Is pop star Nigeria's biggest male celebrity now?

Authors:

Ayomide O. Tayo

May 11, 2016 11:15 AM

With Wizkid's inroad into America and Europe he is the biggest male celebrity in Nigeria now.

On Monday, May 9, 2016 Canadian rap star

The single ‘

The feat is even more historicfor 25-year-old singer Wizkid who featured on the single. The Star Boy singer who was born Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun has entered the history books as the first Nigerian singer to be on a number one hit song in America.

Within the last 12 months Wizkid has been breaking boundaries internationally. His remix of ‘Ojuelegba’ featuring Drake and Skepta helped thrust him into the mainstream of American music and pop culture. From Kylie Jenner dancing to the infectious single from his sophomore album to Hip-Hop couple Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys co-signing him, Wizkid is becoming more and more relevant in American pop music.

ALSO READ: Wizkid gets verified by Instagram

Only last week Hot 97 on-air-personality Ebro Darden was filmed dancing to ‘Ojuelegba’ and hyping Wizkid in the studio of the New York radio station. This is the realm that Wizzy flies in these days.

In November 2015 Wizkid was featured in the international music magazine Fader three months before Davido landed on the cover.

The interest in Wizkid has now gone beyond the music. In February 2016, Vogue Magazine rated him the best dressed Nigerian pop star. "Wizkid is pretty much the biggest thing in Nigerian pop, which itself seems to advance on the global music stage almost as quickly as the country’s economy, one of the fastest growing in the world" wrote Alex Frank for Vogue.

It’s pretty much obvious that Wizkid is the biggest male celebrity in Nigeria now and probably in Africa. Working with acts like Ty Dolla $ign, Wale, and R. Kelly has put the international spotlight on him. Last weekend he announced a co-signing of sorts to Ghanaian acts R2Bees, Efya and Nigerian singer Mr. Eazi who is extremely popular in Ghana.

ALSO READ: Wizkid meets President of Sierra Leone

With his status now truly larger than life all the attention on Wizkid has not been positive. In January, 2016 it was revealed that the singer had allegedly fathered a second child with a lady named Binta Diamond Diallo.

The story was picked up by US gossip site The Shade Room which granted Diallo an interview. In her interview she claimed that Wizkid hadn't seen his baby and hasn't shown any interest in being with him.

A couple of months later Wizkid has a public clash with top Nigerian blogger Linda Ikeji who he believes only writes negative things about him. The online quarrel got so heated that the top brass of the Nigerian Police Force had to intervene.

Presently Wizkid is working on his EP and album. Based on whispers the projects are going to be filled with international guest appearances. After dominating Nigeria and Africa, Wizkid is taking his talents worldwide. Not many Nigerian celebrities can boast of having an international audience, Wizkid can.

Watch more on Starboy in video below.