It’s might be a surprise to some that some popular US Artists who you know are of Nigerian descent

Nigerians are commonly known worldwide to be well-travelled. As a result, we have families from Nigeria who have settled well into foreign countries like the US.

A lot of kids from these families later grow up to become celebrities who have become household names in various sectors like the Entertainment Industry.

In the case of some of these celebrities, their names give away their Nigerian roots while you’ll have to a little bit of research to connect the others to Nigeria.

On our list this week, we look at 10 of these US artists who are of Nigerian descent.

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Wale

From the first day, Nigerians heard about this rapper, everyone fell in love with him. Maybe because of his talent or his Nigerian roots. Born Olubowale Victor Akintimehin to Nigerian parents, Wale grew up in the United States of America.

Rotimi

Full name Olurotimi Akinosho, Rotimi was born in Maplewood, New Jersey in 1988, to Nigerian parents; his father an investment banker of Yoruba origin and his mother of Igbo origin.

Rotimi is a famous singer and actor in the United States of America. His break out role in Hollywood was his role as Andre Coleman on the popular TV series, ‘Power.’

Rotimi is a big fan of his home country, Nigeria and visits frequently. In 2019, the music star got for himself a penthouse in Nigeria for his birthday.

Jidenna

Unarguably one of the most fashionable celebrities in the world, Jidenna is a popular figure who needs little or no introduction. Born Jidenna Theodore Mobisson, Jidenna is a Nigerian-American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer.

Jidenna was born in the United States of America to a Nigerian dad and a Caucasian mom in 1985. His family moved back to the US after a few years in Nigeria when he turned 5.

The music star rose to fame in 2015 when he released the hit single ‘Classic Man.’ Since then he has dropped several hit singles.

Taio Cruz

For those who danced to the popular American hit single, “Dynamite“,  the singer behind it, Taio Cruz is a Nigerian. He was born Adetayo Ayowale Onile-Ere to a Nigerian dad and a Brazilian mom in London. Cruz can be credited to be the brain behind several hit songs for other top musicians in the United States of America and Britain.

Chamillionaire

If you are familiar with rap in the early 2000s, Chamillionaire is one name that one would have come across. However not many know that he is originally from Nigeria. His real name is Hakeem Seriki.

He signed to Universal Records in 2005 and released The Sound of Revenge. It included hit singles “Turn It Up” featuring Lil’ Flip and the number-one, Grammy-winning hit “Ridin‘” featuring Krayzie Bone of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.

The rapper in recent years has taken a back seat from the music industry and focused on his entrepreneurial skills. He currently is part of Los Angeles-based venture capital firm Upfront Ventures.

Chika

Jane Chika Oranika known as Chika (often stylized CHIKA), is an American rapper, songwriter, poet, model, and actress. Chika was born in Montgomery, Alabama.

She first garnered attention on social media for her viral freestyles before signing to Warner Records in 2019. The following year, she was included in XXL’s 2020 Freshman Class and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2021.

Tyler the Creator

Tyler The Creator is an American musician, songwriter, producer, actor, and visual artist. Born Tyler Gregory Okonma, to a Nigerian dad and an American mother of mixed African-American and European-Canadian descent, Tyler’s love for music began at a very early age.

At the age of 14, he taught himself to play the piano. He rose to prominence in the early 2010s as the co-founder and de facto leader of the alternative hip hop group Odd Future.

Tyler has several awards to this credit including a Grammy Award, a Brit Award, and an MTV Video Music Award.

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Tobe Nwigwe

Tobechukwu Dubem Nwigwe, who also goes by Tobe Nwigwe was born in 1987, is a Nigerian-American rapper and singer. He is from the Alief neighbourhood of Houston, Texas.

Nwigwe is of Nigerian descent and hails from the Igbo ethnic group. He played high school football and then college football at the University of North Texas. He was being considered for draft by the NFL. However, a Lisfranc Ligament Tear left him unable to continue to play football.

He began to gain a following through his Instagram and YouTube posts and videos which he usually posted every Sunday.

His music has garnered a lot of attention, including Michelle Obama, who put his song “I’m Dope” on her workout playlist.

In 2020, Nwigwe went viral on digital platforms for his song “I Need You To (Breonna Taylor)“. His song, “Try Jesus” was his biggest song of 2020.

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