Artist Focus: Yemi Alade
Yemi Alade’s symphony breathes African culture.
Real name:Yemi Eberechi Alade Stage name:Yemi Alade Date of birth:March 13, 1989 State of Origin:Ondo Nationality:Nigerian Genre:Afro-PopThere is one thing that distinguishesYemi Aladefrom her music contemporaries; her passion for her work. It’s not often that we see someone being paid to do what they are passionate about. And passionate about her music Yemi Alade is!
Yemi Alade is a Nigerian singer and songwriter widely regarded as the queen ofAfro Pop. Born inAbia State to James Alade(a Police Commissioner ofYorubadescent) andHelen Uzoma, anIgbowoman, she is the fifth in a family of seven children.
Yemi Alade attended St. Saviors British Primary School and later went to Victory Grammar School inLagos. She has a degree in Geography from theUniversity of Lagos.
The vivacious singer grew up listening to the popular music of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s and began singing in her church choir at age 12.
She officially started her music career in 2005 in a girl group calledNoty Spices but came under the spotlight after gaining prominence by winning the 2009Peak Talent Show. Shortly after, she released her debut singleFimisilefeaturingeLDee. It got over ten thousand hits onYouTubein less than four weeks.
Ghen Ghen Loveproduced by the lateOJB Jezreelwas released by her in July 2012. Directed byGambit Pictures, it was viewed 20,000 times in a relatively short time.
Yemi Alade gained massive popularity in 2013 after her hit singleJohnnyleaked onto the internet. Produced bySelebobo, it became an international hit and was listed as one of the best songs of 2013.
Her first studio albumKing of Queenswas released on October 2, 2014, by her label,Effyzie Music Group. It featured guest appearances and skits fromBovi,R2Bees,Phyno,Chidinma,Selebobo, andDiamond Platnumz.
Still basking in her newfound fame and fortune, Yemi Alade hit the studio again and got working on a second album which she released on March 25, 2016. TitledMama Africa, it saw her collaborate with notable artists likeSarkodie,P-Square, andFlavouramongst others.
In July 2019, she became the first female artist to reach one million subscribers on YouTube and to further cement her superstardom status,Beyoncefeatured her on one of the tracks of her album,The Lion King: The Gift.
Yemi Alade’s music career is filled with a lot of accomplishments which include twoMTV African Music Awardsin 2015 and 2016 for Best Female Artiste.
Her lyrical prowess and sheer magnetism are part of what makes her one of Africa’s stand-out singers.
With electrifying stage performances and energetic dance steps, coupled with videos that pay homage to her African roots, it is no wonder Yemi Alade is one of the continent’s most dominant female entertainers.
The future is bright for her and we can’t stop craving more from the music artist who keeps showing that the word ‘impossible’ doesn’t exist in her world.