Ycee is a Nigerian rapper, singer, and songwriter whose real name is Oludemilade Martin Alejo. He gained popularity after his single “Condo, which features vocals by Patoranking, earned him two nominations at the 2015 Nigeria Entertainment Awards.
Ycee Biography
| Real Name | Oludemilade Martin Alejo |
| Place of Birth | Lagos |
| Country | Nigeria |
| Profession | Rapper |
| Horoscope | Aquarius |
Early Life
Oludemilade Martin Alejo (born on January 29, 1993, 33 years old) is from Festac Town, Lagos State, Nigeria. Because of his parents’ Yoruba heritage, he is from southwestern Nigeria. He spent his formative years living with his parents in Festac Town.
As a teenager, Ycee was exposed to various music genres through the radio and TV. He developed a particular interest in rap music and, after motivating himself, decided to try his hand at the genre.
Staying in the comfort of his bedroom, Ycee penned dozens of rap songs, which he performed for his family and close friends.
Becoming more confident with his craft, he started freestyling during lunch breaks to the awe of his secondary school classmates. His friends advised him to take his talent to the four walls of a studio to record songs.
Ycee heeded their advice and often visited a recording studio close to his parents’ home. During this period, he recorded a couple of mixtapes that people in his community came to love. Thus, he received invitations to perform at shows and small concerts in Lagos City.
Career
Ycee started his music career in 2012 as an underground rapper. He signed a record deal with Tinny Entertainment. Due to his educational engagements, he took a brief hiatus from music after gaining admission to the University of Lagos.
Oludemilade Martin Alejo released the critically acclaimed song “Condo” in May 2015; it was nominated for Best Collaboration of the Year and Best Music Video of the Year at the 2015 Nigeria Entertainment Awards.
On July 20, 2015, he released the hit single “Jagaban.” Nigerian rapper Olamide asked him to be featured on the remix. He gained further exposure after receiving a Revelation of the Year nomination at the 2015 MTV Africa Music Awards. Moreover, he was nominated for Best Artist in African Pop at the 2015 All Africa Music Awards.
He sold out a headline gig at the O2 Academy Islington on January 12, 2018. The gig featured performances by his labelmates Bella Alubo, Sona, Eugy, Ms. Banks, and Flosha. On January 15, 2019, he announced on Instagram that he had left Tinny Entertainment. He also announced the launch of his record label A.N.B.T., an acronym for Ain’t Nobody Badder Than.
Ycee released his debut album Ycee vs. Zaheer, on November 8, 2019. It combines hip-hop, trap, Afrobeats, Afro-house, hyphy, R&B, and alte. The album is the follow-up to his 8-track debut EP, First Wave (2017), and to his collaborative EP with Bella Alubo, Late Night Vibrations (2018).
Adey produced albums for Jay Bidz, Ballertosh, Fanatix, BeatsbyKarma, Syn X, Krizbeatz, Jay Popping, Buzzin’ Producer, A.P. Da Don, Two Seven, Elmore, Willis Give Dem, and K.O. It collaborates with Davido, Niniola, Phyno, Ms. Banks, and Dapo Tuburna.
Throughout his career and since his rise to prominence, Ycee has been featured on notable records to break upcoming artists. He featured on records to break his label mate Dapo Turbuna’s “Nothing” Remix in 2016 and Label Mate Bella on the radio in 2017 before creating a joint E.P. with her (Late Night Vibrations).
Ycee was also featured on Big Man Doingz by Arosino alongside Dapo Tuburna and Karma. Some say it was his way of giving back to emerging artists, as he was once on the receiving end of such an impact through Olamide on his remix to Jagaban, his breakthrough single.
Discography
Album
Ycee vs. Zaheer (2019)
EPs
- First Wave (2017)
- Late Night Vibrations (with Bella Alubo) (2018)
- Love Drunk (2021)
Singles
- 2020: Summa Nights
- 2020: Secreto
- 2019: Wahala Dey
- 2019: Mo Salah
- 2019: Dakun
- 2019: Balance
- 2018: Your Love
- 2018: Say Bye Bye
- 2018: My Side
- 2018: Juice (Remix)
- 2017: Wavy
- 2017: Need To Know
- 2017: N.O.U.N.
- 2017: Link Up
- 2017: Kill Nobody
- 2017: Juice
- 2017: Don’t Need Bae
- 2017: Bubbly
- 2016: Su Mi
- 2016: Panda
- 2016: Ahahn
- 2015: Omo Alhaji
- 2015: Jagaban (Remix)
- 2015: Jagaban
- 2015: Condo
- 2014: Shots
- 2012: Smile On Me
- 2012: Pass Me
Awards
2016: The Headies – Rookie of The Year
2017: A.F.R.I.M.A. – Best African hip-hop
Personal Life
Ycee, also known as Zaheer, is currently in a serious relationship with a beautiful young woman, but he hasn’t made her identity public. This is because he prefers to keep his romantic relationships private.
Social Media
Follow Ycee on all his social media platforms:
Net Worth
Ycee is one of the wealthiest artists in Nigeria, with an estimated net worth of $2 million.
