TIMAYA BIOGRAPHY: From Plantain Boy to Egberi Papa 1 of Bayelsa (Full Story)

Timaya, is one of Nigeria's most consistent and respected dancehall kings. Born on August 15, 1980 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, he is the youngest of 15 children. His father was a banker, his mother a trader. Though born in Port Harcourt, his root is Odi, in Odi Local Government of Bayelsa State. 474b

Education and Hustle in Port Harcourt

Timaya attended Assemblies of God Nursery and Primary School, then Nkpolu Oroworukwo Secondary School in Port Harcourt. Growing up in Agip Estate, he would break house rules to attend late-night music shows. His mother later sent him to Lagos to stay with his elder brother and sister, where he finished at Ikeja Grammar School.

He returned to Port Harcourt to study Banking and Finance at Rivers State College of Arts and Science, but dropped out after the first semester due to poor grades. That failure became his turning point. He hawked plantain on the streets of Port Harcourt to survive — a story he later turned into his smash hit "Plantain Boy".

Music Beginnings with Eedris Abdulkareem

Before fame, Timaya spent about three years as a backup vocalist for Eedris Abdulkareem's hip-hop group. He learned stagecraft, crowd control and street credibility from Eedris. He once said: "Eedris knows how to carry the crowd... I learnt all that from him." 474b

Breakthrough: Dem Mama (2005)

In 2005, Timaya launched his solo career with "Dem Mama". The song was not a party track — it was a brave political statement about the 1999 Odi massacre, when soldiers burned his hometown in Bayelsa while searching for militants. At a time when Nigerian pop avoided politics, Timaya's raw storytelling resonated across the Niger Delta and gave him instant street credibility. 474b

The song was on his debut album True Story (2007), an 11-track project that also had "Ogologoma", "Bayelsa" and "Honey Na Money". He became Egberi Papa 1 of Bayelsa — the people's town crier.

Gift and Grace to De Rebirth

His second album Gift and Grace (2008) was reportedly recorded in just two weeks, but it was his third album De Rebirth (2010) with Black Body Entertainment that made him a superstar. Its lead single "Plantain Boy" told his grass-to-grace story and became a national anthem.

In 2011, he released LLNP (Long Life N Prosperity) with his group Dem Mama Soldiers, a South-South collective he formed to push young talents.

Upgrade, Epiphany and Global Moves

In 2012, Timaya released Upgrade which gave us "Bum Bum", "Sexy Ladies" and "Malonogede". He then released Epiphany (2014). He never stayed in one sound — he blended dancehall, ragga, hip-hop, Afrobeats and soca. df75ad66

He collaborated with P-Square, Phyno, Olamide, Patoranking, Sean Paul and Machel Montano, keeping his relevance across generations.

Chulo Vibes, Gratitude and Longevity

After a 5-year gap, he returned with Chulo Vibes EP (2019) with the hit "I Can't Kill Myself" and "Balance" — where he sang "One white shoe and one nika, gat no house and I gat no car." In 2020, to mark 15 years on stage, he released Gratitude.

To date, his work has earned him four Headies Awards, two AFRIMMA Awards, and a Grammy nomination in 2018 via Morgan Heritage. He is the founder of DM (Dem Mama) Records Limited. 474bad66

Business and Legacy

Beyond music, Timaya runs businesses, hosts Timaya Day in Bayelsa — a platform for young Bayelsa creatives — and remains an ambassador of the Niger Delta. From hawking plantain in Port Harcourt to touring US, Europe and Canada, his story is pure hustle, consistency and staying true to his roots.

He is not just a singer; he is a voice of the Niger Delta that refused to fade.