Afrobeats artist Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, known as Wizkid, has proclaimed himself the first young Nigerian musician to achieve significant fame.

He expressed gratitude to his parents for allowing him the freedom to pursue his aspirations.

Nevertheless, he noted that even his parents were initially skeptical about his potential success in the music industry.

“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 also announced the upcoming release of a new album dedicated to his late mother, who passed away on August 18, 2023, in London.

The album is titled ‘Morayo’, which is his mother’s middle name.