This young and talented artiste suddenly took the Nigerian music world by storm, with his lyrics, style and finesse, he has got the ladies all after him and at the same time climbed up the success ladder. Enjoy our little chat with him
As far as you can remember, when did you start singing and how did you know you had the gift?
It all started in church, when I was 11… I didn’t join the choir because I wasn’t too confident of my voice, so I was just playing around with rap…but after I turned 14, I tried experimenting something new. I did a song and actually sang, and then discovered that was what I was good at. So I just stuck to it and tried developing more skills.How and when did you get to that point where you knew you wanted to pursue this as a career?
I can’t say I decided to pursue it as a career at a particular age. All I know is, when I started recording and performing, I wanted to do it for life!What was happening around the period you got on M.I’s “Fast Money, Fast Cars” and how did you land the feature?
I went to drop off stuff at M.I’s place on a Sunday morning and he just played the beat and said “Wiz, can u do something to this?” And I just started humming “if u don’t talk money, omo don’t show up” and he said add a little bit of yoruba in there. “Tobalowo” just came in like 10 minutes and I was done recording…that was it. After this song was released on MI’s “Talk about It” album. Let’s just say, a lot of good things happened.
Who or What inspires you?
Everything around me inspires me; school, church, the studio, a party or a person (a girl..lol)...I just let it flow.
You are now signed to EME; how did that happen?I went for a gig with MI and Kel. Banky also performed at that show and then he invited us to his crib for lunch. We got there and for like an hour, Banky didn’t know I was Wizkid. When he heard someone call my name, he was shocked and just started talking to my manager, Osagie about working with me. He had heard some of my songs and had wanted to meet me. From that day, Banky was willing to support me, help me develop my talent and career. He believes in me to date and sees great potentials. So, that’s how it all started and I’m loving it here.
What new singles can we expect, and where is Wizkid headed? What kind of mark is he trying to leave in the music industry?
Wizkid is headed for the top… ain’t no stopping me!… I’m here to change the industry for good. Wizkid is going to be a brand name in a few months. Everybody will want to associate with the brand WIZKID!! Singles will drop real soon… So my work will definitely speak for me!
How long have you been on the music scene?
I have been on the music scene for a while... for about 8 years. I started performing in church. It's been rough here and there but I give glory to God for bringing me this far and for the grace to do more.
Do you write your own songs?
Yes I write all my songs...that's God's gift to me.
I see you have been touring a lot lately. What has the experience been like? What do you prefer: performing live or recording?Loving it, man…though it’s stressful and I don’t get to see my family on a regular, but they are cool with it. After all, the prayer has always been that things should fall in place for me for good so it’s cool. The experience is crazy, though fun as usual and I get to visit different cities and states that I always wanted to visit, so it’s cool…really cool. I love performing with live bands, though I don’t get to do that all the time but the live band thing has always been my thing.
Nice, so what city is your favorite so far?
Mehn, I love all the cities for different reasons. I can’t even pick ooo o... That’s really hard ’cause Nigeria is a beautiful place and the more you travel, the more you discover good things about your country so I just love Naija mehn. Lol!!
You did justice to the singles on Banky W’s album. How was the experience working with him and what have you learned from Banky (music-wise) that has helped you?
It was really cool working with Banky and still working with him. Every time I work with a different artiste, it’s always a different experience and I tend to learn something different, so working with Banky was a W experience.. lol… I had fun in the studio from the first day we did ‘Omoge, You Too Much‘, and ‘Tanker‘ was just something we decided to play with… We didn’t even know it was going to come out like that..but I’ve learnt how to stay dedicated to my work and be a better artiste, so it’s really cool.So, how would you define your music? Could it fit into a genre?
I’ve always had problems defining my kind of music…{laugh}…because on different records, I do different things. I just work with the sound basically; I guess that’s why I’m the WIZKID… lol… but let’s just say I make music…anything that sounds good.
How did you even coin the name Wizkid?
The name Wiz kid came about at an armed robbery scene in my house but I wouldn’t wanna go into details because it wasn’t a good experience..However, my sisters and cousins teased me with the name for a while and it just stuck!
Wow! That’s funny now but I’m sure it was not funny then. So, is there an album in the works, and does it have a name yet?
I started working on my album already but don’t have a name for it yet, but I am dropping singles real soon and I’m sure you have seen some already, so watch out!
Your advice for the upcoming artists?
Just stay focused and do what you love; make sure you put God first in all you do.
Say something about Xclusive Magazine.
I can’t really say much ‘cause this is the first time I’m seeing it but the quality speaks for it. You guys are doing a great job...please, don’t drop the quality and value you are giving out.
enjoy........ Tease me by Wiz Kid
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cool Xclusive
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