Phyno seemed to have come on the scene with a bang, dishing a unique brand of Igbo hip-hop and rap. His songs frequently feature as club bangers and everyone; from those on the streets to well to do Nigerians, relate resoundingly with his music. He is undoubtedly one of the most influential indigenous rappers in the country. Asides from being a musician or his famous track ‘Fada Fada’ what more do you know about Phyno? You’re about to find out.
Phyno Biography, Age
Phyno’s, whose full name is Azubuike Chibuzo Nelson was born on October 9, 1986. He is a native of Anambra State but was born and raised in Enugu State. He initially had a passion to be a pilot but grew up to study public administration at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) in Enugu. With his creative music skills, Phyno started profiting from his talent during his second year at IMT.
His humble beginnings in music started as far back as when he was in secondary school. Phyno may have started profiting from music in his university days, but he went through an intense learning period in his secondary school days. He learned to play the drums and piano and also learned to create his own rendition of every recording he heard.
Music Career
The talented artist started producing his own music in 2003 and began rapping in 2010 after which he relocated to Lagos State to continue his musical career. As a producer, he worked with artists such as Timaya, Flavour, Ruggedman, Bracket, J Martins, and Mr. Raw.
Phyno once told an interviewer that Mr. Raw, who at one time also tore up the screen with his Igbo rap style, is one of the few people he looks up to.
Songs
Phyno began recording his debut studio album, “No Guts No Glory” in 2012 but the album was finally released in 2014. It featured guest appearances from Stormrex, Omawumi, Olamide, Efa, P-Square, Timaya, Flavour N’abania, Mr. Raw, M.I, Ice Prince and Runtown. Serving up instant hits; “Ghost Mode”, “Man of the Year”, “Parcel” and “O Set”, his debut album was well worth the wait.
The album, as would also prove to be the case in subsequent singles and albums alike, was recorded in Igbo and Nigerian Pidgin. Phyno told Joan Omionawle and Netwon-Ray Ukwuoma of the Nigerian Tribune that rapping in his native language is his strong suit. This is also the musical approach of other musicians like Flavor, Zoro, and Olamide.
Phyno’s collaborative album with Olamide, titled ‘2 Kings,’ was released on 1 April 2015. Plans for the album were first announced in January 2014 by both rappers via social media.
Even as fans await another album from the star, Phyno has continued to thrill with some choice hit singles including; ‘Connect’, ‘Nnunu’, ‘Ezege’ and most recently ‘Fada Fada’ a song that thrills on how far come.
Phyno’s Net Worth, Awards, and Achievements
Phyno not only makes money from his music but also amasses great wealth from his numerous endorsements and other investments. All these entitlements have become quite significant to his net worth which is still not in the grips of the media. However, some sources have reported Phyno’s net worth to be over 4 million dollars. In the course of his rap career, Phyno has also signed many deals with reputable companies including sports betting company Nairabet. He is a brand ambassador for Airtel Telecommunications.
The rap icon also has a lot of enviable accolades to his name. Phyno’s craft has earned him quite a number of awards as well as nominations on various entertainment award platforms.
Here are some of his awards:
– In August 2014, Phyno was made an ambassador of Guinness Nigeria’s Made of Black campaign alongside co-stars Olamide and Eva Alordiah.
– City People Entertainment Awards where he won the 2014 award for best rap artiste of the year
– Nigeria Entertainment Awards where his song with Olamide (Ghost Mode) won the best collabo award in 2013
– The Headies where he won in 2013 and 2014 for Best Rap Single Man of the Year and Parcel respectively.
Dating, Married, Girlfriend
Being a talented A-list entertainer, Phyno has been a victim of various misreported news regarding his personal life. Nevertheless, the rap star is notoriously private about his personal and love life.
In 2014, rumors were rife that Phyno impregnated a certain lady named Rita Edmond. But the singer subsequently came out to debunk the rumors, clearing his name.
Though he keeps his personal life private, it is a known fact that he is not married to anyone at the moment. However, we have no verifiable information about his girlfriend (if there’s any).