LEADERSHIP Artiste of the Year 2025: Skales

Skales is one of the great artistes in the annals of Nigerian music history. The 34-year-old versatile singer, who discovered his talent early while residing in Kaduna, is now a household name in Nigeria, having been part of a major music label before going on to start his own.

His hit song “Shake Body”, released in 2014, went viral again in 2025 after Barcelona footballer Lamine Yamal danced to it online. The video pushed the decade-old song onto Spotify’s Global Viral Songs Chart and sparked renewed global attention on the artiste.

Born Raoul John Njeng-Njeng on April 1, 1991, he was raised by a single parent. His passion for music led him to start writing rap songs in 2000 while living in Kaduna.

Between 2007 and 2008, he worked with music greats Jesse Jagz and Jeremiah Gyang even while he was a student at the University of Jos.

In 2008, Skales entered the Zain Tru Search competition and won the competition’s North-Central region. At the time, he had recorded his debut single, “Must Shine”, which received numerous airplays on Rhythm FM stations in Lagos, Jos and Abuja.

Driven by his dream for greatness and passion for knowledge, he adopted the stage name SKALES, an acronym for “Seek Knowledge, Acquire Large Entrepreneurial Skills”. He relocated to Lagos, and signed a record deal with Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E.) in 2009.

His 2009 track “Heading for a Grammy”, an anthem of self-empowerment, was inspired by the personal challenges he faced at the time.

Skales was one of the main acts on E.M.E.’s debut compilation album “Empire Mates State of Mind” in 2012. He collaborated with Banky W., Wizkid, Shaydee, Niyola, and DJ Xclusive on five of the album’s seven singles.

His well-known songs include “Shake Body”, “Mukulu”, “Keresimesi”, “Komole”, “My Baby”, “Take Care of Me”, and “Denge Pose”. After learning the ropes in the ever-dynamic music industry under E.M.E., Skales left in May 2014 to set up his independent record label, OHK Music.

His debut studio album “Man of the Year” was released in 2015. The Jay Pizzle-produced track “Shake Body”, released on May 6, 2014, served as the lead single from the album.

In April 2025, Skales reached a career milestone, surpassing one million monthly listeners on Spotify. Later, the number rose to two million monthly listeners.

The music star also performed in Barcelona following the club’s Copa del Rey final win over Real Madrid.

The Nigerian rapper, singer and songwriter, Skales, truly deserves to be LEADERSHIP Artiste of the Year 2025.