Opeyemi Gbenga Kayode, better known as pepenazi, is a gifted Nigerian musician and lyricist born on April 16, 1988.
FACTS ABOUT PEPENAZI
- FULL NAME: Opeyemi Gbenga Kayode
- DATE OF BIRTH: April 16, 1988
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Lagos, Nigeria
- NATIONALITY: Nigerian
- MARITAL STATUS: Married
- OCCUPATIONs: Rapper, Songwriter
- LABELs: Elecftic Entertainment
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
He grew up in Lagos, where he was influenced by a variety of musical styles, including those of Ebenezer Obey, King Sunny Adé, The Beatles, I. K.
Dairo, and Fela Kuti. Pepenazi began his education at Kemeesther Nursery and Primary School in Aguda, Surulere, Lagos, before moving on to Mayflower School in Ikenne, Ogun State.
It was at Mayflower that he developed a passion for rap music, inspired by artists such as Wyclef Jean, the Notorious B.I.G, P. Diddy, and Fat Joe.
After earning a Bachelor of Technology degree in Estate Management from the Federal University of Technology in Akure, Ondo State.
CAREER
He pursued his musical career, recording his first single while still in school. He also took on a leadership role as the Director of Socials for the Student Union and contributed to an album called “Futa’s Finest.” Pepenazi made his mark on the Nigerian music scene in 2012 with his rap song “Arose,” produced by Bam Toons.
He took a brief hiatus to concentrate on his studies and participated in the NYSC, where he won the Airtel NYSC Lagos Camp Freestyle Competition in 2013.
He has collaborated with Olamide on popular tracks like “Illegal,” and his dynamic performances have earned him accolades, including the Most Promising Artist of the Year award at the 2015 Scream Awards.
After performing at popular clubs Harem and Moloko in South Africa, Pepenazi released music videos for “I Ain’t Gat No Time (Male Remix)” featuring Reminisce and Falz, as well as a female remix with Lucy Q, Phlow, and Mz Kiss
. On May 15th, he launched the track “Ase,” featuring Tiwa Savage and Masterkraft, and followed it up with a music video and the debut of his website on June 5th.
He also released the dancehall single “Jabo” on August 2nd. Pepenazi continues to produce music and collaborate with various artists and producers.
PERSONAL LIFE
On a personal note, he is the younger brother of the popular radio host Do2dtun and is married to his partner Janine, having tied the knot on October 30, 2020, at the Ikoyi registry in Lagos, surrounded by family and friends. This happy event followed his proposal to Janine in February 2020.
