Ekeh Chiaka Joseph (born November 28) known professionally as Majeeed is a Nigerian

afropop African popular music (also styled Afropop, Afro-pop, Afro pop or African pop) can be defined as any African music, regardless of genre, that uses Western pop musical instruments, such as the guitar, piano, trumpet, etc.Olabode, O. (2023, J ...

singer and songwriter signed to Dream Empire Music. He is known for his breakthrough single "Yawa No Dey End", released in 2022 as the lead single off his extended play ''Bitter Sweet''. On 29 April 2022, a new version of "Yawa No Dey End", was released with

Joeboy Joseph Akinwale Akinfenwa-Donus (born 21 May 1997), known professionally as Joeboy, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter, he is signed to Warner Music Africa in partnership with his record label Young Legend. He was formerly signed by Mr Eazi und ...

, through Dream Empire Music, and

emPawa Africa emPawa Africa (pronounced emPower Africa), headquartered in Lagos, is an African talent incubation enterprise, known for nurturing and supporting up-and-coming artistes. It offers mentorship to 100 African artistes yearly, with a $3,000 (dollars ...

, which peaked at number 41 on the Nigeria

TurnTable Top 50 chart The ''TurnTable'' Top 100 Songs (also known as Nigeria Official Top 100 Songs) is the music industry standard record chart in Nigeria for songs, published weekly by ''TurnTable'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on airplay (radio and tv) and ...

, on the week of May 9, 2022. He was cited as one of the 10 African Artists You Should Know by

Audiomack Audiomack (often stylized as audiomack'')'' is a music streaming and audio discovery platform that allows artists to upload music and fans to stream and download songs. It is especially popular among emerging artists, offering a space to share th ...

, after he surpassed 1 million streams in April 2022. On 11 July 2022, "Yawa No Dey End" debuted on the newly launched

TurnTable Top 100 The ''TurnTable'' Top 100 Songs (also known as Nigeria Official Top 100 Songs) is the music industry standard record chart in Nigeria for songs, published weekly by ''TurnTable'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on airplay (radio and tv) and ...

, an expansion of the Top 50, at number 59. On 13 July 2022, following the initial launch of the

TurnTable A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration waveforms are recorded as corresponding phys ...

Top Afro-Pop Songs chart, "Yawa No Dey End" debuted at number 30. On 16 July 2022, he was cited as one of the artists on the initial issue of the

Artiste Top 100 chart, and debuted at number 80.

Early life

Ekeh Chiaka Joseph was born on November 28 in

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

to Nze Oliver and Nze Grace. He hails from Imo, a state in the south east region of Nigeria. He relocated to

Ogun State Ogun State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. It is bordered to the south by Lagos State and the Bight of Benin, to the east by Ondo State, and to the north by Oyo and Osun states while its western border forms part of the national borde ...

at the age of eight. He had his primary education at Iyana Ipaja, in Lagos State, and his secondary education in Ogun State, before proceeding to

Cotonou Cotonou (; ) is the largest city in Benin. Its official population count was 679,012 inhabitants in 2012; however, over two million people live in the larger urban area. The urban area continues to expand, notably toward the west. The city lies ...

, for his tertiary education at Iscom University Benin, where he graduated with a B.Sc in

Mass Communication Mass communication is the process of imparting and exchanging information through mass media to large population segments. It utilizes various forms of media as technology has made the dissemination of information more efficient. Primary examples o ...

. On 6 February 2022, he told Ayo Makinde, and Alero Edu on

Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning, at the start of the Sun path. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon. Terminology Although the S ...

, "I started music, while I was in secondary school; in JSS2, that time I use to kolobi my mom's money to go to the studio, and just make music."

Career

Majeeed began his music career as a songwriter to

Seyi Shay Deborah Oluwaseyi Joshua (born Oluwaseyi Joshua; 21 December 1985), known professionally as Seyi Shay (pronounced Shay-yee Shay), is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and actress. In 2008, she became the lead singer for the now defunct pop girl gr ...

. In 2020, he released two

promotional single A promotional recording, promo, or plug copy is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as mu ...

s, titled "Gee For Life", and "Rocky Lo", which features

. "Rocky Lo" was made available for free downloads. Late 2020, he began learning music production. In February 2022, he told Vangaurd, "I produced 'Time' at

Harrysong Harrison Tare Okiri (born 30 March 1981) better known by his stage name Harrysong, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and instrumentalist who rose to fame after his tribute song to Nelson Mandela won the "Most Downloaded Callertune Award" at The H ...

's house." On 19 February 2021, Majeeed released "Time", as the first single off ''Bitter Sweeet'' ep, which peaked at number 8 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 ...

in Nigeria, and number 10 in Mauritius. In the second quarter of 2021, he signed a record deal with Dream Empire Music on 20 August, and was on the line-up for the 2021 edition of the

Felabration Felabration is an annual music festival conceived in 1998 by Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti in memory and celebration of her father Fela Kuti, a Nigerian musician and human rights activist known for pioneering the Afrobeat genre of music. The one-week-lon ...

, held at

New Afrika Shrine The New Afrika Shrine is an open-air entertainment center located in Ikeja, Lagos State. It serves as the host location of the annual Felabration music festival. Currently managed by Femi Kuti (eldest son of Fela Kuti) and Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti, ...

on October 11. At Big Girl listening party on November 20, 2021,

called out Majeeed, as the primary writer of Big Girl studio album. She said, "I don tell everybody, say you write all the songs, way they for this album". He opened for

BNXN Daniel Etiese Benson (born 14 May 1997), known professionally as Bnxn (pronounced as Benson) and formerly known as Buju, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. Early life Daniel Etiese Benson was born in Lagos. He hails from Ak ...

(formerly Buju) at Buju Live in Concert in

, held on 22 December 2021. On 6 January 2022, he released an acoustic version of "Time", as his first official single under Dream Empire Music. He achieved mainstream with "Yawa No Dey End", a record co-signed by

Don Jazzy Michael Collins Ajereh (born 26 November 1982), known professionally as Don Jazzy, is a Nigerian music executive, record producer, singer, songwriter, businessman, and philanthropist. He founded the record label Mavin Records in 2012, as a sub ...

, and

Tiwa Savage Tiwatope Omolara Savage (born 5 February 1980), known professionally as Tiwa Savage (), is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and actress. Savage sings in English, Nigerian Pidgin and Yoruba; her music is a blend of afrobeats, R&B, afropop, p ...

. On 16 April 2022, he covered Pulse Nigeria Future Sounds playlist. and re-released "Yawa No Dey End" with

, through emPawa on 29 April 2022. It debut at number 41 on

TurnTable Top 50 The TurnTable Top 100 Albums (also known as Nigeria Official Top 100 Albums) is the official album streaming chart in Nigeria. It is compiled every Tuesday by a Nigeria-based music digital streaming tracking company and published every Tuesday b ...

. On 3 May 2022, he was cited as one of the Best New Artists, by

The Native ''The Native'' (stylized in all caps) is a Nigerian-based music magazine publishing in Lagos. Founded in 2016, ''The Native'' focuses primarily on music, style, and art, championing the sounds and culture of tomorrow, today. History ''The Na ...

, among other artists. On 7 May 2022, he opened for Reminisce, CDQ, and

Terry Apala Terry Alexandar Ejeh (born 27 July 1988) better known by his stage name Terry Apala, is a Nigerian Afrobeat, Hip-Hop and Apala (traditional Yoruba music) musician. Background and early career Terry Apala was born and raised in Mushin, Lagos, ...

at Urban Live, a music concert curated by Urban96 Radio Network monthly. On 26 June 2022, he was on the line-up of Funbi's Bus, The Journey So Far edition, and Mainland Block Party, Music is Life edition, alongside

Ice Prince Panshak Henry Zamani (born 30 October 1986), better known as Ice Prince Zamani or just Ice Prince, is a Nigerian rapper, singer and songwriter. He rose to fame after releasing "Oleku (Ice Prince song), Oleku", one of Nigeria's most remixed son ...

, and

Blaqbonez Emeka Akumefule (born 29 January 1996), known professionally as Blaqbonez, is a Nigerian rapper and singer signed to Chocolate City. Blaqbonez is popularly known for his distinct rap style as well as his creative ingenuity. In 2019, he was prof ...

. On 2 July 2022, he released the official music video for "No Room For Love", directed by Olu the Wave, and featured a cameo appearance from Sylvia Adora, a Nigerian actress known for her role in Papa Benji. On 27 July 2022, he was named

'Up Next' Artist in Nigeria. On 30 July 2022, Majeeed sold-out his first solo international concert in Mauritius, named after the most played song on his ep in Mauritius, "Smile For Me". On 1 August 2022, "Smile For Me" reached number one on Mauritius

Top Songs. On 5 August 2022, "No Room For Love" debut on

. It peaked at number 11 on Bubbling Under Top 100, number 14 on Top Afro-R&B Songs and number 9 on NXT Emerging Top Songs. The

-assisted track " Gbese" was released on 22 February 2023, through Dream Empire Music and published by

EMPIRE An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

. It was produced by Masterkraft. The song debuted at 38 on the Official Nigeria Top 100 and at number 26 on the Nigeria Top Afro-POP Songs. On 4 May 2023, the music video for "Gbese" was released and directed by

Clarence Peters Clarence Abiodun Peters (born 20 December 1983) is a Nigerian music video director, filmmaker and cinematographer. He is the founder and CEO of Capital Dream Pictures, a production company that specializes in performing arts, film and video. H ...

for Dream Empire Music and EMPIRE. In May 2023, Majeeed performed "Gbese" with

at Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards held in

. The

Bnxn Daniel Etiese Benson (born 14 May 1997), known professionally as Bnxn (pronounced as Benson) and formerly known as Buju, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. Early life Daniel Etiese Benson was born in Lagos. He hails from Ak ...

-assisted track "Waka Jeje" was released on 5 July 2023 off ''Cheers To Life.'' EP, as the third single. The song debuted at 73 on the Official Nigeria Top 100. On 6 September 2023, '' Cheers To Life.'' was released through

for Dream Empire Music. In November 2023, he was featured by

Super Eagles The Nigeria national football team represents Nigeria in Men's international football. Governed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), they are three-time Africa Cup of Nations ( AFCON) winners, with their most recent title in 2013. In Febr ...

on the official theme song "Let's Do It Again". On 11 January 2024, he leads the

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...

and performed the AFCON theme song at the Send Forth Dinner Party held in Lagos State Governor's House. On 6 June 2024, Dream Empire Music managing director and senior A&R; Raymond Ifie reveals Dream Empire Music and EMPIRE's plan for Majeeed to release a 2-pack single each month, from June to August. On 7 June 2024, Majeeed released the first pack-singles titled "California / Rollercoaster (Laba Laba)". "California" was produced by Mystro during his California trip, while "Rollercoaster (Laba Laba)" was produced by Ceecee Beatz. It's accompanying visual for "California" was shot by D6ix and Brandon in California. On 8 September 2024, Majeeed signed an endorsement deal with BetBaba, an online sports betting company.

Artistry

Majeeed is known for fusing

Afrobeats Afrobeats, not to be confused with Afrobeat or Afroswing, is an umbrella term to describe popular music from West Africa and the diaspora that initially developed in Ghana, Nigeria, and the UK in the 2000s and 2010s. Afrobeats is less of a st ...

. He tells Chinonso Ihekire of

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

, "I came up with the name five years ago, and chose to use the name, because it embodies my attributes as a person. Majeed means noble, or magnificent, in Arabic". He cited

Tope Alabi Tope Alabi (born 27 October 1970) is a Nigerian gospel singer, film music composer and actress. She is also known as Ore ti o common and as Agbo Jesu. can be described as one of the pacesetters of soundtracks in the Yoruba film industry and ha ...

, Chief Osadebe,

Oliver De Coque Oliver Sunday Akanite (14 April 1947 – 20 June 2008), better known by the stage name Oliver De Coque, was a Nigerian Igbo highlife musician, composer and guitarist and one of Africa's most prolific recording artists spanning over four decades o ...

, and Baba Ara, as his early musical influence. On 9 March 2022, he spoke about his music journey, and personal life, aside being an artiste, songwriter, and an aspiring producer, on Television Continental program E-Splash.

Discography

EPs

Singles

Other charted songs

Promotional singles

Guest appearances

Songwriting credits

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Majeeed Living people English-language singers from Nigeria Nigerian pop singers Nigerian contemporary R&B singers 21st-century Nigerian male singers Year of birth missing (living people)