Timaya
Biography
Timaya, born Inetimi Alfred Timipa Odon on August 15 1982 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, is a Nigerian singer and dancehall-influenced Afrobeats artist who became one of the most commercially successful acts of the late 2000s and 2010s. He rose to national prominence in 2007 with the hit Dem Mama, a tribute to struggling mothers that resonated deeply with Nigerian audiences and established his signature blend of Afrobeats rhythms with emotive storytelling. He founded his own record label Dem Mama Muzik. Timaya's album True Story (2008) confirmed his commercial breakthrough, and he followed with a series of successful releases including Gift and Grace (2011) and Upgrade (2015). His 2015 collaboration with producer Pheelz on the song Shake It became a massive international hit, and subsequent singles including I Can't Kill Myself and Sexy Ladies demonstrated his ability to remain commercially relevant across different eras. His Lagos-seasoned sensibility despite his Port Harcourt origins gave him broad appeal across Nigerian demographics. Timaya has won multiple Nigeria Entertainment Awards and MTV Africa Music Awards throughout his career. He is known as much for his devout Christian faith — which he credits as the foundation of his career recovery after years of hardship before his breakthrough — as for his music. He runs the Timaya Foundation charity and has been active in philanthropic work in Rivers State. He remains one of the most consistent hitmakers in Nigerian music, continuing to release successful singles well into the 2020s.
