M.I (Nigerian Rapper)
| M.I Abaga | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jude Abaga |
| Also known as | Mr Incredible |
| Born | 4 October 1981 |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, CEO of the Chocolate City |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | Chocolate City |
| Associated acts | eLDee, Banky W., Waje, Jesse Jagz, Ice Prince |
| Website | Official website |
Jude Abaga (born 4 October 1981), better known by his stage name M.I or M.I Abaga, is a Nigerian hip hop recording artist and record producer. He has been the CEO of Chocolate City since June 2015. He won Best Hip Hop and Best New Act at the 2009 MTV Africa Music Awards, and was nominated in the Best International Act category at the BET Awards 2010. He rose to prominence in 2006 when his song "Crowd Mentality" became popular in his hometown of Jos. His critically acclaimed debut studio album, Talk About It, was released on 11 December 2008. The LP was succeeded by M.I 2 (2010). Four years after that, he released his third studio album titled The Chairman.
Jude was born in Jos, Plateau State. His parents, Pastor and Mrs Abaga from Takum, Taraba state, both of Jukun-Nigerian descent. He attended Baptist High School, Jos where his mother purchased basic music notations and later, a 7-key mini piano which launched him into the music world. Jude has two brothers, Jesse Jagz who is also in the Nigerian and African music scene, and Jason Abaga. During Jude's adolescence, he would listen to tracks from Lauryn Hill, Bob Marley, Sarah Maclachlan, Pablo Neruda, Jay-Z and DMX. Jude's venture in the hip hop world started with the sampling of musical works from DMX and Lauryn Hill as early as 1998. After his stint at Calvin College, Michigan, US, he delved into poetry while pursuing a career in Business and Economics. There, he performed regularly at the school's major hip hop shows and concerts. His impressive rap flows and attitude gained him a third-place finish at the Calvin College show tagged 'HipHopera' in 2003, which was actually the only "hip hop show" that Calvin College ever had. M.I. also made some amateur attempts at comedy, but decided to stick to music because he was embarrassed when nobody laughed but him.
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