"My heart is broken forever!" — Wizkid pays tribute to his mother on her first posthumous birthday

Internationally acclaimed Nigerian artist Wizkid took to social media on what would have been her birthday to honor his late mother, Jane Dolapo Balogun.

On July 4, 2024, Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, professionally known as Wizkid, paid a heartfelt tribute to Dolapo on X, marking the first birthday since her passing. In the post, the artist conveyed a profound loss, indicating that his mother's demise had left an irreparable wound in his heart:

"My heart is broken forever ! 💔," Ayodeji wrote.

According to the BBC, Jane Dolapo Balogun died in London on Friday, August 18, 2023. The reason for her demise is unknown; she was 66 at the time of her death. She had four children, including Ayodeji.

Dolapo had a significant influence on the artist's life and career. The Nigerian artist often credited his mother for her unwavering support and guidance throughout his journey in the music industry.

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Wizkid posts about his mother, Jane Dolapo Balogun, on her first posthumous birthday

On Thursday, the Nigerian artist shared a poignant post with on X. The tweet stated that he misses Dolapo daily and that life feels "empty" without his mother. He further asked his mother to watch over them:

"Happy birthday love of my life! Miss you everyday. First one without you here feels unreal. Nothing makes sense without you mama! Life is empty without you. Continue to watch over us!" the artist wrote.

The Ginger artist concluded the post by stating that Dolapo's smile is one of her memories that he will never forget:

"Love you love love you MORAYO mi. Your smile is all a memory I will never forget. Your laugh! Your hugs and kisses. I miss you dearly! ❤️❤️," the artist concluded.

In that tweet, Wizkid's fan club replied with a video montage of his mother and his moments together. The clip begins with Dolapo enjoying and dancing while wearing her signature turban. The Nigerian artist's 2014 release Joy played in the video. The song lyrics read:

"In the early 90s / That was the beginning / Mama had me / She was definitely smiling / Finally a boy / She was very very happy... I wish i could go back and feel what she felt / But she goes on her knees / And tell God what she felt eh," he sang.

In the same montage, the second half of the video shows Ayodeji on the stage from his early career days paying tribute to his mother, stating that she is the only woman he has ever loved "so much."

In a separate tweet, shared by Wizkid on Thursday, he revealed that his album MORAYO is his best album ever and urged fans to listen to it, as it is out:

"MORAYO!! Best album I ever made!! Now listen! It's only up from here! ❤️🦅," he wrote on X.

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Dolapo was born on July 14, 1957, and died at the age of 66. She is survived by her husband, Alhaji Muniru Olatunji Balogun, and four children: Yetunde Balogun, Omolara Osunkoya, Olubusayo Balogun, and Ayodeji Balogun, aka Wizkid. Ayodeji remained relatively quiet and did not publicly grieve.

According to Business Day News, on October 13, when the family set Dolapo to rest, Wizkid spoke for the first time, stating that the "pain was profound":

"The pain is profound. It hurts deeply. The deepest pain I've ever felt in my life. I'm lost but I pray God will comfort everyone of us," Ayodeji said.

The 33-year-old Nigerian artist is famous for blending Afrobeats, Afropop, R&B, afrobeat, reggae, dancehall, and pop. He started his career at 11, and in 2014, he made Mummy Mi from his album Ayo to dedicate it to mothers worldwide.