Bayanni

Bayanni was born Oladokun Abimbola Elijah in Alagbado, a town situated on the border between Lagos State and Ogun State in Nigeria. Bayanni began his early education at The Bells International School in Lagos, where he attended kindergarten and primary school from 1999 to 2005. He proceeded to Grace and Glory International School for his secondary education, completing it between 2006 and 2011. In 2012, he enrolled in a pre-degree program at Obafemi Awolowo University, and subsequently pursued a degree at the same institution from 2014 to 2019. He is the third of five sons. Born to a university bursar and a school teacher.^[7] During his upbringing, Bayanni and his brothers were encouraged to play musical instruments in their local church as a way to stay engaged and disciplined. This early exposure to music played a significant role in sparking his interest in the craft. He has cited his childhood experiences as a formative influence on his musical journey.^[8]

On August 2022, Bayanni was signed to Mavin Records after he underwent training at the Mavin Academy,^[9] the label’s artist development program, with a self-titled EP "Bayanni".^[10] In 2022, he gained widespread recognition with the release of "Ta Ta Ta," which became one of the notable crossover songs of 2022^[11] earning him The Headies nomination for Rookie of the Year^[12] and winning first international award at the Urban Music Awards for Best Viral Breakthrough Song.^[13] On 31 January 2023, Spotify cited him as one of the emerging artists to look out for from Nigeria, alongside Khaid.^{[14] [15]} "Ta Ta Ta" peaked at number 68 on the Nigeria TurnTable chart. Bayanni was also ranked number 1 on TurnTable's NXT Emerging Top Artistes^[4] The Challenge also went viral on TikTok and "Ta Ta Ta" was one of the most recognisable phrases across TikTok with over 4.2 Million UGC, it was named one of the best Afrobeats Songs at the moment by OkayAfrica.^[16] On 19 July 2024, he released "Finish Me (AEIOU)" which debuted at number 82 TurnTable chart.^[17] On 30 August 2024, Bayanni released the single "Goddess" featuring Nigerian artist Ruger. The song was later included in Deezer’s list of the best Afrobeats songs of 2024, the song also debuted at number 88 TurnTable chart.^[18] On 29 November 2024, Bayanni released the single "For Where" featuring Nigerian artist Zerrydl. The track achieved moderate commercial traction, debuting at number 59 on the Spotify Nigeria Daily Chart and peaking at number 37 on the Apple Music Nigeria Top 100 chart, it also peaked at number 19 on TurnTable chart.^[19]