Story
Inetimi Timaya Odon (born 15 August 1980), known by his stage name Timaya, is a popular Nigerian singer and songwriter. He is the founder of DM Records Limited.
His solo career began in 2005 with the release of “Dem Mama”, which also appeared on his debut album, True Story, released the following year. His second album, Gift and Grace, was released in 2008.
Meanwhile, he rose to international fame and recognition through his third studio album De Rebirth – released in collaboration with Black Body Entertainment – and its lead single “Plantain Boy”.
Both were commercially successful and earned him some money, including his collaboration with Dem Mama Soldiers on the album LLNP (Long Life N Prosperity). In 2012, Timaya released Upgrade, which spawned the hits “Bum Bum“, “Sexy Ladies“, and “Malonogede“.
His work has earned him several notable awards and nominations, including four The Headies Awards, two AFRIMMA Awards, a Nigeria Music Award and an NEA Award.
Nigerian singer
Timaya |
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 Timaya: History, Biography, Photos |
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| Wiki Events & About Data | |
| First and last name: | Inetimi Timaya Odon |
| Stage Name: | Timaya |
| Born: | August 15, 1980 (age 43) |
| Place of birth: | Port Harcourt, River, Nigeria |
| State of origin: | Bayelsa State |
| Nationality: | Nigerian |
| Height: | 1.8 minutes |
| Parents: | Do not have |
| Siblings: | 14 |
| Wife • Husband/wife: | Barbara Nwaokolo |
| Girlfriend • Partner: | Queen Njamah (former) |
| Children: | Emmanuella Odon, Gracey Odon, Maya Odon |
| Job: | Singer • Musician |
| Net asset value: | 10 million US dollars |
Early life
Inetimi Timaya Odon was born on 15 August 1980 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. He grew up in a large family, the youngest of fifteen children in Agip Estate, Port Harcourt.
He is from Odi, Bayelsa state.
His father was a banker and his mother was a merchant. Timaya attended the Assemblies of God Nursery and Primary School for his early education. He began his secondary education at Nkpolu Oroworukwo in Port Harcourt.
He often broke family rules to attend late-night music events. Before Timaya could graduate, his mother arranged for him to travel to Lagos with his brother and sister. After moving to the city, he was admitted to Lagos’ Ikeja Grammar School, where he eventually earned his secondary school certificate.
Timaya then returned to Port Harcourt to study Banking and Finance at university level. However, he performed poorly in his exams and dropped out after his first semester. As a backup singer, he moved back to Lagos to join Eedris Abdulkareem’s hip-hop group.
After three years working for Eedris Abdulkareem, Timaya left the group to focus on his solo career. He began recording collaborations with other emerging artists and first appeared in an unreleased music video for UDX, a Lagos-based rap group. He then met producer Obaksolo in Mafoluku, Oshodi, who produced his first major hit, “Dem Mama”, after hearing him perform an a cappella version.
He collaborated with Namse Udosen (Menthol X) on the song “Pomporo” from his first album, True Story.
Describing the song in an interview published in August 2013, Timaya said: “‘Dem Mama’ is a story about the 1999 destruction of Odi, a riverside community in the Niger Delta. Soldiers were pursuing militants who they accused of killing eight policemen. The village was burned down, and many people were killed. I bravely tackled this issue years later and gained instant credibility on the streets for my daring.”
Education
Timaya went to Assemblies of God Nursery and Primary School for his nursery and primary education. He later attended secondary school in Nkpolu Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt.
His mother forced him to follow his brother and sister to Lagos before completing his secondary education in Port Harcourt. Upon arriving in Lagos, he was admitted to Ikeja Grammar School, Lagos.
After graduating from high school, Timaya returned to Port Harcourt to study Banking and Finance at university, but he eventually dropped out after failing his first semester exams.
Career
After the success of “Dem Mama“, Timaya decided to continue working with producer K-Solo. He recorded seven more songs for his first album True Story, which was eventually released in 2007.
Later that year, Timaya began working on his second album with producers Phyno, Jeggs, Spankie, Akeem D Beat, Obaksolo and Terry G. In 2008, the album titled Gift and Grace was released in stores nationwide.
Timaya won two awards in 2008: “Album of the Year” at the Nigeria Music Awards and “Best Reggae/Dancehall Album” at The Headies Awards. He also received two awards, “Best Reggae/Dancehall Album” for Gift and Grace and “Best Collaboration” for his performance on J Martins’ “Good or Bad (O Wey)” at the 2009 edition of The Headies.
Two years later, Timaya released his third album, De Rebirth, and its successful lead single, “Plantain Boy“. The album was produced by Akeem D Beat, Phyno, Flux, M-Yire, Jay Sleek, ND, Jesse Jagz and Obaksolo.
Timaya has collaborated with guest artists including 2Baba, TJ 2Solo, Allenian, Konga, Lanre, MI Abaga, TJ and Wrecoba. In 2010, he featured in the song “Kokoroko” by female gospel artiste Kefee, which won the “Best Collaboration” category at the 2010 Headies Awards. He recently collaborated with Kcee on a song titled ‘Erima.
In November 2011, Timaya released LLNP (Long Life And Prosperity), a collaborative album with his group, Dem Mama Soldiers. The album’s second track, “Dem No Like Me,” featured legendary reggae singer, Ras Kimono. On June 25, 2012, he released a 14-track album titled Upgrade, which produced notable hits “Bum-Bum“, “Sexy Ladies“, and “Malonogede“.
The album features collaborations with Attitude, Terry G and Vector. Duncan Mighty and Timaya, duet on “I Know I Know Dat”, leaked online hours after Duncan’s album Footprints hit stores. Both artists were among the honorees at the 4th Annual Odudu Music Awards alongside M-Trill, Sodi Cookey, Becky Enyioma and Timi Dakolo.
In 2014, he released his fifth studio album, titled Epiphany. The album contained 20 tracks, with global hits such as “Bum Bum Remix” (featuring Dancehall A-Lister, Sean Paul), “Sanko“, and “Ukwu“. The album also featured 2Baba, Patoranking, Olamide, Sir Shina Peters, Deethi, Phyno, and Terry G. In 2017, Timaya performed in Nassau, Bahamas, where he headlined the first Afro-Soca Concert.
After five years of releasing singles and touring, Timaya released an EP called Chulo Vibes (2019). The project featured East African artist Alikiba, Trinidadian Soca Legend Machel Montano, and Nigeria’s Burna Boy.
Timaya founded his own record label, DM Records Limited. Here, he has trained artists such as Patoranking and Runtown. In 2017, he signed young Dancehall/Afro-Fusion artist King Perryy to his label DM Records.
Personal life
Timaya attends the Living Faith Church, also known as Winners Chapel. He is blessed with three lovely children, a boy and two girls. He lives in a luxurious mansion he built in Lekki, Lagos.
He has two children, Emmanuella Odon and his girlfriend Gracey Odon named Barbara Nwaokolo. Timaya used to date Queen Njamah. He has one of his children, Maya Odon from a previous relationship.
His fleet of expensive and luxurious cars reflects how God has blessed him through his music. His cars are Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG, 2013 Range Rover Sport, 2016 Range Rover Sport, Mercedes-Benz GLE, 2015 Lexus SUV. Apart from his cars and house, Timaya also has other assets, especially real estate.
Discography
Album
- True Story (2007)
- Gift and Grace (2008)
- Rebirth (2010)
- LLNP Long Life and Prosperity (2011)
- Upgrade (2012)
- Epiphany (2014)
- Chulo Vibes EP (2019)
- Gratitude 2020
Single
- Ekoloma Demba (Epiphany) – 2014
- Bow Down (Epiphany) – 2014
- Gbagam (Epiphany) – 2014
- Lai Lai (Epiphany) – 2014
- Sanko (Single) – 2014
- Ukwu (Single) – 2014
- I Do (Single produced by Killertunes) – 2015
- Amayanabo (Single) – 2015
- Some More (Single) – 2015
- I Like The Way (Single) – 2016
- Bang Bang (Single) – 2016
- Money featuring Flavour (Single) – 2016
- 2 Stoopid (Single) – 2019
- 2021 “Eff All Day” (featuring Phyno)
Net asset value
Timaya is an A-list artiste in the Nigerian music industry and has been in the entertainment industry for over a decade.
He has also signed several lucrative endorsement deals. The singer’s net worth is estimated to be $10 million.
Social Media
- Twitter: @timayatimaya
- Instagram: @timayatimaya
