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Wizkid, Yemi Alade and 2 other Nigerians currently on Billboard music chart

July 19, 2016 6:45 am

To many music aficionados, the Billboard Chart is the most influential and authoritative of all music charts on the planet.

The charts are tabulated based on music sales, streams and/or airplay, on a weekly basis.

Although Billboard ranks songs and albums from various countries across the world, getting on the charts is no mean feat.

From time to time, Nigerian artistes sneak into some charts on the platform and while this was once a rarity of sorts, it’s gradually becoming a norm.

Several artistes — from starlet, Lil Kesh to veteran, 2face Idibia — have in recent times had their songs/albums on the Billboard charts.

But in present day, there are four Nigerian artistes on the Billboard charts.

WIZKID

His One Dance collaboration with Drake, a Canadian hip hop artiste, has seen Wizkid remain on the charts for several months.

Drake’s album, ‘Views’, has stayed put at the top spot of the Billboard 200 for 10 weeks.

The album has been number one since it got on the chart and it remains to be seen if it will break the record set by Billy Ray Cyrus in 1992, when his album, ‘Some Gave All’, was atop the chart for 17 weeks.

YEMI ALADE

Mama Africa, as she likes to be addressed, is on her way to becoming a global brand.

The Koffi Anan singer has been on the Next Big Sound — a section of the Billboard chart that recognizes fresh talent — for four weeks.

Yemi, who has occupied the 5th and 11th position on the chart, currently sits in ninth place.

AYO JAY

Born Ayodele Ogundeji, this young British-Nigerian is already making a name for himself.

Ayo Jay is on the Spotify Velocity section of the Billboard chart.

Making his debut entry into the chart, Ayo Jay occupies the 20th position.

WALE

Olubowale Akintimehin, a Nigerian-American rapper, is no stranger to the Billboard charts.

All the albums released by Wale, who’s based in Washington DC, has made it to the charts.

Currently, he has seven songs and four albums in various sections of the Billboard charts.