The Rise of Ckay: How The Nigerian Popstar Took Over Globally

Since Ckay's Love Nwantiti made a comeback through Tiktok, the singer's name has been in conversations about breaking records. Although surprisingly, his music has found a place in global markets

Ckay has been doing this for years. Before many music listeners discovered him as an artist, he was a producer who produced instrumentals for artists like M.I, Milli, Dice Ailes, Koker, and many more. He produced Dice Ailes smash hit Miracle which featured ex-YBNL rapper, Lil Kesh. Back then, he was waiting in the shadows, plotting a strategy to break into the Nigerian music industry. Only a select few knew who he was. But his story was soon to change and Ckay was in no rush. He spent most of his time working, creating, iterating, trying to find his footing.

Afrobeats is currently on a trajectory, infiltrating the global market and staking its claim. There are many names associated with the genre’s recent success and added to the list is Ckay. His single, Love Nwantiti, which was released two years ago, is percolating the global music industry, charting in over 160 countries. He currently has the highest number of Spotify listeners for any African artist (more than 30 million listeners). The music video for the song has accrued more than 70 million views on YouTube in less than a month, making Ckay rank in the top 5 artists to have achieved that globally. On Tiktok, different versions soundtrack millions of videos - which led to several misconceptions about the original owner of the song.  

I have a belief that before artists achieve global recognition, that they – the artist and his or her team – must have achieved recognition on a local level. This article seeks to explore the backend where micro levers are being assembled to calibrate Ckay’s career in a worthwhile direction.

What is Ckay’s story?

Ckay, whose real name is Chukwuemeka Ekweani, is a recording artist, singer, songwriter, and producer from Anambra State. However, he was born in Kaduna State in 1995. His love for music stemmed from watching his father who was a choirmaster.

By the time he was 13 years old, Ckay had already begun writing and producing his own music. Naturally, this nudged him toward the path of chasing a professional career in music so he relocated to Lagos sometime in 2014. As it’s typical with Nigerian parents, they frowned upon his decision to chase a passion in the music industry.

He started out as a production intern. In 2015, he was signed to Loopy Music – a few months before the imprint merged with Chocolate City, following M.I Abaga’s promotion to the position of CEO.

Signing to Chocolate City (as an Artist) and Releasing Two (Unsuccessful?) Singles

Ckay officially signed a 5-year deal with Chocolate City in 2016. Chocolate City had a roster of artists including Dice Ailes, Koker, Ruby Gyang, Victoria Kimani, Brymo, and more. The label had expectations so there was a tenuous pressure that the newly-signed acts felt.

Ckay struggled to adapt to the pop-centric records dominating the charts. Later that year, he released his first official single titled Nkechi Turn Up. Even though the song did not have a major impact, Ckay was opportune to perform it anytime other Chocolate City acts were booked for shows.

2016 was a bit of a rough patch in his career. He needed to make songs with more mainstream appeal. He continued recording and was sending songs to the label for them to decide the next single to drop.

Then in 2017, he released another single titled Gaddemit, featuring DMW rapper Dremo. Gaddemit was a mid-tempo song with pop features and Ckay seasoned it with his RnB delivery. But like his debut single, it didn’t quite leave a mark.

Who the Fuck is Ckay?

2017 was a ridiculous year in Ckay’s career. After releasing two singles that never made it to the mainstream, it was evident that Ckay needed more incubation time. It is extremely important for artists to go through the artist development process before they’re introduced to the market. This sparked a heated conversation on the Loose Talk podcast where Osagie Alonge furiously asked M.I Abaga “Who the Fuck is Ckay?”  

In response to Osagie’s question, Ckay released a mixtape(/EP) titled ‘Who the Fuck is Ckay?’ It was a six-track mixtape, featuring the likes of Bella Alubo and Dice Ailes. Ckay seemingly shot himself in the foot by releasing the mixtape as it wasn’t well-received by listeners and music critics alike.

It substantiated what Osagie said on the podcast: Ckay wasn’t anywhere near ready. Speaking with Ckay’s manager, Favour, he claimed that it was an intentional move. It was a planned distraction while he focused his energy on another project. It was a viral moment for Ckay. He needed to tie it down with something.

The Era of Container

“Container changed everything, bro,” Favour told me over the phone. Container was the song that gave Ckay recognition. The song gained popularity in Lagos. It came as a shocker to a large number of employees at Chocolate City that Ckay could make such a song. The budget that was approved for the promotion of Container was reportedly meagre as Ckay wasn’t exactly benefiting (financially) from his deal. But that didn’t stop Ckay and his manager from pushing the song in every possible way.

Slimcase’s manager, who happened to be conversant with nightclub promotion, reached out to them with a promotional plan, which they acquiesced to, and that was how they activated Container. What was the plan? He gave them two options: Activate the song by paying nightclub DJs or in the case that there’s no budget for promotion, go to the clubs and give a convincing performance.

And that was how Ckay started touring clubs all over Lagos, performing in cities like Egbeda, Ketu, Yaba, V.I. Seeing the way the song was widely received in Lagos, they contacted marketers in Alaba to promote the song in other states.

Ckay seemingly answered Osagie Alonge’s question ‘Who the fuck is Ckay?’ with Container. The song forged a route to the mainstream and remained at the focal point for quite some time. Container was produced by Tempoe, with whom Ckay shares abounding chemistry.

Ckay admitted in an interview that Container was far from his usual style of music, but the song brought about the turning point in his career. He began performing at more shows, which led to more awareness, and more fans. To further penetrate the market and increase the reach of the song, Ckay featured Nigerian rapper Zlatan Ibile and South African Gqom act Moonchild on the remix of Container.

Then in October that same year, he released a single with Dremo titled Gmail. The song opened with Yoruba lyrics, and Ckay was the conveyor. It was refreshing to hear even though it was blatant that it wasn’t his native tongue. Gmail was a fusion of South African Gqom and the Shaku Shaku sound that saturated the Nigerian music industry in 2018.

Ckay the First EP

Throughout the first half of 2019, Ckay didn’t release any music due to a joint venture partnership between Chocolate City and Warner Music SA; the partnership came with a major restructuring of the label and its operation. For that reason, Ckay (and other label mates) were unable to release music.

His first offering was a single featuring the label’s official DJ, DJ Lambo, a song titled Way. Ckay scored a banger in Way. A banger that proved that not only was he capable of making pop records but that he was adept at interpolation. The elements that defined Way were rooted in Classical music.

Way was a successful record. Barely a week after it dropped, Ckay performed it at a show and the crowd sang the lyrics verbatim. Sustained by the momentum of the song, Ckay released Ckay the First EP in September 2019. The EP contained eight songs and it featured interesting names like Boj and Barry Jhay. It peaked at number 6 on Apple Music Top Albums chart.

Ckay the First was a revelation of Ckay’s monumental ability to create groundbreaking music. Songs like dtf (co-written by Toxic) and Love Nwantiti pull you into Ckay’s world to experience the full scope of his musical dexterity. As a whole, the project helped to bolster Ckay’s position in the industry, serving as a pedestal to leapfrog onto a higher plane. Alongside label mate Blaqbonez, Ckay performed at several shows in December that year, strapped with a sling of successful pop records.

The Year 2020: Love Nwantiti Remix, Gradual Global Acceptance

Ckay remixed Love Nwantiti, calling up Joeboy and Ghanaian singer Kuami Eugene to accompany him on the mission. He released the remix in February 2020. The remix gained traction organically and as a listener, you were intercepted by the song at every point.

The Coronavirus pandemic hit and the music industry experienced a serious decline. Meanwhile, Love Nwantiti remix was on the rise. It was slowly diffusing different markets across the continent. It entered Moroccan charts and even entered the top 10 songs in Mauritius.

Sometime in 2020 Ckay officially signed a deal with Warner Music SA. Love Nwantiti remix was still on an ascent, racking streams on a global scale.

When Davido released his third studio album, A Better Time, Ckay was on a song titled La La. Music listeners commended Ckay as his distinguished vocals shined all through the song. The collaboration helped establish Ckay as one of the distinct voices in contemporary Afrobeats last year.

Felony, Boyfriend EP

Ckay released Felony in December 2020. Felony was an Afro-fusion record with RnB leanings. It was his first release under Warner Music SA. Felony steadily gained airplay and in no time, it became everybody’s go-to song. The song was supported with a music video. It spent weeks on Apple Music charts, peaking at number one. It was a reassuring way to end the year. It continued blowing up even as we entered into a new year.

In February 2021, Ckay released his sophomore EP titled Boyfriend. According to him, it was a compilation of sounds that expressed the emotions he felt during the Pandemic. He was apparently in love with a lady whom he ‘facetimed’ often throughout the lockdown.

The singer has always prided himself as an artist in touch with his emotions. This translates to the genre of his music, which is aptly titled Emo-Afrobeats. Boyfriend EP is a 7-track project which is a fusion of several genres, characterized by guitar strings and Latino sounds.

The tape featured interesting names like Oxlade, KiDi, Amaarae, and Bianco Costa. Ckay acknowledged that the Boyfriend EP captures the range of emotions that he felt in a romantic relationship. As an artist, Ckay is particular about using his music as a vehicle to express the deepest parts of himself.

While Felony peaked and was on the verge of descent, Love Nwantiti thrust itself into attention. At first, Ckay wasn’t getting any credit for the popularity of the song. This happened because the version of Love Nwantiti that was trending on Tiktok wasn’t the original song. Rather it was a remix by DJ Yo and Axel – a slower version of the song. Ckay then made an acoustic version of Love Nwantiti and uploaded it on Tiktok. This served as proof that he was indeed the original owner of the song – a song that he casually recorded somewhere in Victoria Island two years ago.

Ckay is pleasantly surprised at these new developments. Love Nwantiti is currently the most Shazamed song. It stands strongly at no. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100. In a way, it is a reassurance that his type of music can be commercialized.

Ckay’s type of music varies in what is considered pop in this part of the world. Yet the singer has auspiciously found a balance. His music appeals to a global audience. And the music is fortified by an international record deal with Warner Music SA. Ckay testified to benefiting from a more robust structure under the label.

At the very moment, Ckay is focusing all of his energy on creating what feels true to him. It would be interesting to see Felony pick up from wherever Love Nwantiti lapses. Ckay is popstar material and he is undoubtedly fit to fly Afrobeats (and its many variations) to the moon.