Artists with their Debut and latest Albums 

In the music industry, many artists have come and gone. While some have stayed relevant for decades and will stay for decades to come, others have fallen off the music industry radar.

 Today at Dtimes we will be talking about how these artists burst into the scene with their debut albums and how the journey has been so far with their latest albums.

For some of these artists, their debut albums last longer, making impacts even after they retire, while for others those first albums are better than anything they make later in their careers. Below are 7 music artists who possess an impeccable and wonderful music catalog culled from their debut albums to their latest albums and are still very relevant in the music scene.

Wizkid- From ‘Superstar ‘to ‘More Love Less Ego’

Ayodeji Balogun popularly known as ‘Wizkid’ broke into the music scene in 2009 with his debut single ‘Holla at Your Boy’ which went on to be a smash hit single and set the tone for his future. Two years later he released his debut album ‘Superstar’ through Empire States Entertainment with a couple of hit songs like “Pakurumo”, “Scatter the Floor”, “Tease Me”, “Don’t Dull”, and “For Me featuring Wande Coal” just to name a few. Fast forward 11 years later his Album “More Love Less Ego” was released and filled with bops but it didn’t live up to the expectations compared to his previous album ‘Made in Lagos’ which was a global success.

Yemi Alade- Transitioning from ‘King of Queens’ to ‘African Baddie’

Yemi Eberechi Alade known by her stage name ‘Yemi Alade’ broke into the scene when she won the 2009 edition of the Peak Talent show. 5 years later she released her debut album ‘King of Queens’ with the smash hit single ‘Johnny’. The album was nothing less than incredible with an outstanding vocal range, musical versatility, and songwriting. Although her most recent album which was released in 2022 ‘African Baddie’ did not have as much success as her debut album but had 2 popular singles ‘Pounds and Dollar’ featuring Phyno and ‘Baddie’. As we hope for more from Mama Africa, we anticipate more smash singles and albums that will supersede the success of her debut album.

Burna Boy- He lived ‘L.I.F.E’ so he could tell the story ‘I Told Them’  

Damini Ogulu known popularly as ‘Burna Boy’ has made a name for himself over time by being consistent with his craft and steadily evolving his sound. His breakout single ‘Like to Party’ gave him a stepping stone in the music industry to become one of the fan’s favorites. it was released in 2012 off his debut album ‘L.I.F.E’ (acrimony for Leaving an Impact for Eternity) which was a success and gave us hits like “Tonight”, “Run My Race”, and “Yawa Dey”. Through his years in the music industry, it is obvious he understood the assignment. Fast forward to his latest album, “I Told Them” Which was released in 2023, was a global success with hit singles like “City Boy”, “Cheat on Me” featuring UK rapper Dave, and “Giza” featuring Nigerian superstar Seyi Vibez.

M.I Abaga- Had to ‘Talk About It’ and became ‘The Guy’

Jude Abaga well known as M.I Abaga is one of Nigeria’s greatest MCs with an incredible technique with his flows and he did just that in his debut album “Talk About It”. The body of work that was released in 2009 and more than a decade later is still relevant enough to compete with a bunch of new rap songs released. The album birthed fire singles like “Anoti” featuring Gabriel, “Safe” which featured Djinee, and “Fast Money Fast Cars” with Wizkid. His debut album seemed to have more impact than his latest album “The Guy” which was released in 2022 and has some guest appearances from some of our favorite artists like Bnxn, Olamide, The Cavemen, Wande Coal, and US rap legend Nas. But despite that Mi abaga is still one of the Nigerian greats who still carries the Nigerian hip-hop culture and his consistency speaks for itself through his discography.

Olamide- His “Rapsodi” unlocked the “Unruly” side

Olamide Adedeji popularly known as ‘Olamide Baddo’ is known as one of the most influential artists from Nigeria. Also responsible for the breakout of many of our favorite artists like Asake, Fireboy DML, and Adekunle Gold just to name a few. He got his first encounter in the music industry with his break-out single ‘Eni Duro’ as the first release of his debut album which was released that same year “Rapsodi”. The album was a stepping stone for olamide to be one of the biggest influences in the music industry because more than a decade later not only is he giving us back-to-back bangers he is also kick-starting careers of young artists in the music industry.  Just like his most recent album titled “Unruly” he remained consistent and adamant about giving up rumor has it that the Unruly album is set to be his final album as he wants to focus on the executive side of the music.

Asa- “ASA(Asha)” manifested the success of “V”

Bukola Elemide professionally known as ‘Asa’ is one of Nigeria’s artists with an impeccable pen game. She kickstarted her career when she went back to Paris at the age of 18 and by the time she turned 20, she got signed to Paris-based record label Naive Records through which she released her debut album in 2007. The album offered an outstanding blend of highlife and RnB giving listeners a nostalgic feeling. Some notable hit singles include “Jailer”, “Bibanke”, “Fire on the Mountain” and many more. Her most recent album titled “V” released in 2022 was a testament to the hard work she has put in over the years. The album had some guest appearances from Wizkid, The Cavemen, and Amarae.

Tiwa Savage- “Once Upon a Time” opened doors to “Celia” accomplishment

Temilade Omolara Savage known by her stage name ‘Tiwa Savage’ came into the scene not just to give us timeless vibes but also to dominate. She cemented her name in the music industry when she came through with her breakout single ‘Kele Kele Love’ which was also the lead single to her debut album ‘Once Upon a Time’. The album was a mix of Afro-pop and R&B showcasing her versatility, vocal abilities, and songwriting skills which went on to establish her as a powerful female voice in an industry dominated by men. Up until her most recent album ‘Celia’ which was released in 2020, Tiwa savage has without any doubt been relevant in the scene taking her status as the Queen of Afrobeats. Dropping hits off the album like “Koroba” and “Dangerous Love” highlights her evolution both musically and lyrically.

Wande Coal- He came from “Mushin 2 Mo’Hits” to become “Legend or No Legend”

Oluwatobi Ojosipe popularly known as “Wande Coal” is one of Nigeria’s best vocalists with a talent that speaks for itself. His debut album which was released in 2009 catapulted his career to the top as part of the big leagues. The album “Mushin 2 Mo’hits” had a lot of beautiful records on it. It also included one of the best love songs ever written by a Nigerian titled “Ololufe”, and to date, not a lot of new cats can create such a mind-blowing record. The project also included hits like “You Bad” with D’banj, Taboo, Ten Ten, Kiss Your Hand and many more. Fast-forward to more than a decade later Wande Coal is still seen as undoubtedly one of Nigeria’s highly respected artists. His recent album “Legend or No Legend” also had a bunch of hit records like Ebelebe, Kpe Paso and come my way. The project had guest appearances from Wizkid, Olamide, Fireboy DML, and American rapper and songwriter T-pain.