Every musician has a unique way of preparing to get in front of an audience. When Phyno’s biography is out in book form, he will reveal how he prepares before climbing a stage to perform.
Here’s an abridged version.
Phyno creates the perfect setting for positive pre-concert energy. In order to set the mood for a good outing, he eats, drinks, and is merry. As for the food? He needs “finger foods to nibble on”. What about drinks?
“It probably has to be, like, cognac,” he said. He takes a shot, and he’s ready.
It’s Star Music Trek 2013. The fans in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, did not quite know what to expect from the newbie, Phyno. By the time he connected with them through one of his songs, Amanchi Kwanu, the rest was easy.
For the next 25 minutes, he delivered non-stop hits from his growing body of work, including My Cool and Ghost Mode. The unique infusion of Igbo, English, and Pidgin made the songs more impactful.
When it was time to leave the stage for the next musician to step in, the fans did an Oliver Twist. Despite not giving them more beyond his allotted time, Phyno received the biggest applause for the night.
“I’m humbled by the love and appreciation,’’ he said backstage. He needs his headphones now more than no other times. He puts it on. Now he can afford to decompress and zone out. His backstage, though, must be devoid of negativity.
“I love to be happy,” he said.
“I think it rubs off on the crowd. The mood determines how you are before you get on stage. I love to pass the message along and keep it positive with the fans.”
And he’s particular about his appearance before going on stage.
“I ensure I look okay before I go on stage or for an event because you have to look like the star you are,” he said.
“You don’t know who you will bump into. Not that I really care, but what is worth doing is worth doing well.”
We present Phyno’s biography.
How Old is Phyno?
Chibuzor Nelson Azubuike, known professionally as Phyno, is 36. He was born on October 9th 1986, when the musical The Phantom of the Opera had its first performance at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London. Maybe his stage name would have been The Phantom had he been a student of music!
Where is Phyno from?
He’s from Anambra State but was born and raised in Enugu State. Phyno is the fourth of five children of his parents.
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Phyno’s Twin Brother
Little is known about his siblings, but we can beat our chests and say he has no twin brother. The news about his mirror image popped up online when someone with similar physical features to the musician was trending. The rapper must have been impressed too, as he created time to be in his ‘clone’ company.
Phyno: Education
We don’t know the name of his primary and secondary schools. But it was in the latter he got his nickname.
“I always liked to stand out back then in school,” he said.
“My friend, Emeka, was the person who first called me phenomenal, and that was the first time I actually heard that word. He said I was phenomenal, and from there, we started calling him that because he always used the word a lot. Then he started calling me Phyno. And that was how the name stuck to me.”
The name would have gone unstuck if his dream of becoming a pilot had materialized. Though it’s a double P or, better still, a C and a P, Pilot Phyno or Captain Phyno won’t boost the confidence of his crew members and passengers.
Phyno studied public administration at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) in Enugu.
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Phyno’s Music Career
If there were a position of Noise Prefect in his secondary school, Phyno would have been nominated unopposed.
“I’ve always been doing music all my life, but it was never serious,” he said.
“I was the kind of student that disturbs the entire class. Not that I would sing, but I had a strong flair for production. I drum on my locker in class and I can’t remember how many times I got punished in class.”
The reward as a producer started trickling in during his second year at IMT. But the urge to rap in his native language came upon him. And like CKay and Young Jonn, he moved from being behind the scene to the scene itself. Why?
“Why? Nobody wants to be behind the scene now…,” he said, smiling.
As a newbie rapper, he looked up to Nigga Raw and admired his distinctive Igbo style of rapping. He had other role models, though.
“People like [the late Osita] Osadebe, Bright Chimezie, BIG, MI, TuFace, and PSquare. These people have affected my music. I also like Jay Z, Kanye West and Drake. I listen to anything music.”
In 2010, he moved to Lagos. Two years later, his debut single, Ghost Mode featuring Olamide, gained traction. Other singles like Parcel, Man of the Year, and O’Set set him up really well for stardom.
A collaborative album with Olamide titled 2Kings was the icing on the cake. However, some people said the collaboration was a conscious effort to promote using indigenous language for rap music.
“They can say that. To some extent, I think it is,” he said.
“Because Igbo people are now asking about Olamide and what his songs mean, and Yoruba people are also asking questions about my songs. It will end up selling. And as a country, we may be better for things like this.”
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Phyno’s Career Timeline
2010 – started rapping; moved to Lagos to further his music career.
2012 – started recording his debut studio album No Guts No Glory. Timaya, Stormrex, Omawumi, Olamide, P-Square, Flavour, Mr Raw, M.I. Abaga, Ice Prince, and Runtown featured in some tracks in the album.
September 25th 2012 – released the Olamide-assisted track Ghost Mode as the album’s lead single. The song won Best Collabo at the 2013 Nigeria Entertainment Awards and previously at 2012 The Headies Awards.
December 7th 2012 – released the music video for Ghost Mode.
March 23rd 2013 – Sputnet Records released the album’s second single, Man of the Year. It won the Best Rap Single at the 2013 Headies Awards.
June 2013 – performed for 25 minutes in Owerri as part of the Star Music Trek tour.
2013 – toured with D’banj, Burna Boy, Vector, Chidinma, Pucado, Seyi Shay, Show Dem Camp, Kay Switch and Sean Tizzle on Hennessy Artistry Club Tour.
August 20th 2013 – the music video for Man of the Year was uploaded to YouTube.
September 2013 – the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) banned the video from further broadcasting.
October 11th 2013 – the album’s third single, Parcel was released.
February 19th 2014 – the music video for Parcel was shot by Clarence Peters and released
March 4th 2014 – O Set was released as the album’s fourth single. It was produced by WizzyPro and features vocals by P-Square
May 22nd 2014 – released the music video for Alobam. It was directed by Clarence Peters and produced by Major Bangz
September 2nd 2014 – released the video for his Authe featuring Flavour.
October 7th 2014 – released the track, Yayo. It was produced by the Major Bangz.
April 1st 2015 – released the collaborative album with Olamide, titled 2 Kings.
March 2019 – announced plans to release his third studio album, Deal with It. The album has singles like Agu and The Bag. Olamide, Falz, Davido, Don Jazzy, Zoro, Runtown, and Teni featured in some of the songs on the album.
July 2021 – released the single Bia.
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Phyno’s Style
Phyno raps in Igbo but adds a bit of Nigerian Pidgin and English into his music. You won’t be off the mark if you call him the ambassador of rap music in Igbo.
“As of the time I entered the industry, indigenous rap music was just gaining ground,” he said.
“People still looked at indigenous artistes as local and uneducated people. I do indigenous rap because I think that is what I can do best, not because I cannot rap in English. Whenever I rap in Igbo, I end up being the real me.”
He may have to rethink. In 2006, the United Nations predicted that some minor languages of the world would go extinct in the next 50 years. On this list was the Igbo language.
“I do not agree with people who feel that the Igbo language is facing some sort of extinction,” he said.
“I think the presence of music has done a lot of good to the Igbo language. Outside this country, Igbo songs are being played and listened to. Even white people are singing Parcel. And it is likely that they would go around asking their Nigerian friends what the meaning of the song is.
“As far as I am concerned, the Igbo language is not dying. And if it is, I will blame parents and teachers for not doing their work because if you look at the number of gospel songs in Nigeria, you will find out that most of them are done in Igbo. And for those who sell these gospel songs in the market, it will be absurd to tell them that the Igbo language is dying.”
So, let’s bury the wild thought. But looking at Phyno, one cannot bury another baffling thought: have you always had this kind of wild style of appearance?
“All my life, I have always wanted to stand out, and that is how the name Phyno came; my Mohawk, the way I wear my glasses, my tattoo. They are just the little things that make me stand out, and if people like me for those, then I think it’s working for me,” he said.
“If people like me for the wild style, I like ‘me’ for that too. The wild-style look is not something I take my time to get. I have a mad style, but I am not a wild person. I like things that suit the personality that I want my fans to see.
“Like the hair, that is the Mohawk takes my time for it to look this way. But it’s my brand and I have to take care of it because that is who I am. It has a lot to do with the image you want to portray outside. Nothing comes easy, right?”
One wonders if he weren’t a musician, would he still wear this hairstyle? He must have read our thoughts.
“No way. I won’t,” he said.
“The Phyno you are seeing is the artiste. Chibuzo is a regular guy. Chibuzo is the guy that wants to be alone; Phyno is the wild guy. Phyno has his sane times.”
We always reckon wearing black and glasses, and tattoos are part of the sane times.
“Black is my best colour. I just like black,” he said.
“About my tattoo, I can only say shout out to my mum. I told her I will make her proud, and this is what I am doing. These blue/grey eyes are for Chibuzo. My eyes are the only part of me that makes me shy, so that is why I cover them.”
Many musicians consider themselves shy. Adele is one of the best-selling musicians of the new millennium, but she’s “scared of audiences”. Bob Dylan often feels uncomfortable in front of the massive crowds he plays to. T
he king of rock ‘n’ roll, Elvis Presley grew up constantly feeling shy and had difficulty getting in front of people and performing. However, it’s almost hard to believe Phyno is on the list.
“I am human. Anybody can be shy,” he said.
Doing 1,000 push-ups to keep the six packs can deflect attention from his shy face to his well-developed stomach muscles. No?
“I don’t think you need to do 1000 push-ups to have six parks,” he said.
“I’m not trying to go for the Olympics or contest for Mr Nigeria. I do like 30 to 50 every day. Anytime I wake up.”
The late Archbishop Benson Idahosa is attributed to the saying “dress the way you want to be addressed”. Phyno leaves a good impression… especially with the ladies.
“First of all, this career is a dress-to-impress career,” he said.
“Forget what everybody is saying. We all dress to impress. The problem is who you are trying to impress. I like to impress my fans, and ladies happen to be part of my fans.”
Very smart. Very smart, indeed.
Phyno’s Discography
Studio albums
No Guts No Glory (2014)
The Playmaker (2016)
Deal With It (2019)
Something to Live For (2021)
Collaborative albums
2 Kings (with Olamide) (2015)
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Phyno’s Filmography
He starred with A-listed acts like Pete Edochie, Genevieve Nnaji, Nkem Owoh, Onyeka Onwenu, and Kanayo O. Kanayo in the 2018 movie Lionheart.
Phyno: Awards and Nominations
He has released a couple of hit songs from Ghost Mode to Fada Fada, so naturally, accolades can’t be far from him. The Alobam crooner has the following awards and nominations:
Three Headies awards and 15 nominations
One Nigeria Entertainment award and three nominations
Two nominations for the Channel O Music Video Awards
One City People Entertainment Award and four nominations
One nomination for the Nigeria Music Video Awards (NMVA)
Two nominations for the African Muzik Magazine Awards
One nomination for the MTV Africa Music Awards
Phyno’s Wife
The rapper has no wife, but rumours have had him ‘wrapped around’ many women. Names like Rita Edmond, Genevieve Nnaji, Chidinma Ekile, and Yemi Alade are the most joined in unholy matrimonies with Phyno by the media. No smoke without fire, but none is warming his food and bearing Mrs Phyno… yet!
But a rumour mill with a literary bent wouldn’t be a bad idea. ‘Phyno walks down the aisle with Phyna in Phila’. Wouldn’t it be nice if this headline screamed at you?
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Is Phyno Gay?
We won’t be reading that headline if Phyno is not straight. Pictures say a thousand words, and the one with Phyno and fellow musician Kcee in a compromising position said a lot.
During the MTV Award Nominees’ party in 2014, the duo appeared to have exchanged kisses. The picture made the headlines and got tongues wagging. Phyno blamed the photographer for taking the picture from the wrong angle.
He had set the right tone in the past. We recall an interview where Phyno distanced himself from being s3xually or romantically attracted only to people of his own gender. Here’s an excerpt.
Is there any kind of outfit that we cannot see you wearing?
I am so straight that I cannot wear anything gay.
What do you mean?
You know them, I think. I don’t want to list them. Any outfit that makes me look gay is not something I like. I am too straight for that.
What colours might look gay, like baby pink or purple?
I can wear different colours. I don’t think colours make you look gay. There is a way you will match colours, and it will look good. If you take a good look at me, you will know I have something special about fashion. I can mix any colour to suit my style. Try not to go wrong about colours. I choose what my stylist does for me.
We hope this puts the matter to bed.
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Phyno’s Net worth
Phyno’s estimated net worth is $10.5 million. The figure is not a figment of our imagination, as he’s one of Nigeria’s most influential indigenous musicians. He has made a name, acquired wealth, and has a great reputation for himself. His money comes from his music, endorsements, and investments.
Phyno’s Houses
He owns several mansions scattered across the country. The one in the public’s eye is in Chevy View Estate, Chevron Drive, Lekki, Lagos.
Phyno’s cars
The musician has a choice of cars in his garages. The most prominent ones, however, are Bentley Continental GT, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Toyota Avalon, and Range Rover.
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Conclusion
‘Seeing Eye to Eye’ can never be the title of Phyno’s biography, as he’s always in his signature shades. But he can see the next level with Igbo rap in the industry.
“There is obviously a next level,” he said.
“Advancement is when you move from here to there. You cannot advance by being in one place or maintaining your comfort zone. We cannot continue to emulate international rappers for long.
“We at some point will have to be ourselves. I don’t think it is proper to do what every other person does. No one should determine my next level. I determine my next level.”
Noted with thanks.
