Why I ran away from home – Zinoleesky

Nigerian Afrobeats singer  Zinoleesky has opened up about the bold and “crazy” decisions he made to pursue a career in music, including running away from home at a young age.

In a recent interview on SB Live, the ‘Kilofeshe’ hitmaker revealed the challenges he faced growing up with Nigerian parents who disapproved of entertainment as a career path.

“Nigerian parents are always in denial whenever you want to do stuff like music,” he said. “They want you to do a professional course or learn a trade. So, you just have to find a way. Me, I did some crazy stuffs. I ran away from home to do music.”

Zinoleesky, whose real name is Oniyide Azeez, began his music journey as a rapper before switching to singing. His freestyle videos went viral on social media in 2017, launching him into the spotlight.

There were early reports that he turned down a record deal from Davido’s DMW. Eventually, in December 2019, he signed with Marlian Music, the label owned by controversial singer Naira Marley.

He released his debut EP, Chrome Eccentric, in 2020, which included the breakout tracks ‘Ma Pariwo’ and ‘Kilofeshe’, cementing his place in the Nigerian music industry.