With a population of 21 million, Lagos, Nigeria is one of the biggest cities in the world. It's most famous resident is recording artist WizKid. With inventive melodic turns, powerful auto-tune usage, a passionate belief in the power of the dancefloor for good, and an armada of Nigeria's best producers at his back, WizKid has become the face of afrobeat. He turned 26 years old yesterday. The future is bright indeed he now turns to the rest of Earth, having conquered Nigeria.
Click through the gallery to listen to 10 of WizKid's most notable tracks to date.
"Ojuelegba"
"Ojuelegba" is the name of a section of Lagos in which WizKid spent a lot of time growing up. The song, produced by his go-to production team Legendury Beatz, is much more humble than Dr. Dre's anthem "Nothin But a G Thang," which it briefly interpolates. It's about the dignity of hard work and it bursts with a joy that WizKid struggles to articulate -- joy of simply being alive, and gratefulness for the success that he has found.
The song received a major boost when Drake and Skepta hopped on the remix. Listen to both the original and the remix below.
Wale - "Drop" feat. WizKid
Another Legendury Beatz production (Legendury needs to connect with more stateside rappers ASAP), "Drop" is custom-made for that moment when it's 2:30 AM at the club and the sexual tension is through the roof. Everyone is trying to get lucky -- WizKid included. He and his Nigerian compatriot feed off one another's energy as they elevate this Afrobeat banger to greater heights.
"Pakurumo"
The fifth single off WizKid's 2011 debut album Superstar, "Pakurumo" translates to "low dancing" in Yoruba. WizKid effortlessly switches between English and Yoruba throughout the song -- not that it matters much, as his eagerness to dance easily transcends the language barrier.
"Love My Baby"
On "Love My Baby," WizKid has fallen in love. His love is his armor, and he is utterly invincible. Supported by a chorus of shimmering synths, he yells his love from the mountaintops. It's also possible that he is riding a flying unicorn past a rainbow en route to heaven.
Tinie Tempah - "Mamacita" feat. Wizkid
"Mamacita" has been out all of two weeks and has already garnered nearly three million plays on YouTube. The rhythms and instrumentation utilized give the track more of a Latin flavor than is typically heard from WizKid, but he feels right at home. In fact, he shines brighter than ever.
Tempah and Wiz took a camera crew down to the Dominican Republic for the music video in search of mamacitas.
"Jaiye Jaiye" feat. Femi Kuti
"Jaiye Jaiye" is the lead single off WizKid's 2014 sophomore album Ayo. The phrase "Jaiye jaiye" roughly translates to "life is good." "See I fought through defeat now I am living a better life," he sings, "and I’m thankful for the life that I am living." The video is one of his best, as he rocks the cape at the beginning portion of his journey from the countryside to the city, where he performs to a sold-out crowd.
"In My Bed"
"In My Bed" is about how the dance floor, despite the incredible excitement it generates, is ultimately a preamble to the main event, which occurs in the bedroom. It begins with a breathless beat, a call to action -- "The way you whine your body/ give me thunder" -- that builds up a cumulative energy that suddenly breaks when the beat drops out altogether on the chorus. The moment of truth.
"Shabba" feat. Chris Brown, Trey Songz, & French Montana (prod. Mike WiLL Made-It)
Dedicated to the Jamaican dancehall legend Shabba Ranks, "Shabba" is WizKid's most trap-influenced single to date (only three seconds go by before French Montana says "HAN"). The song strikes the opening chord of his post-"One Dance" American takeover. Don't be surprised if this one gets some substantial stateside radio play this summer.
"Show You The Money"
WizKid seemingly has an unlimited supply of dancefloor bangers. On "Show You The Money," he threatens to pull out his roll of the Nigerian equivalent of blue hunnids. The video is exceptionally lit -- it was shot in the neighborhood where a young Wiz grew up.
Drake - "One Dance" feat. WizKid & Kyla
WizKid is a well-established sensation in Nigeria, but millions around the globe had never heard his name until Drake dropped "One Dance," which of course would go on to become Drizzy's first #1 single. WizKid plays a small role on "One Dance" and he fits in seamlessly amongst the track's sweaty dance floor vibe, piano stabs and throbbing 4-on-the-floor bass drum.