David Cross Idukomose (born 2 August 1982), known professionally as Kwate, is a Nigerian hip-hop artist and Afrobeats musician. He is recognized for his singles and musical style, which blends traditional and modern elements. Kwate emphasizes consistency, innovation, and cultural resonance in his music.

Early life and education

David Cross Idukomose was born on 2 August 1982, in

Lagos State Lagos State (, ) is a States of Nigeria, state in South West, Nigeria. Of the 36 States of Nigeria, Nigerian states, Lagos is the second List of Nigerian states by population, most populous state but the List of Nigerian states by area, smallest ...

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

. He spent his early years in

Ilorin Ilorin is the capital city of Kwara State located in the Western region of Nigeria. The city is a major hub for transportation and commerce in the region. . Retrieved 18 February 2007 Although Ilorin is classified under the North-Central g ...

Kwara State Kwara () is a state in Western Nigeria, bordered to the east by Kogi State, to the north by Niger State, and to the south by Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo states, while its western border makes up part of the international border with Benin. Its ca ...

, and

Benin City Benin City serves as the Capital city, capital and largest Metropolitan area, metropolitan centre of Edo State, situated in Nigeria, southern Nigeria. It ranks as the List of Nigerian cities by population, fourth-most populous city in Niger ...

. He attended Oko Erin Primary School, Immaculate Conception College, Ekiadolor College of Education, and the University of Benin where he studied computer science. Despite his academic pursuits, music remained his primary interest. Inspired by The Remedies and

Plantashun Boiz Plantashun Boiz were a Nigerian hiphop and R&B music group. The group's members were 2face Idibia, Faze and Blackface. The group was formed during their college years in Enugu, at the Institute Of Management And Technology (I.M.T Enugu), Easter ...

shows in 2003 and 2004, respectively, he decided to pursue music as a career. Kwate was exposed to various musical genres, from traditional Nigerian sounds to international influences. His parents encouraged his early interest in music. He developed his vocal skills in church choirs and local talent shows.

Career

Kwate's musical journey began in Edo State, and continued after relocating to Lagos, in 1998. His career gained momentum in 2010 with the release of "Party Dey Here," featuring Side One, which received significant airplay across Nigeria. He followed this with "Baby Give Me More," featuring

Jaywon Oluwajuwonlo Iledare (born 6 June 1986), professionally known as Jaywon, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, performer, producer and actor (army of the thieves). Following his departure from Kennis Music, he founded the Next World Music record l ...

in 2011. In the second half of the 2010s, Kwate released several tracks, including "I Don’t Know," "Love," "OvbokhanMven," "Halla," and "Enjoy Yourself." His single "On Ground," featuring Black IQ, achieved commercial success on digital platforms. Kwate received nominations for the

Mnet Asian Music Awards The MAMA Awards (, formerly Mnet Asian Music Awards) is a major Music award, music awards ceremony presented annually by entertainment company CJ ENM. First held in South Korea, the majority of prizes have been won by K-pop artists, although ...

(MAMA) and African Entertainment Awards Malaysia in 2010/2011. He has performed in over 100 countries, including in Moscow, India, and Botswana, and was the first Nigerian artist to perform at the "Longest Dinner Table in the World." His 2024 single “Shout out to my Ex” debuted on

Apple Music Apple Music is an audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users can select music to stream to their device on-demand, or listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the sister internet radio stations Apple Musi ...

Top 100s in

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

and

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

reaching numbers 11, 32, and 80 respectively and gained notable traction across social media platforms including

TikTok TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...

.The following year, his 2025 single “Usain Bolt” reached number 8 on Top 200 Shazam Nigeria chart. In the same year, Kwate performed at the Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

and at the

Toyota Center Toyota Center is an indoor arena located in Houston, Texas, United States. It is named after the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The arena is home to the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and it was once th ...

in Houston respectively at Davido’s

5ive Five (occasionally stylised as 5ive) are an English boy band formed in 1997 consisting of members Sean Conlon, Ritchie Neville, Scott Robinson, Abz Love and Jason "J" Brown. Five released several hit singles around the turn of the 21st centu ...

Alive Tour alongside

Victony Anthony Ebuka Victor (born 5 January 2001), known professionally as Victony, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and rapper. He was born in Ojo, Lagos, he hails from the Orsu local government area of Imo State. He was influenced while growing up ...

, Odumodublvck,

Morravey Daniella Ibinabo Daniel ( ; (born 13 March 2004), known professionally as Morravey, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. She is best known for her appearance on Davido's 2023 song " In the Garden," which entered the ''TurnTable'' Top 100. She ...

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amongst others. He also performed alongside

Davido David Adedeji Adeleke (born November 21, 1992), known professionally as Davido, is a Nigerian American, Nigerian-American singer, songwriter and record producer. Davido was born in Atlanta, U.S, and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. He made his mus ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

last year.

Musical style and influences

Kwate's music blends traditional Nigerian sounds with contemporary influences, addressing social issues, love, and self-empowerment. His role models include

Fela Kuti Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; 15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997) was a Nigerians, Nigerian musician and political activist. He is regarded as the principal innovator of Afrobeat, a Nigerian music genre t ...

Victor Uwaifo Victor Efosa Uwaifo (1 March 1941 – 28 August 2021) was a Nigerian musician, writer, sculptor, and musical instrument inventor, university lecturer, music legend, and the first Honorable Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism in Nigeria. ...

Felix Lebarty Felix Lebarty, also known as Lover Boy, is a Nigerian singer/songwriter and record producer, best known for the 1989 single "Ifeoma" from the ''One Life To Live'' album. He has since reinvented himself as a pastor, and currently runs his own Ch ...

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Eedris Abdulkareem Eedris Turayo Abdulkareem Ajenifuja (born 24 December 1974), popularly known as Eedris Abdulkareem, is a Nigerian singer and rapper. He was the lead rapper of the defunct Nigerian hip hop boy band The Remedies. He is one of the pioneers of Nige ...

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, ...

and

Beenie Man Moses Anthony Davis OD (born 22 August 1973), professionally known as Beenie Man, is a Jamaican dancehall deejay. His awards include DJ of the Year Award eight years in a row. His twelfth studio album '' Art and Life'' received a Grammy Award ...

. Kwate has collaborated with producers like Sheyman, O’ Black, Fliptyce Beats, Spanky, and

Terry G Gabriel Oche Amanyi (born 17 March 1986), popularly known by his stage name Terry G, is a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter and record executive. He is widely known for his eccentric dress-sense, controversial lyrics and awkward identity. He ...

. His music has been featured on playlists such as Spotify's Afrobeat Classics and Apple Music's African A-List.

Personal life

Kwate balances his music career with other activities. He owns a healthcare business and a coffee company.

Discography

Selected singles

* "Party Dey Here" (2010) featuring Side One * "Baby Give Me More" (2011) featuring Jaywon * "On Ground" (2024) featuring Black IQ

Awards and nominations

* Nominated for

(MAMA) (2010/2011) * Nominated for African Entertainment Awards Malaysia (2010/2011)

References

{{Authority control Living people 1982 births Afrobeats musicians 21st-century Nigerian male singers University of Benin (Nigeria) alumni