Who is Naira Marley?
Azeez Adeshina Fashola, otherwise known as Naira Marley, is a Nigerian musician, songwriter, singer, and social media personality. Naira Marley is one of the record-breaking artists in Nigeria. He has remained consistent in the news with controversy. The “Tesumole” crooner came under fire after he hosted a concert with BBnaija Kim Oprah in Abuja amid lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.
He was blasted for contrary to federal government directives of social distancing and inter-state lockdown. In as much as his controversy remains, Naira Marley and Zlatan Ibile are fondly entitled to be the inventors of what could be termed a fast-rising music genre, Zanku. Naira Marley’s biography and net worth will be our focus today.
It didn’t take long since Naira Marley’s first hit music. He carved a fanbase for himself, which he called “Marlians”. Marlians have received numerous misinterpretations. They are mostly perceived as a lawless and “mannerless” set of people. But in an actual sense, it is just a name for those who love Naira Marley and his songs and culture. Equally prominent musicians, like the likes of Asa and WizKid, have been identified to be Marlians.
Azeez Adeshina Fashola is well-known for his multiple contributions to the Nigerian music industry and his then-court case with EFCC.
In this post, I will share facts about Naira Marley and some other interesting things you probably didn’t know about him. Before we continue, let’s take a quick look at his profile.
Profile summary
| Name | Azeez Adeshina Fashola |
| Age | 33 years old |
| Date of Birth | 9th May 1991 |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Children | 3 (Aishat Fashola, Farouq Fashola (son), and Simiat Fashola) |
| @nairamarley | |
| @officialnairam1 | |
| Net worth | $1 million – $3 million |
Naira Marley Biography
Especially known for his multiple contributions to the Nigerian music industry, Naira Marley was born on the 9th of May 1991 in his home country, Nigeria.
Born in Agege, Lagos State (Lagos State is a state in the South-Western part of Nigeria), Naira was raised partly in Agege, Lagos, and in Peckham, England, the United Kingdom.
Moving to Peckham in England at eleven to continue his academic life, it is okay to say that Naira Marley grew up in a middle-class household.
Naira Marley Career
Kick-started his career in the Nigerian music industry in 2014, Naira Marley rose to the limelight following his hit single titled “Am I a Yahoo Boy?”
“Am I a Yahoo Boy” became a single that landed him in trouble and a single that brought him more fame. Before releasing “Am I a Yahoo Boy” in 2019, Marley was known but not by as many people.
Mainly, his hit single titled “Issa Goal,” which was released in 2017 featuring Olamide and Lil Kesh, became a national mega-hit.
Then, “Issa Goal” became the theme song for Nigeria’s national football team, Super Eagles, during the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Be that as it may, the Remix of the hit song was released in 2018, featuring Olamide, Lil Kesh, Falz, Simi, and Slimcase. Notably, the Remix of the hit song “Issa Goal” was used for commercials by Coca-Cola as it had a message the company’s audience related to at the time.
Releasing his debut EP album titled ‘Gotta Dance’ in 2015, Naira Marley has been in the music industry for more than half a decade and counting.
Moreover, he is still releasing hit jams upon hit jams even as of 2022. With this piece of information at hand, it is safe to say that Naira Marley is doing so well for himself.
Naira Marley Awards and Nominations
Naira Marley won the Viewer’s Choice Award for his hit single “Soapy” at the Soundcity MVP Awards on 11th January 2020. In 2019, he was nominated for Best Pop, Street Song of the Year, and Artiste of the Year (Male) at the City People Music Awards.
Naira Marley Education
Attending an elementary school in Lagos, Nigeria, Azeez Adeshina Fashola had his secondary education at Walworth School, where he obtained his General Certificate of Secondary Education.
For his university education, Marley attended the prestigious Crossways College, now known as Christ the King Sixth Form College in London, wherein he obtained a degree in Business Law.
Contrary to the speculations on the internet that his fan base, “Marlians” are school dropouts or don’t do well in school, Naira Marley is a graduate with distinction in Business from Peckham Academy, London.
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Naira Marley Arrest by EFCC
Naira Marley’s most epic year was 2019. He released a controversial music single titled “Am I A Yahoo Boy” featuring Zlatan. He also released a morally challenging song titled “Soapy,” featuring Zlatan Ibile.
Both songs were well accepted by Nigerians thanks to the fast-rising culture of “Marlians.” After he released “Am I a yahoo boy,” the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested Naira Marley following a series of “Yahoo Yahoo” supporting videos the artist posted on his social media handle and a subsequent release of the controversial song.
The EFCC arrested him for internet fraud and charged him to court on 11 charges. Naira Marley regained his freedom from prison on 27th June 2019 and released the other single, “Soapy,” after his release.
Naira Marley was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) alongside his best friend Zlatan Ibile and three other friends on exactly 10th May 2019. Five days later, the EFCC released Zlatan Ibile and the three others who were arrested alongside Naira Marley; however, Naira Marley was remanded in their custody due to implicating evidence against him.
The EFCC filed 11 counts of charges against Marley before a Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, on 16th May 2019. The charges were related to internet fraud and cybercrime and carried a potential sentence of seven years in prison if guilty.
Naira Marley was summoned before a Federal High Court in Lagos and pleaded “not guilty,” after which a bail hearing was set for him on 30th May 2019.
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Naira Marley, who didn’t seem to care about the situation, released another single titled “Why” on the day of the court hearing. The cover art for the single was a picture of Naira Marley in handcuffs as he expressed the deceit, pretense, and false promises he experienced in the song. The song “Why” was supposed to be seen as work pre-done in the foresight of the arrest.
Marley was finally granted bail in the sum of ₦2,000,000, and the court case was adjourned till 22nd October 2019 for the commencement of trial. On 14th June 2019, Marley was free from the claws of the EFCC custody after perfecting his bail conditions, just 14 days after being granted the bail.
However, on the 22nd and 23rd of October 2019, Naira Marley was summoned to the Federal High Court in Lagos to begin the trial. On 12th December 2019, Naira Marley’s case was again heard and adjourned to 27th February 2020. This was after an EFCC witness testified against him in court. Naira Marley’s court case is still pending final judgment.
Naira Marley’s Wife, Children
Naira Marley is married to two women and has four children. This is revealed in the file presented to the court while he was arraigned in court by EFCC. We gathered that he has four children from two different women.
Aishat Fashola (Daughter), Farouq Fashola (son), Fawaz Fashola (son), and Simiat Fashola (daughter) are the names of his children.
Marlian Fest
Naira Marley hosted one of the biggest music concerts in Nigeria, Marlian Fest, on 30th December 2019. Marlian Fest was held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, featuring top music icons such as Wizkid, Davido, Olamide, Phyno, Tiwa Savage, and Zlatan Ibile. During the Marlian Fest, Naira Marley announced the conception of his record label Marlian Records and signed Cbluck, Zinoleesky, MohBad, and Fabian Blu into Marlian Records.
Naira Marley Age, State of Origin, Other Information
When we last updated this article, Naira Marley was 33 years old. He celebrates his birthday regularly on the 9th of May.
As you may have noticed from the first paragraph, Naira’s real name is Azeez Adeshina Fashola. He is from Lagos State, regionally a Southerner and a Yoruba by the tribe. Moreover, he is Nigerian by nationality and practices the Islamic religion.
Naira Marley Songs
Since starting his career in 2014, Azeez Adeshina Fashola has released several hit songs. These are some of his songs:
- Am I a Yahoo Boy
- Tingasa
- Tesumole
- Oja (Challenge Version)
- Issa Goal
- Mafo
- Yanyanyan
- Isheyen
Naira Marley’s Net Worth
Azeez Adeshina Fashola has an estimated net worth of between $760,000 and $1 million. He earns his net worth from his career in the Nigerian music industry.