"Baddest Boy" is a song by E.M.E acts

Wizkid Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born 16 July 1990), better known as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. Born in the Ojuelegba suburb of Surulere, Lagos, Wizkid is a voice in the emerging Afrobeats movement. His music is a blend of Afrobea ...

Skales Raoul John Njeng-Njeng (born 1 April 1991), better known as Skales (an acronym for "Seek Knowledge Acquire Large Entrepreneurial Skills"), is a Nigerian rapper, singer and songwriter. In 2000, he started writing rap songs in Kaduna. Between 2 ...

, and

Banky W Olubankole Wellington (born 27 March 1981), popularly known by his stage name Banky W and credited in film as Banky Wellington, is a Nigerian-American singer, rapper, actor, entrepreneur and politician. Early life Olubankole Wellington was bo ...

. Released on April 5, 2012, it serves as the lead single from the label's compilation album, '' Empire Mates State of Mind'' (2012). A leaked version of the song, featuring vocals from Wizkid and Skales, surfaced on the internet prior to its official release. OkayAfrica described "Baddest Boy" as a "banger with synths that resemble a heavily screwed “Akpako Master”. The song was produced by the record producing duo

Legendury Beatz Legendury Beatz (pronounced Legen-dury Beat-z) is a Nigerian record producing and songwriting duo, composed of siblings Uzezi Oniko (born 17 February 1986) and Okiemute Oniko (born 27 May 1989). Their production style is deeply rooted in afrob ...

Background and recording

In an interview with MTV Iggy's Beverly Bryan, Wizkid was asked about the song's recording process. He responded, saying, "So, I went into the studio and I heard the beat. And Skales starts working on this verse. And then I came on. And then Banky did his verse. And then the song came out and it’s a successful song. I’m thankful for that."

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Baddest Boy" was directed by Clarence Peters. It was uploaded to YouTube on July 18, 2012 and features cameo appearances from Shaydee, Niyola and

DJ Xclusive Rotimi Alakija (born 16 October 1980), better known as DJ Xclusive, is a British-Nigerian disc jockey, record producer and recording artist. Early life Rotimi Alakija was born in England to Nigerian parents. At an early age, he moved back to ...

. According to Nigeria Trends, the music video was shot in a private jet and hangar.

Accolades

The music video for "Baddest Boy" was nominated for Most Gifted Duo/Group/Featuring Video at the 2013

Channel O Music Video Awards Channel O Africa Music Video Awards, once known as Spirit of Africa Music Video Awards, are Pan-African music awards organised by South Africa -based Channel O television channel. The awards were first held in 2003 under the name Reel Music Video A ...

, which was held at the Walter Sisulu Square, in Kliptown, Soweto on November 30, 2013. "Baddest Boy" earned E.M.E acts a nomination for Best Collabo at

The Headies 2013 The Headies 2013 was the 8th edition of The Headies. It was held on 26 December 2013, at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos. The show was hosted by Tiwa Savage and Dr SID. Olamide was the biggest awardee of the night, winning three awards from seven n ...

Track listing

; Digital single

References

{{authority control 2012 songs 2012 singles Wizkid songs Banky W. songs Song recordings produced by Legendury Beatz Skales songs Songs written by Wizkid Nigerian afropop songs Music videos directed by Clarence Peters