Zinoleesky has emerged as a notable talent within Nigeria’s Afrobeats landscape, where his productions merge an electronic sensibility with amapiano rhythms, rap cadences, and pop structures. Upon inking a deal with Marlian Music, he gained widespread attention through the 2020 release Chrome EP and the subsequent full-length project Grit & Lust, which arrived in 2022.
Born Oniyide Azeez in Lagos’s Agege district, the artist initially drew attention by circulating freestyle rap clips on digital platforms and cultivating an early following via grassroots singles such as “Who Knows,” a collaboration with Lil Frosh, and “Money,” recorded with Zlatan. That momentum secured him a contract with Naira Marley’s Marlian Music roster just before the arrival of the Chrome EP. The project’s key tracks “Ma Pariwo” and “Kilofeshe” propelled Zinoleesky into broader national recognition. In 2021 he paid tribute to his label patron with the song “Naira Marley,” then added further successes through “Gone Far” and the joint cut “Don’t Call Me” with Lil Kesh. The following year proved especially productive, yielding the widely circulated singles “Loving You,” “Rocking,” and “Personal,” the latter two of which were included on the eight-track album Grit & Lust.
