Introduction
Opeyemi Babatunde Rahim, known professionally as Lyta (pronounced L-Y-T-A), is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. He signed a record deal with YBNL Nation in 2018 but left the label in May 2019 after having a disagreement with Olamide. He released the 5-track debut EP Id in 2019.
Early life and career
A native of Kwara State, Lyta grew up in Ajegunle and was a member of "Ile Kewu", a music group at his local mosque. His record deal with YBNL Nation was made public on 3 February 2018. Lyta's breakthrough single with YBNL Nation, titled "Time", features vocals by Olamide and was released on 14 February 2018.
In 2019, Lyta left YBNL Nation due to contractual and personal issues. After exiting YBNL, he signed with Doro Musik Gang and released the Killer Tunes-produced track "Monalisa" on 12 July 2019. The visuals for "Monalisa", which was directed by Director K, amassed over 500,000 views within a month after its release.
A few weeks after the release of "Monalisa", Davido reached out to Lyta about recording an official remix with him. Following their agreement, Davido and Lyta flew to Dakar for the remix and video shoot. The remix of "Monalisa" was released on 30 August 2019. Elias Light of Rolling Stone magazine described the song as a "handsome contradiction, with fierce expressions of yearning". The accompanying music video for the remix was directed by Director K.Lyta gained exposure following his collaboration with Davido on the remix.
Lyta released the Afrobeat track "Worry" on 6 December 2019; it was produced by Killer Tunes. The visuals for "Worry" was shot and directed by Simplicity Visual Studios in London.
YBNL exit
Reports about Lyta's exit from YBNL surfaced after Olamide unfollowed him on Instagram. In May 2019, Lyta confirmed his exit from YNBL Nation on Naijaloaded TV. He said although he was paid between 50,000 and 80,000 for shows, he never had a written contract with the label. Olamide issued a statement to Guardian Life, saying YBNL has a promotion calendar that Lyta refused to follow.
Discography
EPs
- Id (2019)
Singles
- As lead artist
| Year | Title | Album | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | "Time" (featuring Olamide) | Non-album single | |
| "Self Made" | |||
| "Do You" | |||
| 2019 | "Pure Water" | ||
| "Monalisa" | |||
| "Monalisa Remix" (featuring Davido) | |||
| "Worry" |
- As featured artist
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | "That Same Boy" (Limerick featuring Lyta) | Non-album single |
| "Aje Remix" (Jaywon featuring Barry Jhay and Lyta) | ||
| "Okay" (TooClasiq featuring Lyta) | ||
| "Loke Loke" (Lol featuring Lyta) | ||
| "Be Happy" (Package AOC featuring Oritse Femi, Zamorra and Lyta) | ||
| "Ori" (Dexter Miles featuring Lyta) |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award ceremony | Prize | Recipient | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | The Headies | Next Rated | Himself | Nominated | |
| Best Street-Hop Artiste | Nominated | ||||
| City People Music Awards | Most Promising Act of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Best New Act ofthe Year | Nominated |