Kcee Nigerian Singer Born 1979 in Ajegunle

Early life

Kcee, whose full name is Kingsley Chinweike Okonkwo, was born on 18 April 1979. He grew up in the Ajegunle district of Lagos, Nigeria, though his family roots are in Uli, in Anambra State. As a child he heard a mix of reggae, highlife and Afrobeat, styles that later fed into his own recordings.

Career

KC Presh. Kcee began his music career in 1999, when he formed the duo KC Presh with Precious John, known as Presh. The two had met in a church choir. In 2002 they won the Star Quest talent contest, which gave them a national audience. As a duo they released the albums Sio Nkpo (2006) and Get Ready (2010) before parting ways in 2011, after about a dozen years together.

Solo work. After the split Kcee launched a solo career with the single "Okpekete". A remix featuring Davido followed in 2012. In 2013 he released "Limpopo", produced by Del B, which became one of the most played Nigerian songs of that year and made him a leading name in the country's pop scene. Later in 2013 he put out "Pullover", featuring Wizkid, and a remix with Don Jazzy. The video, directed by Clarence Peters, follows a comic storyline in which Kcee and the comedian Saka play traffic officers. In January 2014 the song reached the top of the MTV Base Official Top 10 chart, where it stayed for two weeks.

His debut solo studio album, Take Over, came out on 1 November 2013 on Five Star Music, with guest appearances by D'banj, Don Jazzy, Davido, Wizkid, Timaya, Phyno and Flavour. He followed it with Attention to Detail in 2017, and later released Eastern Conference (2019).

In recent years Kcee has moved toward a sound that mixes highlife and traditional Igbo music with modern pop. His project Cultural Praise, made with the Okwesili Eze Group, blends gospel and cultural praise songs with contemporary arrangements and was especially popular in Igbo-speaking communities. The 2023 single "Ojapiano" combines the sound of Ọjà music, associated with the Igbo people of south-eastern Nigeria, with South African amapiano rhythms, and it is counted among his best-known recent works alongside "Limpopo". That year he also released the singles "Dum Dum", "Fine Lady", "Going", "I Pray", "Ojaginger" and "Tuesday". In all, his catalogue lists two albums and eight singles for the period from 2013 to 2023. He has signed endorsement agreements with the telecommunications company MTN and has appeared in advertising for the brand Magnum. His Instagram following stands at more than four million.

Recognition

"Limpopo" earned Kcee a Headies award in 2013, where it was named Song of the Year. He was nominated for The Headies again in 2014, with "Pullover" in the Best Pop Single category and Take Over for Best R&B/Pop Album. "Pullover" shared the Hottest Single of the Year prize with Davido's "Aye" at the 2014 Nigeria Entertainment Awards, and its video won the Most Gifted Duo/Group or Featuring award at the 2014 Channel O Music Video Awards. The album was also nominated for Best Album of the Year at the Nigeria Entertainment Awards in 2014. In total, his record shows two wins and two nominations at The Headies.

Public roles

Kcee was appointed a Peace Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by Patience Jonathan, who was First Lady of the country at the time.