Biography
Abimbola Oladokun (born June 25, 1997) is a rising Afrobeats star known professionally as Bayanni. He is a singer and songwriter formerly known by the stage name, Zhenoboy.
As an underground music artist, he released singles such as BMW, African Beauty, Duro, and Ballerina.
Bayanni came to the limelight after being unveiled as Mavin Records‘ latest signee in August 2022. He released his self-titled debut project on the 23rd of August, 2022.
| Bayanni: History ‧ Bio ‧ Photo | |
| Full Name: | Abimbola Oladokun |
| Stage Name: | Bayanni |
| Born: | 25 June 1997 (age 25 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Lagos, Nigeria |
| State Of Origin: | Lagos State |
| Nationality: | Nigerian |
| Height: | 1.52 m |
| Parents: | Oladokun family |
| Siblings: | N/A |
| Wife • Spouse: | Not Married |
| Girlfriend • Partner: | N/A |
| Children: | N/A |
| Occupation: | Singer • Songwriter |
| Net Worth: | US$75,000 |
Early Life
Bayanni was born to the illustrious Oladokun family on the 25th of June 1997. His parents named him Abimbola Oladokun.
He was born and bred in Lagos State. Growing up, he resided in his parents’ home in the Mainland axis of Lagos City. He is a Yoruba man and hails from one of the states in the Southwest region.
Bayanni‘s love for music was ignited during his childhood when he listened to songs by Afrobeats legends such as D’banj, 2Baba, Sound Sultan, and Olu Maintain. As he grew older, he discovered his musical talent when he joined his church’s choir.
Inspired by the success of leading music stars like Wizkid, Davido, and Olamide, he began creating Afrobeats music and started by composing covers of popular songs and original songs.
Because of his musical talent, Bayanni was a popular student during his time in high school and university. As an undergraduate, he often performed at events held on campus and around the school community. By doing this, Bayanni grew his popularity as one of the budding music stars to watch out for.
Education
As a resident of Lagos State, Bayanni underwent his elementary and high school education in the city.
He attended top private primary and secondary schools, scoring good grades in his promotional examinations. He graduated from high school in 2013 with a good result in his SSCE.
Afterward, Bayanni gained admission into the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. He bagged a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the institution after a four-year academic program.
Career
When Bayanni gained admission into the university, he decided to explore his passion for music and niched down to the Afropop sub-genre. Whenever he was not in class attending lectures, he could be found in the studio recording covers of popular songs and original songs. He spent his free hours refining his sound and songwriting skill.
During this period, he went by the stage name, Zhenoboy. To become a better music artist, he began to honor invitations to perform at local music shows and festivals in Lagos and Osun State. He also performed at music concerts held on his university’s campus.
Bayanni‘s hunger for success made him leverage social media to grow his music career. From 2021, he began to upload covers of some selected songs on Instagram and Twitter. The strategy worked, and he became popular on social media because the videos went viral on the internet.
Bayanni composed the cover of Felony by Ckay and posted it on social media on the 2nd of April 2021. The Felony cover has over 350,000 views on Instagram.
He dropped the cover of Jowo by Davido on the 14th of October 2021. The video has recorded over 600,000 views on Instagram. He created and released the cover of Fireboy DML‘s single, Peru, on the 19th of October 2021.
Bayanni dropped his official first single, BMW, on the 13th of April 2022. He worked with a team of other rising creatives to make the melodious song. The single was produced by Killashay Beatz and was mixed by Signaltheplug. The music video was directed and produced by Pharouk Damilola Films. Besides BMW, he released other songs under the Zhenoboy stage name. The singles are African Beauty, Duro, and Ballerina.
Because his cover songs went viral on social media, Bayanni‘s singing prowess got the attention of music executive Don Jazzy. The legendary producer offered Bayanni a spot in the Mavin Records family, and he joined Mavin Academy.
Atrefin Academy, Bayanni worked with Don Jazzy, Tega Oghenejobo, and Rima Tahini to refine his sound and become a better musician. He also had to undergo a rebrand from Zhenoboy to Bayanni.
On the 23rd of August 2022, he was unveiled as Mavin Records‘ latest signee to millions of Afrobeats fans.
In line with the tradition of the record label, Bayanni released a self-titled EP. The debut EP is a 4-track project composed of the following songs – Family, Body, Ta Ta Ta, and Kala. He is the sole writer of the songs on the EP.
The music video of Body was released on the 24th of August, 2022. It was directed by The Alien and produced by BNK Company. Andre Vibez did the single’s sound production. Sparrqbeatz is the producer of Kala and Family, while Prestige produced Ta Ta Ta.
In August 2022, Bayanni partnered with the international ride-hailing company Bolt to promote their service in Nigeria.
Social Media
Ever since Bayanni was announced as Mavin Records‘ newest artist, his popularity has grown tremendously on social media.
He currently has over 195k followers on Instagram and over 24.7k followers on Twitter.
- Instagram handle: @itsbayanni
- Twitter handle: @itsbayanni
Personal Life
Bayanni‘s looks and resonant voice have made him a favorite of many female Afrobeats fans. He has a lot of male and female admirers. The music star is 25 years old. He is 5 feet tall, slender, dark-skinned, and wears a dreadlock hairdo.
Bayanni‘s parents are academics. Although he is a trained accountant, he chose entertainment over a career in the accounting profession. He currently resides in the Mavin’s mansion in Lekki.
The gifted singer Bayanni is currently single; he is not married, with no wife or kid. Despite being open to a serious relationship, is more focused on growing his rising music career. Bayanni‘s fans refer to themselves as Bayanni Angels.
Net Worth
Bayanni‘s music deal with Mavin Records means that the record label would provide funds to grow his music career.
He is gradually becoming a popular face in social events held across Nigeria. He makes money from performance gigs and the royalties generated by his music.
Bayanni‘s net worth is estimated to be US$75,000.