Nigerian music star Chukwuka Ekweani popularly known by his stage name, CKay has been the latest feature on Billboard‘s monthly “Chartbreaker”. His 2019 song “Love Nwantiti” gave him the pedestal after grabbing his first Billboard Hot 100 entry, thanks to a viral TikTok challenge and multiple versions which have been released.
According to Ckay, in 2019 when he sent “Love Nwantiti" to his label Chocolate City Music, he said the music was overlooked, "No one took it seriously because it wasn’t a fast song.”
Two years later, the song climbed to the top 40 on The Hot 100 chart, No. 2 on Billboard’s Global Excl. U.S. and Global 200 charts - It also claimed the No. 1 spot on Shazam’s Global 200 chart. All this feat is as a result of a viral TikTok challenge, five additional.
The 26-year-old while being interviewed by Billboard, stated that he was in love while making “Love Nwantiti” and the inspiration came to him while he was making beats and freestyling in his living room. He continued by describing the music as his own kind of Afrobeats tagged Emo Afrobeats.
“Emo Afrobeats is a way to express myself, my emotions and my sound and still have a groove to it," he explains. "Plus I'm a cancer, so my energy is basically emotions.”
