Sulaimon Shekoni Solomon, professionally known as Khaid, is a fast-rising Nigerian singer, rapper, and songwriter known for his genre of music that blends Trap, Afro-pop, and his soulful melodies over Afrobeat rhythms, which have garnered attention and praise.
Even before fame, he is known for his ability to freestyle timeless anthems for audiences worldwide on social media platforms.
This was the basis of his fame and has helped solidify his position as a rising star in the Nigerian music industry.
Khaid began his musical career at the young age of 13, dropping standout freestyles and performing on the streets of Ojo in Lagos before he drew the attention of the Nigerian social media influencer comedian, actor, and entrepreneur, Sydney Talker, who signed him to his record label, Neville Records, and helped him release and promote his first hit.[1]
The singer and rapper came to the limelight after his breakthrough hit, “With You,” which was released in 2022 shortly after he signed into the Neville record label.
The song debuted on Nigeria TurnTable Top 50 chart at number forty-eight in 2022, marking his first entry into the charts.
He was also ranked first on TurnTable’s NXT Emerging Top Artistes list and Spotify named him one of the emerging Nigerian artists to watch, alongside Tempoe and Poco Lee in 2023.
Ever since Khaid’s first hit, he has been delivering steady momentum with his chart-topping songs, he has released other popular songs including, Jara, Jolie, Anabella, and Forever.
He has also gained recognition for his work and has won nominations. He was nominated for Rookie of the Year at the 2023 Headies Awards.
Table of Contents
- Profile Summary
- Khaid Early Life and Education
- Khaid Age
- Khaid Rise to Prominence
- Career Highlight
- Khaid Music Style
- Khaid Nominations and Recognitions
- Khaid Discography
- Khaid Net Worth
- Khaid’s Girlfriend
- Khaid and Odumodublvck Feud
- Is Khaid a Christian or a Muslim?
- Khaid Tribute to Mohbad
- Khaid Social Media Presence
- Conclusion
- Reference
Profile Summary
| Full Name | Sulaimon Shekoni Solomon |
| Stage Name | Khaid |
| Date of Birth | 10 December 2004 |
| Age | 18 Years Old (as of November, 2023) |
| Place of Birth | Shibiri, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria |
| Gender | Male |
| Zodiac Sign | Sagittarius |
| State of Origin | Lagos State |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Relationship status | N/A |
| Occupation | Singer, Rapper, Songwriter |
| Record Label | Neville Records |
| Net Worth | $100, 000 (estimated) |
Khaid Early Life and Education
Khaid was born on 10 December 2023 into a large family of 10 in Shibiri, Ojo Lagos, Nigeria.[1] His father is a tailor while his mother is a teacher, as well as a stylist.
Khaid did not complete his studies after high school, according to him he was afraid of writing JAMB, but recently he has declared interest in furthering his education, He said, “I still have plans to go to university. Immediately after I left secondary school, I did not want to go to university because I was scared of writing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination…”[2]
The singer has been involved in various menial jobs like mechanic, barber, and painter, to support his family and his dream music career before came to the limelight.
He was also dropping freestyles on social media, especially, Instagram and Tiktok to showcase his talent. These freestyles captured the hearts of many before the popular entertainer, Sydney Talker noticed him and connected with him.[3]
So, it is safe to say that Khaid had a notable number of fan bases before his fame.
Khaid Age
The Nigerian singer and rapper is 18 years old as of November, 2023.
Khaid Rise to Prominence
Khaid has always been passionate about music since he was 13 years old. His parents were avid music enthusiasts, and their love for various genres was his major influence in pursuing his music career.
His dad always played and loved fuji music and his mom, Michael Jackson’s music. This exposed him to different styles and sounds. It was Michael Jackson’s music that introduced him to foreign music and built his love for trap music, which eventually led him to start creating his trap songs.[3]
During his secondary education, he participated in competitions like rapping competitions and other different activities organized at the end of the year. This also added as a factor that solidified his stand on taking his music dream career more seriously.
In an interview with Culture Custodian, he said, “I used to participate in rapping competitions sometimes at these parties, sometimes it’s just normal school days. You compete with other classes and from there I just started taking music more seriously and I started loving it more, loving making music.”[4]
In 2020, when Khaid was done with his secondary education, he did not go further to the tertiary level because of his fear of the JAMB examination. He told his parents about his dream of pursuing a music career. His Dad welcomed the idea and advised him to learn a skill first since the music career was not making enough for him and the family support.[2]
That led Khaid to work as a roadside mechanic in the street of Ojo, Lagos state, to support his family while reserving time to showcase his music talent on local streets and social media platforms, especially TikTok and Instagram, where he dropped freestyles. His musical know-how was shaped by listening to Afrobeats sounds by leading artists like Polo G, Juice WRLD, XXXTentacion, and a lot of others.[3]
His talent and hard work did not go unnoticed.
In 2021, he gained widespread attention after posting a viral freestyle on Instagram, catching the eye of Sydney Talker, who subsequently offered him a recording deal. This led to Khaid being introduced as the first artist under Sydney’s Neville Records on 20 January 2022. That became the beginning of his musical career success. Shortly after, he released his debut single “With You” on 28 January 2022, which reached number 48 on the Nigeria TurnTable chart marking his first entry into the charts.[5]
Career Highlight
During an interview on the Midday Show with Do2tun and Eve on Cool FM 96.9 Lagos on 2 August 2022, he shared how a direct message on Instagram from Sydney Talker had transformed his life.[8]
Khaid released his debut single “With You” on 28 January 2022, which reached number 48 on the Nigeria TurnTable chart. The accompanying music video, directed by Olu the Wave, garnered 4.1 million views on YouTube as of February 2023.[1] and also led Pulse Nigeria Future Sounds Vol.10 playlist on 4 June 2022.[1]
On 22 April 2022, Khaid released “SKI” along with a music video directed by Sydney Talker. The song was praised by The Native author Wonu Osikoya for its honest portrayal of Khaid’s life before fame.[6]
On 27 May 2022, Khaid unveiled his six-track debut extended play “Diversity,” comprising “With You, Ski, Akpako, Bad Man, “Blessed, and Fire. It was described by Wonu Osikoya as “a collage of vibrant sounds that will appeal to the young and the young-at-heart.” [7]
Khaid’s talent was further recognized when he was named Apple Music’s Up Next Artist for Nigeria on 22 June 2022.[7]
On 9 November 2022, he released “Amala,” featuring guest vocals from Zlatan and produced by Rexxie.[9] The accompanying visualizer was directed by Sydney Talker. “Amala” debuted at number 91 on the official Nigeria TurnTable Top 100 songs, number 66 on Top Streaming Songs, and number 24 on Top Street-POP Songs on 14 November 2022. [1]
Subsequently, his song “Jolie” debuted at number 92 on the official Nigeria TurnTable Top 100 songs on 20 January 2023 and was recognized as one of the Best Afrobeats Songs by OkayAfrica. [10]
On 30 January 2023, Khaid secured the number 1 position on TurnTable’s NXT Emerging Top Artistes. Spotify also acknowledged him as one of the emerging artists to watch from Nigeria on 31 January 2023, alongside Tempoe and Poco Lee.[5]
His popular single, “Jolie” peaked at number 7 on the official Nigeria TurnTable Top 100 songs on 13 February 2023, and received praise from Davido, who expressed his fondness for the song on 14 February 2023.[11] Additionally, “Jolie” ranked at number 5 on TheCable’s list of 10 TCL radio picks of the week on 18 February 2023.[1]
Khaid Music Style
Khaid’s music style goes beyond the typical ballads of love and infatuation. He incorporates a variety of genres such as Hip-Hop, Trap, and Street Pop to create a unique sound and identity for himself.
Khaid’s love for trap music shines through in his work, as he started producing trap music before even delving into Afrobeats.
According to him, Trap is an important part of his music style, “I started by making music with Trap, Trap is a side of me. I started trapping before I could even do Afrobeats so that’s me when you want to know me”.
He has mentioned that he also sings Afrobeat because the entertainment market tends to favor Afropop, making it difficult for artists who deviate from this sound to gain recognition.[4]
Khaid Nominations and Recognitions
The rising star, Khaid has gained recognition and a notable nomination for his outstanding hits. He was nominated for the Rookie of the Year at The Headies, showcasing the acclaim he has garnered in the music industry.
He has also been featured in various publications and platforms, including The Knockturnal, The Culture Custodian, Clash Magazine, The NATIVE, and more. His music has been well-received and he has been recognized as Apple Music’s Latest Up Next Artist for Nigeria. [1]
Khaid Discography
The singer, Khaid has released a number of songs including 2 EPs and several singles. His notable songs include:
Khaid Diversity EP Album Released on 27 May 2022[12]
- With You
- Ski
- Akpako
- Bad Man
- Blessed
- Fire
Khaid Emotions EP Album Released in 1 September, 2023[12]
- Jolie
- People (Evil)
- No Time
- Hold Me
- Jara
- Anabella
Some of his singles include:[12]
- People (Evil) (2023)
- Ski (2022)
- With You (2022)
- Amala featured by Rexxie (2022)
- Jolie (2023)
- Carry Me Go featured by Boy Spyce (2023)
- Anabella (2023)
- Forever (Mohbad Tribute) (2023)
- Akpako (2022)
- Fire (2022)
- Hold Me (2023)
- Medussa featured by Layzee Ella (2022)
- BLESSED (2022)
- Badman (2022)
- Jara (2023)
Khaid Net Worth
Khaid’s estimated net worth is currently valued at $100,000,[13] reflecting his success and growing prominence in the music industry. His net worth stems from his streaming royalties from various platforms and endorsement deals.
Khaid’s Girlfriend
There is no publicly available information about Khaid’s girlfriend or personal relationships.
But on the latest episode of the ‘On The Kouch’ podcast hosted by Kamsi, Khaid revealed finding older women more attractive and how he has been more involved with them than his agemates. He said, “All my life, I just tend to have things with women that are older than me. I don’t think I have ever had something with someone younger than me. I also haven’t been involved with my agemates. It’s either women who are older than me by months or something.”[14]
Khaid and Odumodublvck Feud
In mid-2023, Khaid was involved in a social media banter with Nigerian rapper, Tochukwu Ojukwu, aka Odumodu Blvck after a video surfaced of Odumodu Blvck allegedly running away from cultist boys after a show at a university in Lagos State.
They both argued that he is the most qualified to win the 16th annual Headies Award’s Rookie of the Year category alongside other artists such as Bayanni, Guchi, Eltee Skhills, and Bloody Civilian.[15]
They both claimed they had a better chance of winning the award, Khaid said, “I really respect Odumodublvck so much. His creativity, his sound is unique. I give him his flowers. And his age, too, he is like a senior brother to me. But I shouldn’t say because I’m respecting Odumodublvck, I should disrespect myself or not give myself flowers. There are some achievements that I have that Odumodublvck is yet to have. He is good, but he is not better than me.”[14] Odumodublvck replied to him saying that he is his father.
However, the exchange was later revealed to be a form of social media celebrity banter.
Is Khaid a Christian or a Muslim?
The singer was born to a Muslim father and a Christian mother. According to his interview with Dailypost [16], he claimed his dad forced him to go to the mosque and he never liked it. So he converted.
In his words, “I was a Muslim before because my dad was a Muslim and my mum was a Christian. So, I just felt the connection to Christianity more. Right from time I didn’t like going to the mosque actually. My dad forced me. But my parents were free-minded people.”
Khaid Tribute to Mohbad
Khaid released a captivating tribute song, “Forever” to mourn his late friend and co-artist, Ilerioluwa Aloba, with the stage name, Mohbad aka Imole, who died at the age of 27, on 12 September, 2023.
The singer also donated the sum of N2m to support his son, Liam Aloba, Mohbad. Disclosing this, he posted on his Instagram handle, “In my own little way, I’d love to support the family by giving N2 Million to the wife of our late brother and convey 100 royalties of the newly released tribute song “Forever” to Liam Aloba Eyinimofeoluwa. Rest On IMOLE”.[17]
Khaid Social Media Presence
Khaid has garnered a massive fan base offline and on his social media handles with over 1 million followers.
Conclusion
Khaid’s journey which started from performing on the streets of Lagos and social platforms to becoming a rising star in the music industry is a testament to his talent, hard work, and dedication.
His ability to produce the perfect blend of Afrobeats and trap music has captured the hearts of music fans globally, with each of his songs topping charts and trending on TikTok challenges.
As he continues to evolve as an artist, Khaid’s future in the music industry looks promising, and he is definitely an artist to watch.
Reference
- Wikipedia. Retrieved 17 November, 2023.
- Correct.ng. Retrieved 17 November, 2023.
- BellaNaija. Retrieved 16 November, 2023.
- Culture Custodian. Retrieved 17 November, 2023.
- Yourstruly. Retrieved 17 November, 2023.
- The NATIVE. Retrieved 17 November, 2023.
- BellaNaija. Retrieved 17 November, 2023.
- CoolFM. Retrieved 17 November, 2023.
- Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 17 November, 2023
- OkayAfrica. Retrieved 17 November, 2023
- ENTERTAINMENT — WITHIN NIGERIA. Retrieved 17 November, 2023
- Apple Music. Retrieved 16 November, 2023.
- Legit.ng. Retrieved 16 November, 2023.
- Leadership News. Retrieved 17 November, 2023
- CREEBHILLS. Retrieved 17 November, 2023
- Dailypost. Retrieved 17 November, 2023
- Punch News. Retrieved 17 November, 2023
The Trendinghub.ng Team