Ayodeji Balogun, AKA Wizkid, is an African music royalty who needs no introduction. Since announcing himself in the Nigerian music scene in 2010 with his smash hit single ‘Holla At Your Boy,’ he has ascended to unprecedented heights that have redefined the image of the African youth on the global stage.
July 16 marks the birthday of the Afrobeats superhero whose music and success have helped propel Nigerian and African pop music to global heights.
In a career that has spanned nearly 20 years, Wizkid has shaped the dance floor, charts, and different eras of Nigerian music with a collection of hit songs, albums, and iconic moments that continue to be widely celebrated.
As the Grammy winner marks yet another birthday, we take this moment to revisit some of his iconic successes and how they define his longevity, impact, and status as perhaps Afrobeats greatest ever musician.
Below are 20 landmark accomplishments by Wizkid, who clocks 36 today.
1. The First Afrobeats Artist in the Guinness World Records
2. First African Artist to Surpass 10 Billion Streams on Spotify
3. First Nigerian Song to Chart on the Billboard Hot 100
4. First African Song to Reach the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100
5. Grammy Award Winner
Wizkid won the Grammy Award for Best Music Video for his contribution to Beyoncé‘s ‘Brown Skin Girl’. The win made him one of the very few African artists to hold a Grammy and cemented his place among global music’s most decorated names.
6. One of the Most Awarded African Artists Across Major International Ceremonies
7. Most Awarded Artist in Headies History
8. First African Artist to Sell Out the O2 Arena Three Times
9. First Nigerian Artist to Reach Number One on the Billboard Hot 100.
Wizkid became the first Nigerian artist with a Billboard Hot 100 number one single when he featured on Drake’s ‘One Dance’ alongside Kyla in 2016. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a position it held for 10 non-consecutive weeks, and topped the charts in 14 additional countries.
10. First Song to Hit One Billion Streams on Spotify
11. African Artist with the Most RIAA Platinum Certifications in the US
12. First African Artist to Headline Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
13. ‘Wizkid Day’ Declared in the United States
15. ‘Made in Lagos’ — First African Album RIAA Certified Gold in the US
16. Apple Music Africa Artist of the Year — Two Times.
In November 2021, Apple Music announced Wizkid as the winner of Artist of the Year (Africa) — the first African artist to win this award. He repeated the feat in 2025, closing the year as the most-streamed artist on both Spotify Nigeria and Apple Music Nigeria.
17. ‘Morayo’ — Biggest Streaming Debut for an African Album on Spotify
18. First African Artist to Receive Seven Billboard Music Award Nominations.
Wizkid became the first African artist to secure up to seven Billboard nominations at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, earning nods for Top Hot 100 Song, Top Selling Song, Top Radio Song, Top Streaming Song (Audio), Top Collaboration, Top R&B Song, and Top R&B Collaboration. The nominations came on the back of ‘One Dance’ and confirmed that Wizkid was no longer just a global phenomenon — he was a serious commercial force by American industry standards.