A random ‘Zlatan Airtel’ search on google took us down the memory lane of how Nigerian indigenous rapper cum singer, Omoniyi Temidayo Raphael aka Zlatan began his journey in the Nigeria Entertainment scene.
Growing up in the shanties of Agbede, a coastal town in the far-flung Ikorodu area of Lagos state, Zlatan detailed how lack of access to basic social amenities and poverty drove him to destiny.
The singer in a 3-hour podcast with renowned Entertainment Editor, Joey Akan highlighted his parvenu story and how he became a household name in the Afrobeats soundscape.
‘I started playing football because we had no other thing to do for fun after school. My passion for the game grew as a result of my active participation in street football.’ Zlatan told Afrobeats Intelligence.
Narrating how he got into music, Zlatan said his dream as a child was to be a footballer and that earned him the stage name he shares with Football Legend, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
“I had a Zlatan jersey i used to wear under my school uniform, my friends began calling me Zlatan Ibile as a result of that and because I was good on the field. the singer narrated”
Going further, Zlatan Ibile talked about Olamide’s heavy influence on his music during his formative years. He cited how Olamide’s rhymes served as a source of inspiration in winning the famous Airtel Competition that would birth the star we know today.
Listen to the full podcast below:
