Wizkid @ 34: Check out these 10 mind-blowing records set by the superstar Afrobeats icon
Since arriving on the Nigerian music scene in 2011 with his debut album ‘Superstar’, Wizkid has rapidly climbed – true to his word – to superstar status, making him one of the greatest and most influential musicians in Nigerian history.
For over 10 years, the just-turned-34-year-old has been one of the most commercial artists from Nigeria who has contributed heavily to the exportation of Afrobeats.
When it comes to music, Wizkid has a heavy influence on a generation of artists who were inspired by his music and success. He is also a prominent force in the exportation of Nigerian music with his collaborations and hit records propagating that music genre to a global audience.
As the Grammy winner celebrates his 34th birthday, here are 10 incredible records he has set in his decorated career.
1. First Nigerian artist to enter the Guinness World Record (GWR) after Drake’s ‘One Dance’ became the first song to reach 1 billion Spotify streams.
2. First Nigerian artist to reach NO. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with Drake’s ‘One Dance’.
3. First Nigerian artist to reach the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 as a lead artist with ‘Essence’ remix feat Tems & Justin Bieber which peaked at NO. 9.
4. First Nigerian artist to win a main category at the BET Awards with ‘Essence’ feat Tems & Justin Bieber which won the prize for Best Collaboration at the 2022 BET Awards.
5. First Nigerian artist to win an American Music Award with ‘Essence’ winning Favourite RnB Song in 2022.
6. First Nigerian artist to headline the O2 Arena for three consecutive nights. A feat he achieved with his ‘Made In Lagos’ tour in 2021.
7. First Nigerian to have an album certified RIAA Gold with ‘Made In Lagos’.
8. He is the most streamed Nigerian artist on Spotify with over 6.9 billion streams.
9. One of the most decorated Headies Awards winners with 17 wins including twice winning the Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Artist of the Year.
10. Longest charting Nigerian album on the Billboard 200 with ‘Made In Lagos’ which reached 133 weeks on the chart.
