Olamide

Olamide stands among Nigeria's foremost rappers, known for his high output and consistent radio presence along with frequent award recognitions domestically. Primarily utilizing Yoruba and English in his vocal delivery, he fuses elements of Afropop, dancehall, hip-hop, and additional genres within his sound. As founder and chief executive of YBNL Nation, which handles both recordings and event management, he has secured significant sponsorship agreements from beverage firms alongside various financial holdings and properties, positioning him as one of the nation's richest artists.

Following his breakthrough via 2013's Baddest Guy Ever Liveth and 2015's Eyan Mayweather, Olamide initiated distribution of his material in the United States via Empire Distribution. Carpe Diem marked his initial broad release there during 2020, with UY Scuti arriving the subsequent year. The EP Ikigai surfaced in 2024.

Born in 1989 within Bariga, Lagos State, Olamide Adedeji resolved to pursue music during 2000. His professional entry came ten years afterward through a contract with Coded Tunes, yielding the 2010 single "Eni Duro" that achieved notable popularity and led to a performance slot at the Hip Hop World Awards, later known as the Headies, that same year. The 2011 debut full-length Rapsodi incorporated contributions from Wizkid, Pheelz, 9ice, and further prominent Nigerian talents.

Departing Coded Tunes, he established YBNL Nation during 2012. The label's inaugural output, his sophomore effort also titled YBNL—an abbreviation for Yahoo Boy No Laptop—garnered acclaim and secured leading prizes from both the Headies and Nigeria Entertainment Awards. Baddest Guy Ever Liveth from 2013 matched this accomplishment while including the prominent track "Durosoke," itself an award winner. Late 2014 saw the arrival of Street OT, which earned Olamide yet another Headies Album of the Year. In 2015 he issued the Phyno collaboration 2 Kings together with his fifth individual project Eyan Mayweather, recipient of Album of the Year from the NEAs. The Glory followed in 2016 and Lagos Nawa in 2017. A wealth of standalone tracks and freestyles filled out the balance of the decade. Carpe Diem from 2020 represented his initial major output of the ensuing ten years and his debut American appearance under Empire Distribution. UY Scuti came next in 2021, succeeded by the 2023 pairing with CKay on "Trumpet." His contribution to Asake's "Amapiano" delivered a pivotal success that aided the genre's global exposure. Unruly arrived as a full album in 2023, with the EP Ikigai emerging in 2024.