Olamide
Biography
Olamide, born Olamide Adedeji on March 15 1989 in Bariga, Lagos State, is one of the most consequential figures in Nigerian music history — a rapper, songwriter, and record executive who created and defined the street pop genre while building one of the most powerful independent record labels on the continent. He began recording under the YBNL Nation label he founded, and his debut album Rapsodi (2011) established him as a dominant force in a market that had largely pivoted away from rap toward Afrobeats. His discography includes landmark albums Rapsodi (2011), YBNL (2012), Street OT (2014), Eyan Mayweather (2014), The Glory (2018), and UY Scuti (2021). He produced a seemingly endless string of street anthems including Durosoke, Stupid Love, Wo!!, Science Student, Infinity, and Triumphant, demonstrating a rare ability to connect with mass audiences across different eras and musical trends. His collaborations with Phyno, Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Asake have produced some of the most celebrated tracks in Nigerian music. As the founder of YBNL Nation, Olamide has developed multiple superstars including Adekunle Gold, Lil Kesh, Chinko Ekun, Limerick, and most significantly Asake, whose emergence in 2022 as a global phenomenon demonstrated Olamide's extraordinary A&R instincts. He won the Headies Artist of the Year award in 2013 and has received numerous other accolades. In 2021 his collaboration with Fireboy DML on Infinity became one of the biggest Nigerian hits of the year, proving his sustained commercial relevance over a decade into his career.
