Ekenedirichukwu Ijemba (born May 14, 1991), better known by his stage name Humblesmith, is a Nigerian

afropop African popular music (also styled Afropop, Afro-pop or Afro pop), like African traditional music, is vast and varied. Most contemporary genres of African popular music build on cross-pollination with western popular music. Many genres of po ...

recording artist who achieved recognition upon the release of his hit single titled " Osinachi" in 2015 which later won a nomination spot at the

2016 Nigeria Entertainment Awards The 2016 Nigeria Entertainment Awards is the 11th edition of the Nigeria Entertainment Awards. Hosted by Richard Mofe Damijo and Ebbe Bassey, the event was held on September 4 at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center in New York City, U.S ...

. He first ventured into the entertainment business as an actor, starring in a number of films including ''Hypertension'' (2010) with

Sam Loco Efe Sam Loco Efe (25 December 1945 – 7 August 2011), born Sam Loco Efeeimwonkiyeke in Enugu, was a Nigerian actor, producer and director. Early life and education Efe was born in Enugu, the son of Arase Efeimwonkiyeke, a warder. His father wa ...

. Currently signed to Show Bobo Music Limited, he made the list of "10 Artists To Watch in 2016" by ''

notJustOk NotJustOk is a Nigerian music download website created in June 2006 by Ademola Ogundele. With over 1.2 million viewers per month, from 183 countries, it is one of the most visited websites in Nigeria. History Coined from Seth Godin's book '' Pur ...

''.

Early life

Originally from Uruala, a town in

Ideato North Ideato North is a Local Government Area in Imo State, Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Afri ...

local government area of

Imo State Imo State ( ig, Ȯra Imo) is a States of Nigeria, state in the South East (Nigeria), South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by Anambra State, Rivers State to the west and south, and Abia State to the east. It takes its n ...

southeastern Nigeria Igboland (Standard ), also known as Southeastern Nigeria (but extends into South-Southern Nigeria), is the indigenous homeland of the Igbo people. It is a cultural and common linguistic region in southern Nigeria. Geographically, it is divided b ...

, Ekene Ijemba was born on May 14, 1991, into a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

family in

Abakaliki Abakaliki is the capital city of Ebonyi State in southeastern Nigeria, located southeast of Enugu. The inhabitants are primarily members of the Igbo nation. It was the headquarters of the Ogoja province before the creation of the Southeastern ...

Ebonyi State Ebonyi State ( ig, Ȯra Ebonyi) is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north and northeast by Benue State, Enugu State to the west, Cross River State to the east and southeast, and Abia State to the southwes ...

, Nigeria. While in secondary school, he started dancing and was part of a group called American Boys before he left Ebonyi State for

Asaba City Asaba is the capital city of Delta State, Nigeria. It is located at the western bank of the Niger River, in the Oshimili South Local Government Area. Asaba had a population of 149,603 as at the 2006 census, and a metropolitan population of o ...

, the capital of Delta State, South-Southern Nigeria in order to pursue a career in music.

Career

2014–2017: Beginnings and rise to fame

Upon arriving in Asaba City, Humblesmith had to take up menial jobs in order to earn a living. He later ventured into entertainment as an actor and appeared in various films including ''Hypertension'' with

. He returned to

at some point and then back to Delta State again to focus on a career in music. Determined to succeed, he started scouting for shows and performed for free until he was signed by DG Records who were impressed with one of his several performances. In 2012, he left Asaba City for

Lagos State Lagos State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Èkó) is a States of Nigeria, state in South West (Nigeria), southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 States of Nigeria, states, it is both the List of Nigerian states by population, most populous and List of Nigerian state ...

where he recorded his debut single "Chairmoo" in 2014. In 2015, he released " Osinachi, a chart-topping single that featured

Phyno Chibuzor Nelson Azubuike (born 9 October 1986), populary known as Phyno Fino, is a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He started his music career as a producer in 2003, and is renowned for rapping in the Igbo language. His ...

; and

Davido David Adedeji Adeleke (born November 21, 1992), popularly known by his stage name Davido, is an American-Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. His music blends traditional African elements with global mainstream pop. Davido is widel ...

in the remix version. The song earned him a nomination spot in the "Best New Act" category at the 2016 edition of the

Nigeria Entertainment Awards The Nigerian Entertainment Awards were established in New York City in January 2006. The awards recognize the contributions of African entertainers with a special focus on Nigerians. Ceremonies * 2006 Nigeria Entertainment Awards * 2007 Nigeria ...

and was also nominated in the "Hottest Single" category at the same event. In April 2016, he featured

Flavour N'abania Chinedu Okoli (born 23 November 1983), better known by his stage name Flavour N'abania or simply Flavour, is a Nigerian singer. He began his musical career as a drummer for a local church. Flavour is popularly known across Africa and the world ...

in a song titled "Jukwese" which enjoyed rotational airplay around the country. He later announced an

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competition tagged the "#JukweseContest" in reference to the song, with a $2,000 prize money for the winner.

2018–present: Release of ''Osinachi'', hiatus, and other singles

Following the success of his singles "Osinachi" and Jukwuese", Humblesmith released his debut album ''Osinachi'', which featured guest vocals from Davido, Patoranking, Phyno, Harrysong, Olamide, and Tiwa Savage. In December 2020, after a brief hiatus, he released a new single, Kosi, loosely translated as "God's will", a song of gratitude to God for his achievements.

Artistry

Humblesmith cites Bright Chimezie as his music influence. He usually sings the

genre of music with a little fusion of

highlife Highlife is a music genre that started in present-day Ghana in the 19th century, during its Gold Coast (British colony), history as a colony of the British Empire and through its trade routes in coastal areas. It describes multiple local fusions ...

Endorsement deal

In June 2016, Humblesmith signed a 10million dollar Naira endorsement deal with noodles manufacturing company Tummy-Tummy Food Industry.

Discography

Awards and nominations

References

{{Authority control 1991 births Living people People from Imo State People from Delta State Igbo highlife musicians Igbo singers Nigerian male singer-songwriters Nigerian singer-songwriters Musicians from Abakaliki 21st-century Nigerian male singers