Yemi Eberechi Alade is a Nigerian singer-songwriter, actress and entertainer born to a Yoruba father and Igbo mother. Supported by her family and friends, she made her musical debut at the age of 16 in the girl group Noty Spices. However, her career took off as soon as she won the Nigerian Peak Talent Hunt Show in 2009.
Through her music, Yemi Alade tackles many relatable themes with humor and sensitivity, such as relationships and African traditions. Very quickly, she imposed herself on the local and international scenes thanks to her talent and in the eyes of many, she embodies the typical African woman : strong and radiant. With four albums, an EP and numerous smashes such as Johnny, Ferrari, Na Gode or Bum Bum to her credit, Yemi Alade is one of the greatest female Afro-pop artists of the African continent.
Yemi Alade is also very active on the American scene. In 2019, she participated in Beyoncé’s compilation album, The Lion King: The Gift, on the tracks Don’t Jealous Me and My Power alongside artists such as Mr Eazi, Busiswa or Tekno. During the same year she also collaborated with the rapper Rick Ross for the remix of his single Oh my gosh.
The Nigerian artist signed a multi-year licensing agreement with Universal Music Africa (UMA) and UMG France. UMA becomes Alade’s exclusive global recording partner, while UMG France is the international rollout partner for all of her releases under the label.
She is a BET Awards 2015 and 2016 nominee for Best International Act Africa, two MOBO Awards nominee for Best International Act 2014 and 2015, MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMAs) winner for Best Female 2015 and 2016. She has received several awards and nominations including MTV African Music, African Music Video Awards, City People Entertainment, MOBO, YEM and Eloy awards.
Over the course of her career, Yemi Alade has accumulated over 150 million streams across all music platforms and over 400 million views on YouTube, making her one of the most viewed African musicians of all time. The young artist will close the 36th edition of the Nuits d’Afrique International Festival on the large outdoor stage, presenting her latest album Empress, released in 2020.