Timaya

Inetimi Alfred Timaya Odon (born 15 August 1980), better known by his stage name Timaya, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. He is from Odi, Bayelsa state, South-South Nigeria. Timaya is known for combining Nigerian pop with elements of dancehall, hip-hop, and soca, as well as his blend of Afro-Caribbean/Dancehall music. He is the founder of DM (Dem Mama) Records Limited, were he is also signed.

His solo career began in 2005 with the release of the single "Dem Mama," which highlighted the Odi massacre. His debut album, True Story, was released the following year, followed by his second album, Gift and Grace, in 2008. His third studio album, De Rebirth, was released in collaboration with Black Body Entertainment and featured the lead single "Plantain Boy". He collaborated with Dem Mama Soldiers on the album LLNP (Long Life N Prosperity). In 2012, Timaya released Upgrade. To date, his work has earned him several awards and nominations, including four Headies Awards, two AFRIMMA Awards, one Nigeria Music Award, and one NEA Award.

In August 2023, Timaya released a new single titled "Tomato" under Dem Mama Records and Empire. The music video premiered on YouTube the following month, directed by Clarence Peters and featuring cameo appearances by D’Banj and the Cubana Chief Priest.

Early life
Inetimi Timaya Odon was born on 15 August 1980 in Port Harcourt City, Rivers State, Nigeria. He grew up as the youngest of fifteen children in a large family. His father worked as a banker, while his mother was a trader. For his early education, Timaya attended Assemblies of God Nursery and Primary School. His secondary education began at Nkpolu Oroworukwo in Port Harcourt, where he often broke house rules to attend late-night music events. After relocating to Lagos, arranged by his mother, he enrolled at Ikeja Grammar School and eventually obtained his secondary school certificate there.

Timaya later returned to Port Harcourt to study Banking and Finance; however, he performed poorly in examinations and dropped out after the first semester. He then moved back to Lagos to join Eedris Abdulkareem's hip-hop group as a backup vocalist. After three years with Eedris, Timayaleft the group to focus on his solo career. He began recording collaborations with fellow up-and-coming artists and made his first cameo appearance in an unreleased music video by UDX, a Lagos-based rap group. Subsequently, he met producer Obaksolo in Mafoluku, Oshodi, who produced his first major hit record, "Dem Mama," after hearing him perform the a cappella version. He also collaborated with Namse Udosen (Menthol X) on the track "Pomporo" on his debut album, True Story.

Describing the song in an interview posted in August 2013, Timaya explained, "'Dem Mama' chronicles the 1999 devastation of Odi, a riverside community in the Niger Delta. Soldiers pursuing militants they accused of killing eight policemen. The village was razed, resulting in numerous casualties. By addresing this poignant issue years later, I gained immediate street credibility for my boldness."

2005–2009: True Story, Gift and Grace, and De Rebirth
His solo career began in 2005 with the release of his debut single, "Dem Mama," which recounted the massacre that occurred in his community of Odi. The song appeared on his debut album, True Story, released the following year to critical acclaim. His second album, Gift and Grace, was released in 2008. He gained further visibility and international prominence with his third studio album, De Rebirth, released in partnership with Black Body Entertainment and featuring the lead single "Plantain Boy." Both the album and the single were commercially successful, dominating the airwaves within and outside Nigeria.

2010–2017: Upgrade, Epiphany, Bum Bum Remix and Grammy nomination
In 2010, Timaya was featured on the song "Kokoroko" by the female gospel artist Kefee, which went on to win in the Best Collaboration category at the 2010 Headies Awards. Later, he collaborated with Kcee on the song "Erima." On June 25, 2012, Timaya released another album titled Upgrade, which spawned hits like "Bum Bum," "Sexy Ladies," and "Malonogede." The album featured collaborations with Attitude, Terry G, and Vector. Duncan Mighty and Timaya dueted on 'I Know I Know Dat', which leaked onto the internet a few hours after Duncan Mighty's album footprints was released in stores. Both artists were honored at the fourth annual Odudu Music Awards, alongside M-Trill, Sodi Cookey, Becky Enyioma, and Timi Dakolo.

In 2014, Timaya released his fifth studio album titled Epiphany. The album featured 20-tracks, including global hits such as "Bum Bum Remix" featuring Dancehall A-Lister Sean Paul, "Sanko," and "Ukwu." It also included collaborations with 2Baba Idibia, Patoranking, Olamide, Sir Shina Peters, Deethi, Phyno and Terry G.

In 2017, Timaya performed in Nassau where he headlined the first-ever Afro-Soca Concert. In 2018, he received his first Grammy nomination in the Best Reggae Album category. He was featured on Avrakedabra, an album by Morgan Heritage on the track titled "Reggae Night" (global remix). Timaya established his record label, DM Records Limited, which became home to artists like Patoranking and Runtown. In 2017, he signed the young Dancehall/Afro-Fusion artist King Perryy and producer KillerTunes to the DM Records imprint.



2019–2020: Chulo Vibes and Gratitude
After five years of releasing singles and touring, Timaya released an EP titled Chulo Vibes. This project featured collaborations from East African artist Alikiba, Trinidadian Soca legend Machel Montano, and Nigeria's Grammy-winning artist Burna Boy. His sixth solo studio album, Gratitude, a 15-track body of work, was released in 2020. The album included hit singles such as 'Balance,' 'I Can't Kill Myself,' 'Gra Gra,' 'Don Dada,' and 'Born To Win,' respectively.

2021–2022: Cold Outside
In 2021, Timaya teamed up with Nigerian wonderkid BNXN and hit record producer Yung Willis for his latest single titled "Cold Outside." After its release, the song became an instant hit and has remained on the Official Naija Top 10 charts since its debut on October 14. "Cold Outside" quickly amassed over 75 million streams in just three months and has been played over 500 million times worldwide.

On 16 March 2022, Timaya released his third single "Charger" from his upcoming studio album titled Chuloverse, following "Cold Outside" and "No Pressure." "Charger," Produced by the Nigerian Amapiano powerhouse duo Smeez & D3an, features a modish Amapiano rhythm—a hybrid of deep house, jazz, and lounge music characterized by synths, airy pads, and wide percussive bass lines originated from South Africa. Timaya's unique rhythmic vocals add a distinctive touch to the track, earning it well-deserved acclaim.

Honours
In 2011, Timaya was appointed as a Peace Ambassador by the Inter-Religious and International Federation for World Peace (IIFWP). Dr. Hak Ja Haan Moon, co-founder of the IIFWP, described him as "one of those individuals whose lives exemplify the ideal of living for the sake of others, and who dedicate themselves to practices which promote the founding ideals of the IIFWP."

Fashion
In 2020, Timaya launched the Chulo Brand, inspired by his popular nickname "Papi Chulo" or simply "Chulo." His fanbase, divided into two groups, also identifies as Chulo Gang or Team Higher. Through the Chulo Brand, Timaya plans to introduce a fashion line and stylish merchandise, aiming to showcase his unique fashion sense and style essence.

Brand ambassadorship

 * MTN
 * Globacom
 * Hennessy
 * Moniepoint

Albums

 * True Story (2007)
 * Gift And Grace (2008)
 * De Rebirth (2010)
 * LLNP Long Life N Prosperity (2011)
 * Upgrade (2012)
 * Epiphany (2014)
 * Chulo Vibes EP (2019)
 * Gratitude 2020

Awards and nominations

 * Afrotainment-Museke Online African Music Awards
 * 2011:Best Afro-Dancehall song, " Plantain Boy" (Won)
 * Nigeria Music Awards
 * 2008: Album of the Year, True Story (Won)
 * The Headies
 * 2008: Best Reggae/Dancehall Album, True Story (Won)
 * 2009: Best Reggae/Dancehall Album, Gift and Grace (Won)
 * 2009: Best Collaboration, "Good or Bad" (with J. Martins and P-Square) (Won)
 * 2009: Artiste of the Year (Nominated)
 * 2010: Best Collaboration, "Kokoroko" (with Kefee) (Won)
 * Nigeria Entertainment Awards
 * 2014: Indigenous Artist of the Year (Nominated)
 * AFRIMMA
 * Afrimma 2015 Best Dancehall Artist (Nominated)
 * Afrimma 2016 Best Dancehall Act of the Year (Nominated)
 * Afrimma 2017 Dancehall Act of the Year (Won)
 * Afrimma 2018 Best African Reggae/Dancehall Act (Nominated)
 * Grammy 2018
 * Morgan Heritage's Reggae Night (Global Remix) off the album Avrakedabra

Tours

 * 2021 – Timaya US Tour
 * 2019 – Timaya Chulo Vibes Europe Tour
 * 2018 – Timaya Live in Canada
 * 2017 – Timaya US Tour

Collaborations

 * Cold Outside feat BNXN
 * Bum Bum remix feat Sean Paul
 * Pull Up feat Burna Boy
 * Malonogede feat Terry G
 * Life Anagaga - MI feat Timaya
 * Reggae Night - Morgan Heritage feat Timaya & others
 * Kokoroko - Kefee feat Timaya
 * Alubarika - Patoranking feat Timaya