“How Wizkid started as a ‘studio rat’, coined the name ‘Wiz’ – Banky W

• Music executive Banky W recalls signing Wizkid to Empire Mates Entertainment (EME) during the early days of his career, well before Wizkid launched his own label, StarBoy Entertainment.
• Wizkid, once unable to afford studio time, was described as a “studio rat” who spent hours in various studios, hoping for any opportunity to record.
• Despite financial limitations, Wizkid developed his craft by working on hooks and melodies all day, prepared to make the most of even brief recording opportunities.
• Banky W revealed that Wizkid’s name “Wiz” came from his speed and skill as a songwriter, capable of creating compelling melodies on the spot.

Music executive Banky W has opened up on the humble beginnings of Grammy-winning artist Wizkid, recounting the hard work and sacrifices the singer made before becoming one of the biggest names in global music.

In a video circulating online, Banky W, who was pivotal in launching Wizkid’s career through his label, Empire Mates Entertainment (EME), reflected on the artist’s early years and his unwavering commitment to his craft.

Banky W shared how Wizkid, whose real name is Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, faced financial struggles during the early stages of his career.

According to the music executive, Wizkid’s passion for music was evident even when he couldn’t afford studio time.

He described the artist as a “studio rat,” constantly seeking out any opportunity to work with producers and engineers, often spending entire days in studios, hoping to get a brief chance to record.

In his words:

“Wizkid for a long time in his life was not fortunate enough to afford or pay for studio time and so he was a studio rat as he will go to any studio where they will let him hang out and he would hang out all day and just wait, hope and pray for the end of the day for the engineers and producers to just take pity on him and say oya, come, come and record for 15 mins or 30 mins because he could not pay for his session.

“So, all day long, he would be working on hooks and melodies and just coming up with things in case he was given the opportunity to jump on the mic for five minutes. He did not have time to think about what to write at the moment, so that became his process.

“And now he is one of the fastest songwriters that I have ever encountered in my life, he will just sit, listen, and listen to music, he would start freestyling a melody that would become a song that the whole world would want to sing and that is where the name Wiz started from, his genius-level creation of melodies is at the spur of the moment.”

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