He’s got Lagos in his DNA, global ambition in his stride, and a sound built to travel. Meet Zaa Nurty, Afrobeats’ next big export.

Afrobeats keeps breaking borders, but some artists don’t just cross lines, they redraw the map. Zaa Nurty is one of them.

Born Harold Ayodeji Aikhomu in Oshodi, Lagos, Zaa Nurty’s foundation is pure Lagos grit: an interfaith household, Christian values for grounding, and a steady diet of King Sunny Ade, Fela Kuti, and Bob Marley. These weren’t just sounds in his childhood, they were blueprints, teaching him that music could heal, provoke, and travel.

By his college years, he was already testing those blueprints. Between lectures in Business Administration, he co-founded Nurty Boiz, a short lived but formative group that gave him his first taste of creative synergy. When the group disbanded, he didn’t fold, he sharpened, taking those lessons into a solo career built on resilience and ambition.

Then came the leap. In 2022, ZAA swapped Oshodi’s restless pulse for Denver’s wide horizons. Bold? Absolutely. But that’s the point. In a city not known for Afrobeats, his Lagos-born sound stood out and connected. Within a year, he signed to Cold Summer The Label, officially planting his flag on the global stage.

From there, it’s been steady fire. “Lenu” (2024) showcased his gift for weaving groove with storytelling, while “LaVida Loca” (2025) doubled down on his ability to merge Lagos energy with global textures. What sets him apart isn’t just versatility, it’s intention: Zaa isn’t mimicking Afrobeats tradition, he’s extending it, turning personal experience into music that resonates from Oshodi to overseas.

Zaa Nurty is more than a rising act, he’s a bridge. A reminder that Afrobeats is no longer an export but a global language. His roots keep him authentic, his vision keeps him expansive, and his sound? It makes him next.