''YBNL'' was released in November 2012. Its production was handled by Tyrone, Samklef, 2 Kriss,

Pheelz Phillip Kayode Moses (born 5 June 1994), better known as Pheelz, is a Nigerian record producer, singer and songwriter who has worked with several artists and musicians, such as Olamide and Tiwa Savage. Born and raised in Lagos, Pheelz is credite ...

and ID Cabasa. The album features guest appearances from

Davido David Adedeji Adeleke (born November 21, 1992), popularly known by his stage name Davido, is an American-Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. His music blends traditional African elements with global mainstream pop. Davido is widel ...

Tiwa Savage Tiwa Savage (born 5 February 1980) is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and performing artist. Born in Isale Eko, she relocated to London at the age of 11 for her secondary education. Five years later, she began her music career doing backup voc ...

, Kayswitch,

Dammy Krane Oyindamola Johnson Emmanuel, popularly known as Dammy Krane, is a Nigerian singer, composer and performer. In January 2012, at age 20, he signed a record deal with Hypertek Digital and 960 Music Group. He is most famous for his single hit "My ...

, Reminisce, Samklef, Buckwylla, Minus 2 and Base One. It was supported by the singles "Ilefo Illuminati", "First of All", "Stupid Love" and "Voice of the Street".

2013: ''Baddest Guy Ever Liveth''

'' is Olamide's third studio album. It was released on 7 November 2013 by

. Olamide recorded the album between 2012 and 2013 and enlisted

, Buckwyla, Ketchup,

Ice Prince Panshak Henry Zamani (born 30 October 1984) better known as Ice Prince Zamani or just Ice Prince, is a Nigerian rapper, hip hop recording artist and actor. He rose to fame after releasing " Oleku", one of Nigeria's most remixed songs of all t ...

, Pepenazi, Endia, Viktoh, B.Banks,

Phyno Chibuzor Nelson Azubuike (born 9 October 1986), populary known as Phyno Fino, is a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He started his music career as a producer in 2003, and is renowned for rapping in the Igbo language. His ...

, Pele Pele and Bez to appear as guest artists on it. The album was produced entirely by Pheelz, except for the thirteenth track "Sitting on the Throne". ''Baddest Guy Ever Liveth'' was supported by four singles: "

", "Turn Up", "Yemi My Lover" and "Eleda Mi O". ''

Premium Times ''Premium Times'' is a Nigerian online newspaper based in Abuja in the Federal Capital Territory. It was launched in 2011. The online medium is notable for investigative journalism and Reports among other fields. Awards and nominations In 2013 ...

'' newspaper included the album on its list of the 5 yet to be released Nigerian albums of 2013. It was ranked 12th on Afrikka Radio's list of the top 12 best Nigerian albums of 2013. ''Baddest Guy Ever Liveth'' won Best Album of the Year at the 2014 Nigeria Entertainment Awards, and was nominated for Rap Album of the Year at the 2014

City People Entertainment Awards City People Entertainment Awards are an annual accolade presented by ''City People Magazine'' to honour Nigerian and Ghanaian entertainers. The first edition was held in Abeokuta, Ogun State on June 14, 2009. The event was hosted by Governor Gbe ...

. It won Best Rap

Album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

and Album of the Year at

The Headies 2014 The Headies 2014 was the ninth edition of The Headies. It took place on 14 December 2014, at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos. Themed "Feel the Passion", the show was hosted by Toke Makinwa and Basketmouth. It was initially sc ...

. In May 2013, it was reported that Olamide had signed a record deal with DB Records. Olamide took to Twitter to debunk the reports. In an interview with

Toolz Tolu Oniru, popularly known as Toolz, is a Nigerian radio personality, talk show host, and presenter. She is best known for hosting ''The Midday Show'' on The Beat 99.9 FM. Early life Toolz was born in London on 6 July 1983. She had her primary ...

NdaniTV Ndani TV is a web-based channel owned by GTBank. History Ndani TV was established in 2012 by GTBank to offer both entertainment and informative content in order to attract a youthful customer base. It was the first online video content vehi ...

's ''The Juice'', he said that it was "too late" for anyone to sign him.

2014: ''Street OT''

On 14 November 2014, Olamide released his fourth album ''

Street OT ''Street OT'' is the fourth studio album by Nigerian rapper Olamide. It was released on November 14, 2014 through YBNL Nation. The album is a follow up to his 2013 '' Baddest Guy Ever Liveth'' album. Preceded by the singles titled "Story For The ...

'' through

. The album is a follow up to his 2013 ''

'' album. Preceded by the singles titled "Story for the Gods" and "Goons Mi", ''Street OT'' features

guest appearance In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other p ...

s from Pasuma,

Lil Kesh Keshinro Ololade (born 17 March 1995), known professionally as Lil Kesh, is a Nigerian singer and rapper. He rose to limelight after releasing the hit single "Shoki". Early life and education Ololade was born and raised in Bariga, an area in L ...

, Chinko Ekun,

Don Jazzy Michael Collins Ajereh (born 26 November 1982), known professionally as Don Jazzy, is a Nigerian record producer. He is the founder and the CEO of Mavin Records. Don Jazzy was co-owner of the now-defunct Mo' Hits Records record label with D'b ...

, and Reminisce. Its production was handled by

, B-Banks, and

Young Jonn Young Jonn is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer, currently signed to Chocolate City Music. He is also famed for his hit singles Dada and the remix with Davido. Before his full transition into songwriting, he had music production ...

. The ideology of the title of the album is to glorify and show his love for the "streets", a word with which Olamide is synonymous with.

2015: ''2 Kings'' and ''Eyan Mayweather''

Olamide collaborated with Phyno in 2015 to release ''

2 Kings The Book of Kings (, '' Sēfer Məlāḵīm'') is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Kings) in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. It concludes the Deuteronomistic history, a history of Israel also including the books ...

''. It was released through Cloud 9 and the

iTunes Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...

with a little announcement on 1 April 2015, by Penthauze Music and

. The album features collaborations with producers and guest artists such as

, Storm Rex,

, Major Bangz, B.Banks and

Young John Young Jonn is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer, currently signed to Chocolate City Music. He is also famed for his hit singles Dada and the remix with Davido. Before his full transition into songwriting, he had music production ...

. Prior to recording the album, Olamide and Phyno frequently collaborated with each other on several songs, including "Ghost Mode" and "Dope Money". The album produced the singles "Une" and "Confam Ni", both of which were released in the months leading to the album's release. Olamide's fifth studio album ''

Eyan Mayweather ''Eyan Mayweather'' is the fifth studio album by Nigerian rap artist Olamide, released on 23 November 2015. Released through YBNL Nation with studio production from Pheelz, Young Jonn, B Banks and I.D. Cabasa, ''Eyan Mayweather'' is the follow- ...

'' was released on 23 November 2015. Released through

with studio production from

, B Banks and I.D. Cabasa, ''Eyan Mayweather'' is the follow up to ''

'', a collaborative album by Olamide and

. The album boasted of having 21 tracks with no single feature.

2016: ''The Glory''

''The Glory'', Olamide's sixth studio album, was released on 23 December 2016. Released through YBNL Nation with studio production from Pheelz. The Album contains 16 back-to-back tracks with features from artists like Phyno,

Wande Coal Oluwatobi Wande Ojosipe (born 18 October 1985), popularly known as Wande Coal, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. Early life Wande Coal was born on 18 October 1985 in Lagos Island, Lagos state, Nigeria, to Chief Ibukun Olufunto and Omolar ...

Burna Boy Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu (born 2 July 1991), known professionally as Burna Boy, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. He rose to stardom in 2012 after releasing "Like to Party", the lead single from his debut studio album, '' L.I ...

, Akuchi and Davolee. The Glory is the follow-up to

2020: ''999'' EP, joint venture deal with Empire and ''Carpe Diem''

On 10 February 2020, Olamide released a surprise project, the EP ''

999 999 or triple nine most often refers to: * 999 (emergency telephone number), a telephone number for the emergency services in several countries * 999 (number), an integer * AD 999, a year * 999 BC, a year Books * ''999'' (anthology) or ''999: T ...

tooXclusive tooXclusive is a Nigerian music and review website. Launched in 2010 by Olutayo "Tyler" Duncan Sotubo. This website is notable for organizing its yearly tooXclusive Online Music Awards. They pride their establishment as the number one source f ...

rated the project 6/10, while Motolani Alake of Pulse gave a 5.5/10 review. Olamide revealed to the public on 18 February 2020 that his record label, YBNL Nation has signed a joint venture deal with an international distribution company

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

. He further stated that Fireboy DML, and any new artist signed to YBNL Nation will join him to benefit from the deal. Olamide's eleventh album ''

Carpe Diem is a Latin aphorism, usually translated "seize the day", taken from book 1 of the Roman poet Horace's work ''Odes'' (23 BC). Translation is the second-person singular present active imperative of '' carpō'' "pick or pluck" used by Horace t ...

'' was released on 8 October 2020. ''Carpe Diem'' contains 12 tracks and features

Omah Lay Stanley Omah Didia, known professionally as Omah Lay, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. He gained widespread recognition in early 2020 after his self-produced single, "Bad Influence", went viral on social media. He is also known for being fea ...

Fireboy DML Adedamola Adefolahan (born 5 February 1996), known professionally as Fireboy DML, is a Nigerian singer. He is signed to YBNL Nation, a record label founded by Nigerian rapper Olamide. His debut studio album ''Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps'' was ...

Peruzzi The Peruzzi were bankers of Florence, among the leading families of the city in the 14th century, before the rise to prominence of the Medici. Their modest antecedents stretched back to the mid 11th century, according to the family's genealogist ...

Bad Boy Timz Olorunyomi Oloruntimilehin (born 13 August 1999) professionally known as Bad Boy Timz is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of the song "MJ," and a follow-up remix which featured Nigeria singer Mayorkun. He ...

Bella Shmurda Abiola Ahmed Akinbiyi (born 27 January 1996), professionally known as Bella Shmurda, is a Nigerian singer. He rose to prominence with the release of the song "Vision 2020", and a follow-up remix which featured Nigeria rapper Olamide. Early l ...

and

, with production credits to

, P.Priime, ID Cabasa and VStix.

2021: ''UY Scuti''

Olamide announced on 16 March 2021 that he was done working on another album. On 18 April, he announced the album ''

UY Scuti UY Scuti (BD-12°5055) is an extreme red hypergiant or red supergiant star in the constellation Scutum. It is considered one of the largest known stars by radius and is also a pulsating variable star, with a maximum brightness of ...

'', which was released on 18 June. Olamide mentioned that his son was the inspiration on why he titled the album UY Scuti. On 5 February 2022 Olamide hinted at retirement after the release of his 12th studio album.

Discography

Studio albums

*'' Rapsodi'' (2011) *''

'' (2012) *''

'' (2013) *''

'' (2014) *''

'' (2015) *'' The Glory'' (2016) *''Lagos Nawa'' (2017) *''

'' (2020) *''

'' (2021) *''Unruly'' (TBA)

Collaborative albums and EPs

*''

'' (with

) (2015) *''YBNL (feet Mafia Family)'' (2018) *''

(with Penthauze Music,

, Check и Rhatti)'' (2020) *BADDER DAN DEM (feet Jahborne) (2013)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Nigerian male rappers 21st-century Nigerian male singers 1989 births Living people Yoruba musicians Rappers from Lagos Nigerian hip hop singers The Headies winners Nigerian music industry executives Yoruba-language singers YBNL Nation artists