Jude Lemfani Abag, born October 4, 1981, professionally known as M.I Abaga, is a Nigerian rapper, record producer, and record label executive. He came into the spotlight in 2006 when his song “Crowd Mentality” became famous in Jos, Nigeria.
Wiki Profile
| Full Name: | Jude Lemfani Abag |
| Date of Birth: | October 4, 1981 |
| Place of Birth: | Jos, Plateau |
| State of Origin: | Taraba State |
| Nationality: | Nigerian |
| Occupation: | Rapper |
| Net Worth: | $4 million |
| Girlfriend: | Eniola Mafe |
Early Life and Education
M.I Abaga was born in Jos, Plateau State to Pastor and Mrs. Abaga, are from Takum, Taraba state, both of Jukun-Nigerian descent.
M.I Abaga gas two brothers Jason Abaga and Jesse Jagz, who are into music and has ply their trade in Nigerian and the African music scenes.
M.I Abaga listened to music by Lauryn Hill, Bob Marley, Sarah Maclachlan, Pablo Neruda, Jay-Z, and DMX during his adolescence.
He attended Calvin College in Michigan where he pursued a career in business and economics while also writing poems.
He frequently played there at important hip hop performances and concerts held at the school and came in third place at the first “hip hop show” Calvin College ever hosted, dubbed “HipHopera,” in 2003 thanks to his impressive lyrical flows and attitude.
M.I Abaga also made some clumsy attempts at comedy, but he settled on sticking to music after feeling humiliated when no one else laughed.
Career
M.I Abaga’s journey into the hip hop scene began in 1998 with the sampling of songs by DMX and Lauryn Hill.
M.I Abaga began his music career full time when he returned to Nigeria in 2003, he started making mixtapes with his friend Djinee after finding his niche in a field dominated by people like Modenine, Ruggedman, and Eedris Abdulkareem.
This produced the widely praised track “Safe” (a song with lyrics that imitated well-known Nigerian songs), which received excellent rotation by African radio stations and music video outlets like MTV Vibe.
He received recognition for the song at several events, including the Nigerian Music Video Awards, City People, and N.E.A.
The rapper gained prominence in 2006 following the release of his debut single “Crowd Mentality“, which became well-known in Jos, Nigeria.
His first studio album, Talk About It, was released in 2008. MI 2: The Movie succeeded the LP in 2010.
M.I Abaga released The Chairman, his third studio album, four years later. In February 2018, Abaga released the playlist Rendezvous.
He released his fourth studio album, A Study On Self Worth: Yxng Dxnzl, in August of that year 2018.
M.I Abaga was the CEO of Chocolate City from 2015 through 2019 when he announced his departure from the label in March 2020 and established his own record company, Incredible Music.
He was nominated for Best International Act at the 2010 BET Awards and won Best Hip Hop and Best New Act at the 2009 MTV Africa Music Awards.
M.I Abaga style of rap has been compared to renowned rappers such as Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Jay-Z.
M.I Abaga Net Worth
M.I Abaga is a famous Nigerian rapper and record producer with an estimated net worth of $4 million.
Recognitions
In 2012, M.I. Abaga received a designation as a goodwill ambassador for the UN and also backs the Jostified initiative as well.
He is known all over the world for being at the forefront of the “Afrobeats” movement.
Personal Life
M.I Abaga is not yet married. The rapper is reportedly engaged to Eniola Mafe, the co-founder of SecureFarmer.com.
SecureFarmer.com is a social venture which uses technology, mechanization, and precision data to train the next generation of farmers.
Social Media
- Instagram: @mi_abaga
- Twitter: @mi_abaga
