Welcome to our Artist Focus of the week ladies and gentlemen! Today we’ll be focusing our lens on Africa’s Boyfriend Ckay, the 26-year-old with an idiosyncratic style. Let’s discuss Chukwuka Ekweani, his journey from Kaduna to Lagos, and his dreams of becoming a superstar.
He was born and raised in Kaduna to a doctor and a nurse. CKay is from Anambra state.
His father played the piano and was a choirmaster at an Anglican church and would invite him to sing hymns whenever he played the piano in the house.
He learned to play the piano before he turned 10, learned musical theory, and knew the tones of classical musicians like Franz Schubert, Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven.
CKay learned to make beats from a friend. His friend taught him to use the production software FruityLoops. He was influenced by pop music from artists like Backstreet Boys, Westlife, Celene Dion, Usher, Sisqo. He formed Cre8tive Music with two friends, and they enjoyed relative success in Kaduna.
His parents did not support his choice to become a musician at first. He grew frustrated and decided to save up money to leave. CKay saved money for nine months and then left Kaduna for Lagos in 2014 with big dreams. He knew he wanted to be an artist, but he also knew he had to use his production skills to fund his pursuit.
CKay produced in three different studios to make ends meet. He had a friend who he produced for in Kaduna, but the friend had moved to Lagos. When CKay to Lagos, he gave the friend a call. The friend had met Chocolate City boss Audu Maikori at an event and was invited to the studio to play some of his music.
This friend then introduced CKay to Chocolate City’s Moti Cakes. Moti liked his music, but CKay did not get signed to the label immediately. He had CKay come over to the studio regularly to produce, write and sit in during studio sessions.
MI heard CKay’s music and asked Moti Cakes to set up a meeting. CKay was starstruck when he met Mr Incredible. After some months, CKay was eventually signed to Chocolate City as an in-house producer.
He has since produced for artists like Ice Prince, MI Abaga, Jesse Jagz, Victoria Kimani, Dice Ailes, DJ Lambo, Koker, Blaqbonez, Barry Jhay, Skales, Oritsefemi, and many others. He was signed as an artist in 2016. His first single under the label was titled “Nkechi Turn Up” then he featured Dremo on “Gaddemit”.
CKay would go viral. Pulse’s Osagie Alonge had M.I Abaga & Loose Kaynon on his Loose Talk podcast and the brazen music critic challenged MI’s record label legacy. When MI responded with CKay, Osagie screamed “Who the fuck is CKay?”. There was a huge social media melee the following day.
Many people questioned Osagie’s hosting manners and disrespectful manner of posing such a question. Others tried to assuage the situation claiming that the question was meant to tell CKay that he had to on his music and branding.
CKay took the podcast well even though he had been warned a few days before the release of the podcast. He responded by releasing a 6-track EP in September 2017. The project was wittingly titled “Who is the fuck is CKay?” but critics did not receive the offering well.
“It isn’t his best foot forward. CKay’s new EP is a reminder of why he is yet to achieve the fame, stardom, and pop acceptance that he craves. 6-songs in, Ckay introduces us to both sides of the equation as a producer and artist. He thrills and disappoints at the same time, as both a producer and an artist”
C-KAY’S ‘WHO THE FUCK IS CKAY?’ IS CUTE, BUT IT ALSO SCREAMS UNDESERVED ATTENTION
one headline read.
The writer goes on to say
“It’s not likely that Who The Fuck Is CKay is going to change anyone’s opinion about him—If you think he has the sauce, you’ll still think that and if you think he’s not worth the fuss, you’ll still think that, though more likely the latter”
Another review read,
“Ckay The First is Ckay throwing himself into a departing train. His last-minute effort feels punishingly mediocre for someone who has arrived late to the party.”
CKay had to go back to the drawing board. His first release after the mixtape did not come until 2018.
In March 2018, CKay released “Container”. It was bouncy, upbeat, and made for parties. It was a deviation from the love songs the artist was known for making. He even defined the jam as a “cruise song”. It was a cruise alright, and it earned the approval of Davido, Mayorkun, and Zlatan Ibile who hopped on a remix.
If you did not know who CKay was, you were going to know. “Container” took off beyond he could imagine. It was his first big hit. He followed it up with the release of another EP titled CKay the first. This time, there was nothing the critics could do but appreciate his effort. He had won them over.
The EP had hit songs like “Way” featuring DJ Lambo and “Like to party” featuring Blaqbonez. His next single was a monster hit and became a social media favorite. “Love Nwantiti” was a huge hit, earning millions of streams and scored a lot of social media videos. Joeboy & Kuami Eugene joined him on a remix. CKay would release “Felony” as his next single and he would reproduce the magical virality of “Love Nwantiti” and more. “Felony” was an unstoppable hit that garnered airplay from every angle. It was a social media-friendly tune that took over as soon as it dropped.
Davido would feature CKay on “La la”, a single from his 2021 album A Better Time. Again CKay had struck another hit song that was played on the radio and accrued millions of streams. He released his 2021 EP Boyfriend to critical acclaim. It was a brilliant project that established CKay as one to watch out for.
CKay currently has the most Spotify listeners in Africa with 21.7 million. He ranks at number 135 for artists on the platform. CKay’s smashing tune ‘Love Nwatiti’ has been blowing up worldwide. The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart at #80 in September 2021.
It has been a long and bumpy journey from Kaduna to where he is right now in the industry. From rejection to mockery to superstardom. CKay has a loyal following, and he is their Boyfriend. He makes soulful, smooth, and beckoning music. CKay is well on his way to greatness, and we are here for it.
