Omah Lay
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Stanley Omah Didia(born May 19 1997) known professionally as Omah Lay is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, record producer.He first gained prominence in 2020 after his debut single ‘You’ went viral.
Omah Lay | |
|---|---|
 Omah Lay | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Stanley Omah Didia |
| Born | May 19 1997 Port Harcourt, Nigeria |
| Genres | Afrobeats |
| Labels | KeyQaad |
He started off as a producer and songwriter in Port Harcourt but only made up his mind to take up singing when he realized he doesn’t get enough credit for the songs he helped create for others.[1] He then recorded and put out ‘Do not Disturb’ and ‘Hello Brother’ in his hometown Port Harcourt [2]which earned him a record deal with KeyQaad - a new record label at the time.[3]
Early Life
Omah Lay was born in the city of Port Harcourt in Southern Nigeria, he spent most of his teenage years at Marine Base [4] . Omah Lay wouldn’t be the first to attempt music in his family as his Grandfather made a career as a drummer for the late 70s Highlife sensation - Celestine Ukwu [5] .
Career
Omah Lay started music as a teenager rapping in the streets of Marine Base as Lil King but then he got bored and started learning how to produce music [6]. He made his mark first on the local music scene in early 2019 as a producer making a couple of records that got massive radio spins in his hometown but he thought he didn’t get the accolades and credit he deserved writing and producing those records; that was when he made up his mind to pick up the mic and do it [7]. In 2019, he recorded and put out ‘Do Not Disturb' and ‘Hello Brother’ and they enjoyed good spins on his hometown radio stations [8]. This caught the ears of record labels and he ended up signing with KeyQaad in July 2019 and left his hometown for the first time and moved to Lagos - The entertainment hub of West Africa [9]
In January 2020, he teased his Instagram followers with a verse he had recorded and the feedback was amazing so he decided to make the song available for free as teaser to his official single, that song became ‘Bad Influence’[10] which went on to garner millions of streams on Digital stores [11]. He then released his official single ‘You’ on the 14th of February 2020 [12] which is deemed by many to be a sleeper hit. ‘You’ put him on some reputable lists of Freshmen to watch out for in 2020 like NotjustOk [13] and Native Mag [14]. The song got a mixed review from Pulse NG who wrote that “the song lacked resonance” though the same article went on to praise Omah Lay as a “master with everything associated with the song’s hook” [15]
On the 22nd of May, Omah Lay dropped his debut EP which included the previously released ‘You’ and ‘Bad Influence’.[16]. The EP became an instant commercial success becoming the most streamed Afrobeat album on Digital stores like Audiomack [17], Deezer [18] and Apple Music [19] and went on to earn him Apple Music Favorite New Artiste of The Month of June in Africa [20]. On June 7, Omah Lay was interviewed on the then new Apple Music’s Africa Now Radio by Cuppy where he spoke about the success of his new EP and music influences [21]. On Friday 3rd of July, he was picked as the debut star for Apple’s Africa Rising Campaign which spots a talent in Africa and projects them all through the continent and internationally [19]
Artistry
Omah Lay describes his genre as ‘Afro Fusion’ and once had this to say about his music making process, “I easily weave through Afro genres but the vibe would always hit me first as Highlife, I guess it’s hugely due to the my massive highlife exposure growing up in a music family like mine.”[22] “Omah’s vocal delivery, varied as it may be, breathes life and emotion into his records, regardless of the genre he finds himself making, whether it’s a dance-ready number or a Hip-Hop” - The Native Mag [14]
Discography
EPs
- Get Layd (2020)
References
- ^ Ifeoluwa, Falola. "Meet Omah Lay". Notjustok.
- ^ Eggertson, Chris (July 2, 2020). "Apple Music Launches Africa Rising Artist Showcase with Debut Cover Star Omah Lay". Billboard.
- ^ Keyqaad http://keyqaad.com/artistes/#.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ NaijaNewsAgency https://naijanewsagency.com/meet-omah-lay-the-brazen-bad-boy-of-new-school-afrobeats/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "NotjustOk Artiste Biography". NotjustOk.
- ^ Eggertson, Chris. "Apple Music Launches Africa Rising Artist Showcase with Debut Cover Star Omah Lay". Billboard.
- ^ Yire, Henry. ""I Don't Want To Be Pressured Into a Box" – Omah Lay". Tush Magazine. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
- ^ Eggertson, Chris. Billboard https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/streaming/9413058/apple-music-africa-rising-artist-showcase-omah-lay.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ Keyqaad http://keyqaad.com/artistes/#.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "Apple Music Launches New Artist Discovery Program Africa Rising". Press Party.
- ^ "Omah Lay "Bad Influence" Surpass 4 Million Streams On Audiomack". Novice2Star. June 3, 2020.
- ^ "Omah Lay - You". Tooxclusive. February 14, 2020.
{{cite news}}:|first1=missing|last1=(help) - ^ Emmanuel, Esomnofu. "The 20 Artists To Watch In 2020". NotjustOk.
- ^ a b "Fresh Meat: Best New Artistes of The Month (March)". Native. The Native Mag. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ Alake, Motolani (February 19, 2020). "Omah Lay releases new single, 'You'". Pulse NG.
- ^ Alake, Motolani (May 22, 2020). "Omah Lay releases new 5-track EP, 'Get Layd'". Pulse NG.
- ^ Courage, Onyema. "Wow! Omah Lay "Get Layd EP" is the number one Afrobeat album on audiomack". Legit9ja.
- ^ "Omah Lay Breaks Record, Bags The Most Streamed Artist On Deezer Nigeria". Novice2Star. June 1, 2020.
- ^ a b Eggertsen, Chris (July 2, 2020). "Apple Music Launches Africa Rising Artist Showcase with Debut Cover Star Omah Lay". Billboard.
- ^ . Karina Blog. June 3, 2020 https://karinaiblog.com.ng/2020/06/03/omah-lay-again-apple-music-names-him-the-favourite-new-artiste-of-the-month/.
{{cite news}}:|first1=missing|last1=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ Scaro, VJ (June 6, 2020). "Omah Lay joins Apple Music's Africa Now Radio With Cuppy This Sunday". Ameyaw Debrah.
- ^ "Omah Lay Shines In 'You' Video". Accelerate TV. Retrieved March 19, 2020.