Artist Focus: Timaya The Musical Papichulo
Timaya is a self-made musical behemoth!
Real name:Inetimi Alfred Odon Stage name:Timaya Date of birth:August 15, 1977 State of Origin:Bayelsa Nationality:Nigerian Genre:Dancehall,Ragga,Hip Hop,Afrobeat
Timayais one of those rare breeds of artists who rose above humble beginnings to carve a niche for himself in the music industry, choosing to depend on no one but himself.
As a Nigerian singer and songwriter, the star began his solo career in 2005 with the release of the singleDem Mama and he gained international recognition with his third studio albumDe Rebirth.
Born inPort Harcourt, Rivers State, Timaya grew up in a large family. He is the youngest of fifteen children and as a child, he and his siblings lived in Agip Estate, Port Harcourt.
He attended Assemblies of God Nursery and Primary School before proceeding to Nkpolu Oroworukwo for his secondary education.
Timaya would often go against his house rules to attend late-night music events and before he graduated from school, his mother arranged for him and his older brother and sister to travel to Lagos.
His move to the city saw him continue his secondary education at Ikeja Grammar School where he got his secondary school certificate.
He returned to Port Harcourt to study Banking and Finance at the tertiary level and had to drop out when he performed poorly after the first semester.
Returning to Lagos, he joinedEedris Abdulkareem’s hip hop group as a backup vocalist and left the group after three years to pursue a solo career.
Timaya then started to record collaborations with other artists (including the up-and-coming ones) and made his first cameo appearance in an unreleased music video byUDX, a rap group based in Lagos.
A meeting with producerObaksolo inOshodi led to the production of his first major hit trackDem Mama. Obaksolo produced the song after hearing him perform an acapella version.
In an interview posted in August 2013, Timaya saidDem Mama was the story of the 1999 destruction ofOdi, a riverine community in the Niger Delta area in which the hunt for militants by soldiers led to the alleged killing of eight policemen. The village was razed to the ground and there were numerous other casualties.
Following the success ofDem Mama, Timaya decided to continue to work with producerK-Solo and recorded seven more songs for his first album titledTrue Story (released in 2007).
Later in 2007, the artist began working on a second album with producersPhyno,Jeggs,Spankie,Akeem D Beat, Obaksolo, andTerry G.
In 2008,True Story was released to stores nationwide and Timaya won two awards for it; Album of the Year at theNigeria Music Awards and Best Reggae/Dancehall Album at theHeadies Awards.
He also got the Best Reggae/Dancehall Album forGift and Grace and Best Collaboration forGood or Bad(featuringJ Martins) at the2009 Headies.
2011 saw Timaya drop his third studio albumDe Rebirth with the successful lead singlePlantain Boy. The production of the album was overseen by Akeem D Beat, Phyno, Flux,M-Yire,Jay Sleek,N.D.,Jesse Jagz, and Obaksolo.
Collaborations on the album featured the likes of2Baba,TJ 2Solo,Allenian,Konga,Lanre,M.I.,TJ, andWrecoba.
Timaya appeared on the songKokoroko by the late female gospel artistKefee which went on to win the Best Collaboration category at the2010 Headies Awards.
In November 2011,LLNP (Long Life And Prosperity), a collaborative album with his crewDem Mama Soldiers, was released. The second track on the albumDem No Like Me featured the legendary reggae singerRas Kimono.
Timaya released a 14-track album titledUpgrade on June 25, 2012. It spawned notable hits likeBum Bum,Sexy Ladies, andMalonogede. Terry G andVector were featured in the album.
He released his fifth albumEpiphany in 2014. It has 20 tracks and produced global hits likeBum Bum Remix (featuringSean Paul),Sanko, andUkwu. It has guest appearances from 2Baba,Patoranking,Olamide,Sir Shina Peters,Deethi, Phyno, and Terry G.
Timaya performed inNassau,Bahamas in 2017 where he headlined the first-everAfro-Soca Concert.
After releasing other singles and touring he dropped an EP titledChulo Vibesin 2019, collaborating with East African artistAlikiba, Trinidadian Soca LegendMachel Montano and Nigeria’s ownBurna Boy.
Timaya’s influence in the entertainment is significant and his accolades (besides the aforementioned ones) include 2AFRIMMAwins and anNEA Award.
He was appointed a Peace Ambassador by the Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace (IIFWP), with the body’s co-founderDr. Hak Ja Haan Moon stating that he is “one of those individuals whose lives exemplify the ideal living for the sake of others, and who dedicate themselves to practices which promote the founding ideals of the IIFWP.”