Oyenike Laoye, known professionally as Nikki Laoye, is a Nigerian recording artist, singer, humanitarian, songwriter, dancer and occasional actress, renowned for her musical expressions and stage performances. As a recording artist, Laoye's music has earned her several awards including

The Headies The Headies (originally called the Hip Hop World Awards) is a music awards show established in 2006 by the '' Hip Hop World Magazine'' of Nigeria to recognize outstanding achievements in the Nigerian music industry. The annual ceremony features p ...

Award in 2013 for ''Best Female Vocal Performance'' and the All African Music Awards (AFRIMA) in 2014 for ''Best Female Artiste in African Inspirational Music''. She is also well known for the 2006 hit song ''Never felt this Way before'', the 2013 dance single "

1-2-3 1-2-3; 1, 2, 3; or One, Two, Three may refer to: Brands * 1-2-3 (fuel station), in Norway * Lotus 1-2-3, a computer spreadsheet program * .123, a file extension used by Lotus 1-2-3 * Jell-O 1-2-3, a dessert Film, TV and books * ''One, Two, Three' ...

", the soulful ballad " Only You", which she remixed in 2016 featuring

Seyi Shay Deborah Oluwaseyi Joshua (born Oluwaseyi Joshua; 21 December 1985), professionally known as Seyi Shay (pronounced Shay-yee Shay), is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and actress. She wrote and produced three songs for the soundtrack to Konami's vi ...

and the love song ''Onyeuwaoma'' featuring

Banky W Olubankole Wellington (born 27 March 1981), popularly known by his stage name Banky W and credited in film as Banky Wellington, is a Nigerian singer, rapper, actor, entrepreneur and politician. Early life Olubankole Wellington was born in the ...

. Her passion for humanitarian activities attracted the attention of the Nigerian National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), who unveiled her as the celebrity 'Voice of Refugees' in Southwest Nigeria in 2013. Her musical style is an urban contemporary sound with the fusion of alternative rock, R&B, hip hop, pop, soul, funk, jazz and

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

. Born in

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 fo ...

, Nigeria, Laoye hails from the musical lineage of the talking drum legend – Late Oba Adetoyese Laoye (from Ede, Osun State-Nigeria), The singer, fondly called, the small one with the big voice, rose to fame in 2006 with the hit single, "Never Felt This Way Before" from her debut studio album, ''Angel 4 Life'' (2008), which also featured other notable singles, including the Hip-Hop collaboration with Rooftop Mcs and her brother, Rap2Sai – "Taka Sufe"; the love ballad "Someone to Love" with R&B crooner Jeremiah Gyang amongst others.

Early life

Laoye was born in Lagos, Nigeria; the only daughter to Prince Olushola Isaac Laoye & Olori Christiana Yetunde Laoye. Laoye bears traces of a mixed heritage as her father, Olushola is of European (Dutch), Ghanaian and Nigerian ancestry. She is sister to three brothers: Femi, Bola and Ade, who is also known as Xblaze, a budding young music producer/Hip Hop artist in Lagos, Nigeria. She enrolled in choirs and dance classes at the age of five. In 1998, Laoye joined the youth band of Ikoyi Baptist Church and was introduced formally to contemporary gospel by friend and music director, Reginald Bassey and served as a soloist/lead vocalist for a couple of years. (Laoye later joined House on the Rock Church and was a lead vocalist for the choirs in Ibadan and Lagos for over 10 years.) In 2000, a chance meeting along the hallways of St. Anne's hall, a private female hostel, at the

University of Ibadan The University of Ibadan (UI) is a public research university in Ibadan, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1948 as University College Ibadan, one of many colleges within the University of London. It became an independent university in 19 ...

brought about the creation of the female girl group, Soul Sistas, composed of Laoye, Debola Kester and Aboyowa Tene. The girls met during an evening of music, fun and games in their dorm room and struck a chord literally. They started performing together, simply for the love of it and finally took up the name "Soul Sistas" after singing at a campus fellowship and the Pastor, Dele Osunmakinde (now Pastor of The Baptizing Church, Lagos) remarked cheerfully "these ladies sing to your soul". In 2003, The girls were joined briefly by another female singer, Funmi Ojo, but returned to a trio within the same year. Together for five years, Soul Sistas were the only female a cappella group at the University and were renowned for their soulful harmonies including their rendition of the classic a cappella song "Your Love is Better than Life". In 2005,The girls went their separate ways after graduating from the University with Laoye pursuing a solo career and Debola and Aboyowa took up regular jobs. In 2007, the trio returned to record a remix for their hit, "Baba L'oke" for Laoye's debut album, ''Angel 4 Life''. In 2010, Debola contested in the Nigerian music reality show, Project Fame Season 3 and was one of the final 10 contestants alongside Ochuko, Yetunde Omo'badan, Chidinma Ekile (winner).

Education

Laoye started off her education at Grace Children School, Gbagada, Lagos. Soon enough, she was singled out by her music teacher, who noticed her music abilities at such a tender age and personally offered her free piano lessons at the end of each school day. Laoye's musical talent was further enhanced during her high school years at Federal Government Girl's College, Sagamu (from where she graduated in 1998) and at the

respectively as she performed with the school choirs and joined up with music and dance groups including Exousia, Soul Alliance and the girl group trio, Soul Sistas.

Career

Laoye began her career as a solo artist in 2006, with the release of her first single, "Never Felt this way Before", produced by Nigerian music producer Cobhams. The single enjoyed airplay on mainstream radio stations in Nigeria and gained wide acceptance across the country, thus making Laoye one of the few contemporary Christian artists in the Nigerian music industry with mainstream appeal. The release of her HipHop collaboration single, "Taka Sufe" featuring Rooftop Mcs and Rap2Sai further endeared her to Nigerian youths and provided a platform of expression for her brother, Xblaze who produced the track. (Xblaze Ade Laoye produced most of the songs on Laoye's debut album as well as her 2013 dance single, "

". He was a principal producer for the West African Edition of ''

X-Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003) ...

'', held in Lagos, Nigeria). Nikki laoye cece winans

In 2008, Laoye followed up with the release of her debut album ''Angel 4 Life''— a collection of contemporary sounds and a lineup of top Nigerian artists including Rooftop Mcs, Blaise, Jeremiah Gyang and many more. The singer soon gained notoriety as her singles gradually rose to the number one spot on the Nigerian Chart Show for weeks; and she was a main feature on the

MTV Base MTV Base was a British pay television music channel from Paramount Networks UK & Australia that focused primarily on hip hop, R&B, grime, garage, reggae, funk, soul and dance music. It was launched as part of MTV's digital boutique of music ch ...

Rockumentary show- ''Advance Warning''. In 2009, Laoye performed alongside American international gospel artists

Kirk Franklin Kirk Dewayne Franklin (born January 26, 1970) is an American songwriter, choir director, gospel singer, and rapper. He is best known for leading urban contemporary gospel ensembles such as The Family, God's Property, and One Nation Crew (1NC) ...

Cece Winans Priscilla Marie Winans Love, known professionally as CeCe Winans, (born October 8, 1964) is an American gospel singer. She rose to prominence as a member of the duo BeBe & CeCe Winans; before launching an acclaimed solo career. Winans has been ...

and

Donnie McClurkin Donald Andrew "Donnie" McClurkin, Jr. (born November 9, 1959) is an American gospel singer and minister. He has won three Grammy Awards, ten Stellar Awards, two BET Awards, two Soul Train Awards, one Dove Award and one NAACP Image Awards. ...

to an audience of 500,000 at The 2009 Experience Concert in Lagos, Nigeria. Laoye also played a theatrical role in the Nigerian-Broadway stage play musical, ''OLURONBI'' in October 2009 and was one of the five female artists on the 2009 Tetmosol Girl Power Tour, which was a nationwide tour across various states of Nigeria. The release of the single "Never Felt This Way Before" brought a fresh urban Christian contemporary sound to the Nigerian music industry. This seven-time award nominated song, (2009 Hip Hop World Awards- Best Vocal Performance (Female) and HipHop World Revelation (Best New Artist);

Kora Awards The KORA All Africa Music Awards are music awards given annually for musical achievement in sub-Saharan Africa. The awards were founded in 1994 by Benin born businessman, Ernest Adjovi, after a discussion in Namibia with the country's President Ha ...

-Best Spiritual Artist and Best Arrangement; 2009

City People Entertainment Awards City People Entertainment Awards are an annual accolade presented by '' City People Magazine'' to honour Nigerian and Ghanaian entertainers. The first edition was held in Abeokuta, Ogun State on June 14, 2009. The event was hosted by Governor ...

-Musician of the Year (Female); the 2009 Nigerian Entertainment Awards in the US -Gospel Artist of the Year & 2009 SoundCity Music Video Awards-Best Female Video), received major accolades and gave Laoye the rating as the 3rd Best Performance at the 2009 HipHop World Awards in Nigeria (

Darey Dare Art Alade (born February 9, 1982)– popularly known as Darey – is a Nigerian multi-platinum Afro R&B singer, songwriter, record producer, philanthropist, humanitarian and entrepreneur. He is also the son of the legendary African Jaz ...

Art Alade and

Tuface Innocent Ujah Idibia MON (born 18 September 1975), known by his stage name 2Baba, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Noted for his vocal range, lyrical depth, and longevity, he is widely regarde ...

coming 1st and 2nd respectively, out of the 10 performances at the awards). Laoye was the only female contender alongside top male Nigerian Artists – MI,

Banky W. Olubankole Wellington (born 27 March 1981), popularly known by his stage name Banky W and credited in film as Banky Wellington, is a Nigerian singer, rapper, actor, entrepreneur and politician. Early life Olubankole Wellington was born in the ...

and

Naeto C Naetochukwu Chikwe, stage name Naeto C, is a Nigerian rapper, Afrobeat artist and record producer. Early life He was born in Houston, Texas and is of Nigerian origin. The Governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha appointed Naeto C, as his Speci ...

for the HipHop World Revelation (Best New Artist) category of the 2009 HipHop World Awards. In 2009, Laoye performed alongside

CeCe Winans Priscilla Marie Winans Love, known professionally as CeCe Winans, (born October 8, 1964) is an American gospel singer. She rose to prominence as a member of the duo BeBe & CeCe Winans; before launching an acclaimed solo career. Winans has been ...

to an audience of 500,000 at The Experience Concert in Lagos. Laoye's music has gained critical acclaim beyond Africa, as she was one of the first three Nigerian artists ever to be interviewed and recognized on American entertainment channel,

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...

in 2009 and she was one of the preliminary judges for BET's Sunday Best Auditions which held in Lagos, Nigeria in December 2009. In 2011, Laoye's life and career were showcased in a special feature segment on BET, tagged "BET Spotlight – Nikki Laoye". In 2013, the singer made a comeback into the music scene after being on a hiatus following the loss of her father in 2011. Laoye was commissioned to record her own version of the Nigerian National Anthem for Nigerian TV Producer, Mo Abudu's Ebony Life Television in June 2013. The video is renowned as the first official music video for the Nigerian Anthem. Since its release in June 2013, Laoye has been invited to perform the anthem for the Presidency in Aso Rock, Abuja and at other official functions. As at 2013, she released the singles "No Be Beans" with Yoruba Hip Hop artist Base One; the dance single "

"; and the Rotimi Keys produced ballad " Only You", a song dedicated to the memory of her late father, for which she won an award for the Best Vocal Performance (Female) at the 2013 Headies Awards in Lagos, Nigeria. Laoye also lends her vocal signature on radio jingles some of which include Etisalat's "0809aija 4 Life", which featured R&B singer

, MTN's "Everywhere You Go" jingle and Fidelity Bank's "No Greater Feeling". The singer has performed film soundtracks for major Nollywood productions such as ''Bent Arrows'', ''Where the Heart Lies'', ''Mission 2 Nowhere'' and the ensemble film ''Journey to Self'' Laoye is also an on-air personality on television and radio. In 2005 she hosted the TV Show ''New Breeze Show'' on Silverbird Entertainment Television and as of 2013, she hosts her own radio show, ''Girls Rock with Nikki Laoye'' on Nigerian internet gospel radio station Praiseworld Radio. She was also unveiled as one of the hosts for a gospel reality TV competition, ''Stars 4 Christ''. In August 2013, Laoye headlined the Nigerian Corner at the Nottinghill Carnival in the United Kingdom, an event which attracts thousands of Nigerians living across the United Kingdom. In the same year, Laoye went on a church tour of England, which took her to London, Manchester, Loughton and Warrington. In September 2013, Laoye performed alongside R&B legend

Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...

at the "Sisters with Soul" concert in Lagos, Nigeria. Laoye headlined the 2014 Headies Awards as well as the 10th Anniversary of the Rhythm Unplugged Concert in December 2014. In January 2016, Laoye headlined the ''Butterscotch Evenings'' event, alongside American R&B Superstar

Brian Mcknight Brian Kelly McKnight (born June 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, radio host and multi-instrumentalist. He is most recognized for his strong head voice, high belting range and melisma. McKnight is known for h ...

at the Eko Hotels and Suites in Lagos, Nigeria. On 12 February 2016, two days to Valentine's Day, Laoye released a Love duet with Nigerian R&B singer

titled ''Onyeuwaoma'', the song enjoyed rave reviews and the official video was released on 14 April 2016.

Personal life

On 11 December 2011, Laoye married Alexander Oturu in Lagos, Nigeria. The two separated after seven years of marriage due to possible irreconcilable differences. The couple do not have any children together.

Philanthropy

In December 2010, Laoye founded the "Angel 4 Life Foundation", a non-governmental organization through which she mentors and helps develop the creative skills of talented physically challenged youths and also assists in the management of the Music Therapy Clinic of Modupe Cole Home for the Physically and Mentally Challenged, in Lagos, Nigeria. In October 2012, Laoye's Angel 4 Life foundation, in conjunction with the Nigeria Association of the Blind (Lagos Chapter, Nigeria) celebrated the 2012 International White Cane Day, the event consisted of a Sing for the blind unplugged fund raising gig on the hallways of The Palms Shopping Mall in Lekki with support from celebrities such as Sammie Okposo, Funke Kuti,

Tiwa Savage Tiwa Savage (born 5 February 1980) is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and performing artist. Born in Isale Eko, she relocated to London at the age of 11 for her secondary education. Five years later, she began her music career doing backup voc ...

, Dipp, Lamboginny and Kiki Omeili; a White Cane Awareness Walk and a Lunch Reception to celebrate the achievements and independence of all visually impaired citizens of Lagos State. On 25 December 2012 and 2013, the foundation hosted Christmas Day Out with Laoye providing a whole day trips and treats around the city of Lagos for physically challenged youths. The foundation also handles The Art in Me project, an empowerment initiative for creative physically challenged youths. With the help of a Guaranty Trust Bank Training school set, Angel 4 Life helped to build a fully functional music recording studio for physically challenged producer, Akeem at Modupe Cole Home, Yaba, Lagos. In 2013, Laoye was given an honorary 234Giver Award for her advocacy and contribution to the social and educational development of the physically challenged in Nigeria. The award was presented by 234Give, Nigeria's first online fundraising platform – a company dedicated to empowering individuals and companies to raise funds for causes that improve and uplift their communities.

Discography

Studio albums * ''Angel 4 Life'' (2008) * ''The 123 Project'' (2014)

Videography

Recognition and awards

Laoye's work has earned her numerous award nominations and accolades including the prestigious KORA Awards, HipHop World Awards (now Headies),Soundcity Music Video Awards, City People Entertainment Awards, NEA Awards (US), Nigeria Music Video Awards (NMVA); Africa Gospel Music Awards (UK), Crystal Gospel Awards, Nigeria Gospel Music Awards (NGMA), and a special feature on MTVBase Advance Warning Reality TV Show. She was announced as one of the brand ambassadors for popular wrist watch brand, Ice Watch, in Nigeria. On 26 December 2013, Laoye was unveiled as the winner of the category of the Best Vocal Performance (Female) for her soulful ballad "Only You" in a strong field that included singers

Waje Aituaje Iruobe, known professionally as Waje, which is the first letter from each word from the phrase "Words Aren't Just enough" is a Nigerian singer. She first gained recognition after being featured on the remake of P-Square’s "Omoge Mi". Wa ...

Niyola Eniola Akinbo (born 9 December 1985), known professionally as Niyola, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. Early life Akinbo was born on 9 December 1985, in Lagos, Nigeria. The youngest of ten children, she sang in church with her siblings an ...

and Zaina, at

The Headies 2013 The Headies 2013 was the 8th edition of The Headies. It was held on 26 December 2013, at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos. The show was hosted by Tiwa Savage and Dr SID. Olamide was the biggest awardee of the night, winning three awards from seven ...

Award ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria. In April 2014, Laoye was unveiled as 'The Voice for Refugees' in southwest Nigeria, by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI). As part of her role as a celebrity voice, she has appeared at various events organized by the commission to enlighten the general public about the travails of refugees and internally displaced persons. She has also made donations to the cause and performed at a number of events in support of the cause. On 21 May 2014, Laoye was nominated in the category for the Best Gospel Artiste at the African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA) 2014. The Award ceremony held at the Eismann Centre in Dallas, Texas on 26 July 2014. Later that month, Laoye was also nominated for Best Gospel Artiste of the Year by the Nigerian Entertainment Awards (NEA). On 20 July 2014, Laoye picked up the Crystal award for Best Worship Song for " Only You" at the 2014 Crystal Awards in Lagos, Nigeria. She was also nominated for the Artiste of the Year and Best Female Vocalist categories at the awards. On 24 August 2014 at the Fairfields Hall-Croydon, in London, England, Laoye won the award for 'Female Artiste of the Year' at the 2014 Africa Gospel Music Awards (AGMA). She had also been nominated for the 'Artiste of the Year' (West Africa) at the same awards. On 19 August 2015, Laoye was given the ''Humanitarian of the Year'' Award by the World Hope Foundation in honor of her humanitarian activities and in commemoration of the 2015 World Humanitarian Day.

Musical awards and recognition

, - , rowspan="7", 2009 , , rowspan="5", "Never Felt This Way Before" , , 2009 Hip Hop World Awards: Best Vocal Performance (Female) , , , - , 2009 Hip Hop World Awards: Hip Hop World Revelation (Best New Artist) , , , - ,

: Best Spiritual Artist , , , - , Kora Awards: Best Arrangement , , , - , Sound City Music Video Awards: Best Female Video , , , - , rowspan="2", Nikki Laoye , ,

: Musician of the Year (Female) , , , - ,

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 ...

: Gospel Artist of the Year , , , - , rowspan="2", 2010 , , rowspan="2", "Taka Sufe" , , Nigerian Music Video Awards: Best Afro-Hip Hop Video , , , - , Nigerian Music Video Awards: "Best Gospel Video" , , , - , rowspan="9", 2013 , , rowspan="2", "Only You" , , African Gospel Music Awards: Song of the Year , , , - , Nigerian Gospel Music Awards: Worship Song of the Year , , , - , "123" , , Crystal Gospel Awards: Song of the Year , , , - , Nigerian National Anthem , , Nigerian Gospel Music Video Awards: Best Goodwill Video , , , - , " Only You" , , Gospel Music Awards, Italy: Best International Song of the Year , , , - , Nikki Laoye , , Gospel Music Awards, Italy: Best International Female Artist of the Year , , , - , Nikki Laoye , , Gospel Music Awards, Italy: Best International Gospel Hip-Hop of the Year , , , - , ' 123' , , Nigerian Gospel Music Awards: Song of the Year , , , - , " Only You" , ,

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

: Best Vocal Performance (Female) , , , - , rowspan="9", 2014 , , rowspan="6", Nikki Laoye , , African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA): Best Gospel Artiste , , , - , 2014 Nigeria Entertainment Awards: Gospel Artist of the Year , , , - , The Crystal Awards: Artist of the Year , , , - , The Crystal Awards: Best Female Vocalist , , , - , Africa Gospel Music Awards: Female Artist of the Year , , , - , Africa Gospel Music Awards: Artiste of the Year (West Africa) , , , - , rowspan="3", " Only You" , , The Crystal Awards: Best Worship Song , , , - , Nigerian Music Video Awards (NMVA): Best Soft Rock/Alternative Video , , , - , All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA): Best Female Artiste in African Inspirational Music , , , - , rowspan="3", 2015 , , "African Dance" , , Yadamag Readers' Choice Awards: Music Video of the Year , , , - , Nikki Laoye , , African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA): Best Gospel Artiste , , , - , " 123" , , The Crystal Awards: Video of the Year , ,

Humanitarian recognition and awards

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laoye, Nikki Living people University of Ibadan alumni 1980 births 21st-century Nigerian women singers Nigerian rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Yoruba women musicians Musicians from Lagos The Headies winners Nigerian gospel singers Nigerian soul singers Nigerian women pop singers Nigerian women singer-songwriters Yoruba-language singers English-language singers from Nigeria Nigerian people of Ghanaian descent Nigerian people of Dutch descent Nigerian humanitarians