9ice is a popular and talented Nigerian musician. He rose to fame for his use of Yoruba language and cheesy lyrics in his songs.
He is also a songwriter, dancer, record label owner and politician who has contributed to the development of the Nigerian music industry and society.
He is best known for his 2008 album Gongo Aso, which won him several awards and made him one of Africa’s most successful artists.
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- Full name: Alexander Agbolore Adebola Akande
- Nickname: 9ice
- Date of Birth: January 17, 1980
- Age: 43
- Gender: Male
- Birthplace: Ogbomosho, Oyo State, Nigeria
- Nationality: Nigeria
- Occupation: Musician, songwriter, dancer, record company owner, politician
- Height: 1.83 m (6 ft)
- Parents: Taiwo Akande (father), Abigail Akande (mother)
- Brothers and sisters: None
- Spouse: Olasunkanmi Ajala (married in 2019)
- Children: Sion Arcand, Michel Arcand, Maya Arcand, Milani-François Imisioluis Arcand
- Marital status: Married
- Net worth: $5 million
Early life and education
Alexander Abolore Adegbola Akande, better known by his stage name 9ice, is 43 years old and was born on January 17, 1980, in Ogbomosho, Oyo State, Nigeria.
He is the only child of his parents, Taiwo Akande, a carpenter, and Abigail Akande, a businessman. He grew up in the Bariga area of Lagos where he was exposed to different types of music such as Fuji music, juju music, highlife music and African music.
He attended Abule Okuta Primary School and CMS Grammar School where his interest in singing and songwriting grew.
He later enrolled at Lagos State University to study law but dropped out after two years to pursue a career in music.
He also attended the Polytechnic, Ibadan, where he obtained a National Diploma in Music Technology.
Personal life
9ice has been married twice and has four children with different women. His first marriage was in 2008 to publicist and former rapper Toni Payne.
In 2008, they had a son named Zion Akande but divorced in 2010 due to allegations of infidelity. In 2019, his second wife was Olasunkanmi Ajala, an event planner.
In 2015, they had a daughter named Michelle Akande and another daughter named Maya Akande in 2020. He also has a daughter named Milani-Francoise Imisioluwa Akande from his previous marriage to radio host Victoria Godis.
Profession
9ice’s music career began in the 1990s when he joined a mysterious boy band with his friends. Later, he joined another band called Abinibi, where he met producer ID Cabasa, who helped him record his first demo tape.
He released his first single “Small Money”, which brought him some recognition in the underground music scene.
He then signed with Edge Records, a subsidiary of Alapomeji Records, and released his debut album, Certificate, in 2007. The album included “Ganja Man”, “Let the Democrats Speak”, and “Music Dad”.
In 2008, he released his second album Gongo Aso, which means “Excellent” Yoruba.
The album was a commercial and critical success, selling over a million copies, and won him several awards, including Best Male Vocalist at the MTV Africa Music Awards, Album of the Year at the Hip Hop World Awards, and Artist of the Year at the Nigeria Music Awards.
The album also spawned the following hit singles: “Gōgo Asō”, “Party Riders”, “Photocopy” and “Street Credibility”, Featuring 2face Idibia.
9ice went on to release more albums, e.g. Tradition Compared with 2009 and 2011, Bashurun G In 2011, CNN/GRA In 2014, Cabassa In 2016, goat In 2018, Fear God 2020 and Tip of the Iceberg In 2021.
He has also collaborated with artists like Wizkid, Olamide, Davido, Ruggedman, 9ice, Tiwa Savage, P-Square and Asa.
He is regarded as one of the pioneers of contemporary Nigerian music, blending indigenous sounds with modern influences.
9ice is also the founder and CEO of Alapomeji Ancestral Records, a record label dedicated to promoting local music and nurturing young talent.
Some of the artists signed to the record label include Seriki, Kayefi, Olumix and Ancestor. He is also a politician and served as a special adviser to the former governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi in 2015.
He also contested for the House of Representatives seat for Ogbomosho North/South/Orire Federal Constituency in 2015 but lost to the All Progressives Congress candidate.
net worth
9ice’s net worth is estimated to be $5 million.
He makes money from music sales, performances, endorsements, record labels, and political career.
dispute
9ice has faced some controversies during his career, such as:
In 2010, he divorced Toni Payne over rumors that Payne had cheated on him with his friend and colleague Ruggedman. 9ice later denied the allegations and apologized to both of them, but the damage was done.
In 2016, he had an argument with musician Falz, who criticized his songs. “biology” Known as “Yahoo Boys”.
9ice defended his song, saying he was not promoting crime but praising hard-working people. The two later resolved their differences and collaborated on a song, “festival”.
In 2020, his cheating scandal was exposed by a video in which he was seen kissing another woman who was not his wife, Olasunkanmi Ajala.
9ice publicly apologized to his wife and asked fans to beg her to forgive him. He also said that he was going through some marital problems and was working on it.
Social Media
- Instagram account: @9iceofficial
- Twitter account: @9iceofficial
Filmography
- Jennifer
- antique
- swag
- Alagadda Reloaded
- Xiao Jiuxin
Discography
- Certificate
- Aso Gongo
- Tradition
- relatively
- Bashurun G
- CNN/GRA
- Cabassa
- goat
- biology
- Fear God
- Tip of the Iceberg
- Agbattan
