Chukwuka Ekweani, widely recognized as CKay, has emerged as a prominent figure in the thriving Afrobeats music scene. This versatile artist excels both behind the production boards as a producer and in the spotlight as a performer of his original creations, captivating global audiences with his resolute artistic vision. CKay’s rise to fame soared with his breakthrough track, “love nwantiti.”
Recently, CKay achieved a remarkable feat, accumulating an impressive 1 billion individual streams on Spotify. Throughout his career, this self-professed Emo-Afrobeat artist has solidified his distinct musical style through the launch of EPs like CKay The First (2019), Boyfriend (2021), and his inaugural album Sad Romance (2022). The latter, released last year, has garnered over 380 million streams worldwide. These musical ventures showcased collaborations with some of Africa’s most notable talents, including Davido, Ayra Starr, Focalistic, and Mayra Andrade.
The year 2023 has been exceptionally triumphant for CKay. His blockbuster hit “love nwantiti” continues to shine, achieving 4x Platinum status in the US and an astounding 20x Platinum in India. Earlier this year, CKay was honored with a prestigious BMI Award. His high-energy performances took center stage, beginning with a memorable show at the #CHAN2022 (African Nations Championship) final held at Algeria’s Nelson Mandela Stadium. He subsequently wowed audiences in Pune, India, and embarked on a tour of Nigerian universities. More recently, he graced European festival platforms, including Paris’s Lollapalooza and Germany’s HipHop Open. In the latter part of the year, CKay was lauded by the streaming service as the fourth Top Global Afrobeats Artist.
Continuing to bolster his worldwide presence, CKay’s track “Emiliana” also made waves, securing top chart positions globally and amassing over 400 million streams. The song claimed the U.K. Afrobeats Chart’s #1 spot, landed at #2 on the Shazam Top 200 (Afrobeats), and dominated Apple Music charts in six countries.
With an impressive 3.5 billion streams to his credit and fresh music on the horizon for 2023, CKay stands at the brink of sustained success as a globally acclaimed Afrobeat luminary
