Jump to content

Khaleedthefirst

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Khaleedthefirst
Khaleedthefirst in 2024
Khaleedthefirst in 2024
Background information
Birth nameKhalid Chibuikem Suleiman
Born (2001-08-22) 22 August 2001 (age 23)[1]
Tottenham, London, United Kingdom
OriginAbuja,[2] Nigeria
GenresAlternative
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
InstrumentVocals
Years active2022–present
LabelsHoodaftrn Records

Khaleedthefirst (born 22 August 2001) is the stage name of Khalid Suleiman Chibuikem, a Nigerian-British singer. In 2022, he garnered widespread recognition with the release of his single Top Boy Remix,[3] featuring Nigerian rapper Odumodublvck. The collaboration received a total of 1 million views on TikTok and also peaked at number 42 on the Sierra Leone, Apple Music chart.[4]

In August 2024, Khaleedthefirst released a single titled Shobani [5] which Debuted at Number 21 on the top 50 Shazam Global chart.[6]

Early life and education

[edit]

Khalid was born on 22 August 2001 in Tottenham, London, United Kingdom, and moved back to Nigeria with his parents at the age of six. He was raised in Benin City, Edo State,[7] before later relocating to Abuja to further his education. He graduated from Baze University in 2024 with a degree in International Relations and Diplomacy.[8][9] As of 2025, he is pursuing a second degree[10] in Video and Audio Design[11] at Madison Area Technical College[12] in the United States.

Career

[edit]

2025: Character and The Upcoming Project

[edit]

On January 11, 2025, Khaleed took to his official X[13] (formerly Twitter) to announce his forthcoming Project Sabogidda OrA,[14] along with its lead single, Character[15] scheduled to drop on 7 March 2025. The track dropped on March 14, 2025, under HoodAfrtn Records[16] and quickly drew widespread attention, especially after the music video premiered[17] on MTV Base.

The Music video for Character was co-directed by khaleed which marked a major milestone as his first to air on MTV Base. Within just three weeks, it crossed 50,000 views on YouTube,[18] becoming his fastest-growing visual project to date.

On March 14 same day Character was released, Khaleed opened up to fans via his official X[19] account (formerly Twitter) sharing that he is currently studying Video and Audio Design at Madison Area Technical College[20] in the U.S. since January 2025. He credited the course for sharpening his editing and production skills, which he fully poured into the production of Character's[21] visuals.

On March 18 Just four days after the release, Character began charting on Shazam[22] in the United States, representing a significant breakthrough in his career. In a conversation with Rita Okoye of Vanguard News,[23] Khaleed spoke about the vision behind the lead single of his forthcoming project:

“I wanted Character to be more than just a song—it’s an experience. From the sound to the visuals to the storytelling, everything had to be in sync. That’s why I was deeply involved in every step, from direction to post-production.”

— Vanguard Newspaper [24]

On April 20, 2025, Character Peaked at No.16 on the Apple Music Alternative chart in Liberia.[25][26][27] The single, released on March 14, 2025,[28] marked another milestone in his career and highlighted his growing presence in the West African music scene.

On April 26, 2025, Character secured the No. 111 position on the Top 200 Benin Republic Apple Music Alternative Chart,[29][30] garnering notable recognition in West Africa. Just one day later, on April 27, 2025, the track jumped to No. 44,[31][32][33] reflecting its increasing popularity and the rising impact of the Thefirst on the region's Alternative music landscape.

Controversy

[edit]

2024 Chobani Trademark issue

[edit]
Chobani By Khaleedthefirst

On August 30, 2024, Khaleedthefirst,released his single "Chobani[34] Now Shobani." The release garnered attention not only for the music but also for its striking album artwork, which prominently featured Chobani’s yogurt branding. The artwork featured the Chobani logo, and the title was a direct play on the company's trademarked name. This raised immediate concerns about potential trademark infringement, as it appeared that Khaleed had used the brand’s logo and name in a way that could cause confusion in the marketplace, a potential violation of intellectual property laws.

Khaleedthefirst's Initial Reaction

[edit]

To my beloved fans,

UPDATE ON MY RECENT SINGLE "CHOBANI" (NOW "SHOBANI") I wanted to give you all a quick update on some changes regarding the artwork, videos, and title of my recently released song, Chobani. After some great conversations with the team at Chobani®, my team and I have decided to make a few adjustments to avoid any potential copyright issues. The song's title has now been changed to Shobani. Don't worry the vibe and sound remain the same, and the track is still available everywhere! This song was created out of a fun, spontaneous moment, and I'm incredibly grateful for all your love and support. The new artwork will be available on all DSPs in about two weeks! Thank you, and stay tuned for more updates.

Much love Khaleedthefirst.

At precisely 1:36 PM, On September 09, 2024, Khaleed responded to the controversy via his official Twitter account Now (X) with a post that seemed to address the ongoing legal questions. His tweet was implying that there was a deeper, ongoing issue.[36]

2024 From Chobani to Shobani

[edit]
Shobani by Khaleedthefirst

A few days after the release, the title of the song and the artwork were changed. The song was rebranded to "Shobani,"[37][38][39] and the artwork was updated to reflect the new branding, now free of any direct reference to Chobani yogurt. This quick alteration led many to believe that Chobani had reached out to Khaleed in resolving the issue before it escalated further.

Chobani’s involvement

[edit]
Chobani yogurt team gifted khaleedthefirst

On September 27, 2024, Khaleed posted an appreciation message on his social media platforms, which seemed to suggest that he and Chobani had come to an understanding. The post read:

"Thank you so much chobani. I and my team sincerely appreciate this."[40]

The post features Khaleedthefirst unboxing Chobani's latest yogurt products, which were recently sent to him.

Activism

[edit]

Political criticism

[edit]

On the night of 28 November 2024, Khaleedthefirst took to his X[41] (formerly Twitter) account to publicly express his frustrations over Nigeria's escalating economic crisis.[42] In his post, he criticized the government’s failure to address the country’s worsening economic challenges, which have resulted in widespread hardship for ordinary Nigerians. Khaleedthefirst’s comments highlighted issues such as inflation, unemployment, and poverty, and he condemned the Nigerian government for its inability to implement effective solutions to alleviate the suffering of its citizens.[43]

Discography

[edit]

Mixtapes

[edit]
  • TWENTY II (2023)[44]

Singles

[edit]
Year Title Ref
2022 "Top Boy Remix" (featuring Odumodublvck) [45]
2023 "Faded (Puff & Pass)" [46]
"Babcock" (featuring Cali-ber Tha Grime) [47]
"Holy Water"
"Holy Water Remix" (featuring Bony CDM)
2024 "I Need That" [48]
"Obafemi Awolowo" [49]
"Gbana"
"Shobani" [50][51]
2025 "Character" [52]
"Dangote" (with Tobii WTW)
"Paris"

Charts

[edit]
List of singles, showing title and year released with selected chart positions
Song Titles Year Released Chart Peak
position 		Ref
Top Boy Remix (featuring Odumodublvck) 2022 Sierra Leone, (Apple Music Alternative) 42 [53]
Shobani 2024 Buffalo, United States , (Top 50 Global Shazam) 21 [54][55]
Character 2025 Liberia, (Apple Music Alternative) 16 [56][57][58]
Character 2025 Benin Republic, (Apple Music Alternative) 44 [59][60][61]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Big 23 ! Forever GRATEFUL Jah". Instagram.com. Khaleedthefirst. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  2. ^ Jeremiah, Kingsley (3 February 2023). "Khaleedthefirst Steps Out With From The Cartel". The Guardian (Nigeria). THE GUARDIAN. Retrieved 24 October 2024 – via PressReader.
  3. ^ "Khaleedthefirst releases self-titled debut EP". The Nation Newspaper. The Nation. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  4. ^ "Khaleedthefirst On X". x.com. Khaleedthefirst. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  5. ^ Oamen, Samuel (29 November 2024). "Khaleedthefirst's Shobani hits no. 21 on Shazam Global Chart". The Nation Newspaper. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  6. ^ "KhaleedTheFirst's "Shobani" Climbs to No. 21 on Buffalo, New York's Shazam Global Chart". Album Talks. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  7. ^ Olawala, Gabriel (22 August 2020). "Nigerian youth must pursue their dream passionately – Khaleed, Afrobeats singer". Vanguard newspaper. Vanguard. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  8. ^ "BSc in International Relations and Diplomacy". Instagram.com. Khaleedthefirst. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  9. ^ Osafo, Daniel (14 January 2025). "Khaleedthefirst Graduates From Baze University, Ready to Conquer The Music World". News Ghana. News Ghana gh. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  10. ^ "Khaleedthefirst Speaks On Directing His Own Music Video For 'Character". purpkulture.com. Purp Kulture. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  11. ^ "I realized I haven't shared much about my journey,". x.com. Khaleedthefirst. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  12. ^ Okoye, Rita (2 April 2025). "Khaleedthefirst's 'Character' earns rave reviews on MTV base, surpasses 100K streams". © 2025 Vanguard Media Limited, Nigeria. Vanguard. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  13. ^ "Character off my debut album "Sabogidda Ora" out March 7th !". x.com. Khaleedthefirst. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  14. ^ "KhaleedTheFirst Announces Debut Album "Sabogidda Ora" with Lead Single "Character"". PurpKulture.com. Purp Kulture. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  15. ^ "KhaleedTheFirst Set to Release Highly Anticipated Debut Album 'Sabogidda Ora'". amplifyghana.com. Amplify Gh. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  16. ^ "KhaleedTheFirst Unveils Hoodaftrn Records, Signs Dhor3z". Thisday Live. Thisday News. 13 December 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  17. ^ "Wake me up broooooooo Mum and dad I'm on Tv thank you @mtvbasewest 💛". Instagram.com. Khaleedthefirst. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  18. ^ "Khaleedthefirst - Character (Official music video)". Youtube.com. Khaleedthefirst. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  19. ^ "I realized I haven't shared much about my journey". X.com. Khaleedthefirst. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  20. ^ "Khaleedthefirst Speaks On Directing His Own Music Video For 'Character". Purpkulture.com. Purp Kulture. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  21. ^ Okoye, Rita (2 April 2025). "Khaleedthefirst's 'Character' earns rave reviews on MTV base, surpasses 100K streams". Vanguard Newspaper. Vanguard Nigeria. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  22. ^ "@khaleedthefirst 's latest track "Character" is currently trending in the US! 🇺🇸 This marks his second song to gain major traction in the States, following his previous hit "Shobani", which charted on Shazam". x.com. THEFIRST NEWS. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  23. ^ Okoye, Rita (2 April 2025). "Khaleedthefirst's 'Character' earns rave reviews on MTV base, surpasses 100K streams". Vanguard Newspaper. Vanguard Nigeria. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  24. ^ Okoye, Rita (2 April 2025). "Khaleedthefirst's 'Character' earns rave reviews on MTV base, surpasses 100K streams". Vanguard Newspaper. Vanguard Nigeria. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  25. ^ "Khaleedthefirst's debut single of the year, and the lead track off his upcoming project "Character", released on March 14th, is currently No. 16 on the Liberian Apple Music chart 📊 This marks the second time Khaleedthefirst is charting in Liberia 🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷". x.com. The1stdaily. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  26. ^ "We number 16 in Liberia 🇱🇷". Instagram.com. Khaleedthefirstfp. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  27. ^ "Khaleedthefirst Charts In Liberia Again With New Single Off Upcoming Project". Purpkulture.com. Purp Kulture. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  28. ^ "KhaleedTheFirst Announces Debut Album "Sabogidda Ora" with Lead Single "Character"". PurpKulture.com. Purp Kulture. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  29. ^ "New @Khaleedthefirst "Character" re-enters the Apple Music Alternative Chart in Benin Republic🇧🇯, climbing from #155 to #111. Big love to everyone supporting! Let's hit Top 100 next!". x.com. The1stdaily. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  30. ^ "khaleedthefirstfp New @Khaleedthefirst "Character" re-enters the Apple Music Alternative Chart in Benin Republic🇧🇯, climbing from #155 to #111. Big love to everyone supporting! Let's hit Top 100 next!". instagram.com. khaleedthefirstfp. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  31. ^ "🚨 Exciting News 🚨 In just a couple of hours, @Khaleedthefirst has been receiving so much love from Benin Republic 🇧🇯! "Character" has moved from #111 to #44 on the Benin Republic Apple Music Alternative chart! 🎶🔥". x.com. The1stdaily. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  32. ^ "In just a couple of hours, @Khaleedthefirst has been receiving so much love from Benin Republic 🇧🇯! "Character" has moved from #111 to #44 on the Benin Republic Apple Music Alternative chart! 🎶🔥". instagram.com. Khaleedthefirstfp. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  33. ^ "in just a couple of hours, @khaleedthefirst has been receiving so much love from Benin Republic 🇧🇯! We moved from #111 to #44 on the Benin Republic Apple Music Alternative chart! keep streaming". Instagram.com. Khaleedthefirstfp. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  34. ^ "Chobani by Khaleedthefirst". Spotify.com. Khaleedthefirst. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  35. ^ "Maximum Love and Respect to the Amazing people at Chobani". x.com. Khaleedthefirst.
  36. ^ "Maximum Love and Respect to the Amazing people at Chobani". x.com. Khaleedthefirst. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  37. ^ "KhaleedTheFirst's "Shobani" Climbs to No. 21 on Buffalo, New York's Shazam Global Chart". Albumtalks.com. Album Talks. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  38. ^ "From Chobani to Shobani: How Khaleedthefirst turned curiosity into streams". Guardian Nigeria. The Guardian Newspaper. 28 November 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  39. ^ "Shobani by Khaleethefirst". Spotify.com. Khaleeedthefirst. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  40. ^ "Thank you so much chobani I and my team sincerely appreciate this". Instagram.com. Khaleedthefirst. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  41. ^ "The Nigerian economy is in ruins". X.com. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  42. ^ Okoye, Rita (29 November 2024). "Khaleedthefirst critiques Nigerian leadership, economy". Vanguard Newspaper. Vanguard. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  43. ^ Okoye, Rita (29 November 2024). "Khaleedthefirst critiques Nigerian leadership, economy". Vanguard Newspaper. Vanguard. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  44. ^ "TWENTY II". Spotify.com. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  45. ^ "Lsemusic drops Khaleedthefirst's debut EP "Khaleed the First"". rivloaded.com. 12 November 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  46. ^ "Khaleedthefirst Returns with Another Single". This Day Live. This Day. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  47. ^ "Who wrote "Babcock" by Khaleedthefirst?". Genius.com. Genius. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  48. ^ "Alternative Singer KhaleedTheFirst Drops His Most Anticipated Single Titled "I Need That"". purpkulture.com. Purp Kulture. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  49. ^ "Who produced "Obafemi Awolowo" by Khaleedthefirst?". Genius.com. Genius. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  50. ^ Tackie, Jude. "KhaleedTheFirst's "Shobani" Hits 500k Streams on All Platforms". revolvemuzic.com. Revolve Muzic. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  51. ^ "From Chobani to Shobani: How Khaleedthefirst turned curiosity into streams". Guardian Nigeria. The Guardian. 28 November 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  52. ^ "KhaleedTheFirst Set to Release Highly Anticipated Debut Album 'Sabogidda Ora'". amplifyghana.com. Amplify Gh. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  53. ^ "Khaleedthefirst On X". x.com. Khaleedthefirst. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  54. ^ Oamen, Samuel (29 November 2024). "Khaleedthefirst's Shobani hits no. 21 on Shazam Global Chart". The Nation Newspaper. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  55. ^ "KhaleedTheFirst's "Shobani" Climbs to No. 21 on Buffalo, New York's Shazam Global Chart". Album Talks. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  56. ^ "Khaleedthefirst's debut single of the year, and the lead track off his upcoming project "Character", released on March 14th, is currently No. 16 on the Liberian Apple Music chart 📊 This marks the second time Khaleedthefirst is charting in Liberia 🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷". x.com. The1stdaily. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  57. ^ "We number 16 in Liberia 🇱🇷". Instagram.com. Khaleedthefirstfp. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  58. ^ "Khaleedthefirst Charts In Liberia Again With New Single Off Upcoming Project". Purpkulture.com. Purp Kulture. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  59. ^ "🚨 Exciting News 🚨 In just a couple of hours, @Khaleedthefirst has been receiving so much love from Benin Republic 🇧🇯! "Character" has moved from #111 to #44 on the Benin Republic Apple Music Alternative chart! 🎶🔥". x.com. The1stdaily. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  60. ^ "In just a couple of hours, @Khaleedthefirst has been receiving so much love from Benin Republic 🇧🇯! "Character" has moved from #111 to #44 on the Benin Republic Apple Music Alternative chart! 🎶🔥". instagram.com. Khaleedthefirstfp. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  61. ^ "in just a couple of hours, @khaleedthefirst has been receiving so much love from Benin Republic 🇧🇯! We moved from #111 to #44 on the Benin Republic Apple Music Alternative chart! keep streaming". Instagram.com. Khaleedthefirstfp. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Khaleedthefirst&oldid=1290215360"