Afrobeats artist Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, known as Wizkid, has announced that he was the first young Nigerian musician to achieve major stardom.
He credited his parents for allowing him the freedom to pursue his dreams, though he admitted that they were initially doubtful about his prospects in the music industry.
He said:
“I was the first young artist to ever blow up on the [Nigerian music] scene. So my parents didn’t even believe that there was a chance in that,” he said per Uplift X.
“Every parents, of course, when they see their kid growing up and you’re making a big career decision that they’re not sure about, especially coming from Africa; living in a home where your mom is a Christian and your dad is a Muslim, and they never had an argument about the religion or what the kids wanted to do… My dad would be like, do whatever you want. If you want to be a Muslim or Christian, you’re free, do whatever you like.
“I love my parents so much. That’s something that has helped me become who I am today. All I understood was love was the only thing that kept them together for so long.”
Wizkid revealed plans to release a new album titled ‘Morayo,’ named after his late mother’s middle name, in her memory.
She passed away on August 18, 2023, in London.
