P-Square

P-Square (born 18 November 1981) are a Nigerian music duo composed of the twin brothers Peter Okoye and Paul Okoye, who co-write and co-produce most of their songs. Noted for their artistic reinvention, musical versatility, and visual presentation, they are widely regarded as one of the most influential African acts of all time and one of the most successful music groups from Africa. They were integral to the evolution of 2000s and 2010s African popular music. The duo was launched into the mainstream recognition following the release of the song "Senorita" in 2003, and later gained recognition after releasing their sophomore album Get Squared in 2005. The success of the album earned them a nomination at the MTV Europe Music Awards for Best African Act in 2006. In 2015, P-Square was awarded Artistes of the Decade at the MTV Africa Music Awards 2015. After the disbandment of the dancing and singing group they formed in the late 1990s, Peter and Paul subsequently founded P-Square. In 2001, they won a talent show and signed a record deal with Timbuk2 Label where they released their debut album in 2003. They later founded their own label, Square Records, and released the following albums: Get Squared (2005), Gameover (2007), Danger (2009), Invasion (2011) and Double Trouble (2014). The Gameover album, which explored multiple societal themes such as love, regret, assurance and political criticism, reportedly sold over 8 million copies worldwide. It is the only 2000s project from Nigeria to have surpassed 30 million streams on Spotify, and has been considered a timeless body of work by music critics. Some of P-Square's songs include "Personally," "Chop My Money," "Beautiful Onyinye," "Alingo," "E No Easy" "Shekini," "Do Me," "Temptation," "Bring it On," "Testimony," "Bizzy Body," and "Gimme Dat." In 2011, they signed a record deal with Akon's Konvict Muzik. The duo has been nominated for BET Awards, Soul Train Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards, MOBO Awards, and have won KORA Awards, MTV Africa Music Awards, and Channel O Music Video Awards. They were also the first Nigerian acts to peak at top 5 on SNEP, France's official music chart, and top 10 on Ultratop, Belgium's official chart in 2012, with the French version of "E No Easy" featuring Matt Houston. The song was the first Afrobeats summer hit in France. They have been referred to as the "Best African Group" by Forbes Africa consecutively. They have appeared on the Forbes lists of the 40 most powerful celebrities in Africa. In 2021, the duo reunited after their disbandment in 2017. They returned with the singles "Jaiye (Ihe Geme)" and "Find Somebody" and announced their 100 city reunion tour and their forthcoming album.

The twins Peter Okoye and Paul Okoye, originally from Anambra State, were born on 18 November 1981 in Jos, to Josephine Okoye, a pastor, and Pa Moses Okoye, a businessman. Peter and Paul, together with their siblings: Jude, Mary, Tony, Lilian and Ifeanyi Okoye, were raised Catholics, with Christian values. They became interested in performing arts while attending St. Murumba College, a Catholic school in Jos. They were involved in the school music and drama club and began singing and dancing, while drawing inspiration from artists like Bobby Brown, Michael Jackson, and MC Hammer. Also while in school, they formed an a cappella quartet that eventually morphed into a more pop-oriented dance crew in which they developed choreographed routines. Their artistic talent and precise dance routine soon made them household names in the city of Jos, where they performed at school functions and other occasions. Inspired by the success of Nigeria's team at the 1996 Summer Olympic in Atlanta, they dabbled in an unsuccessful footballing career at Pepsi Football academy, in Jos. They played alongside Mikel John Obi at the academy, who was in the junior team then. They would later form a music and dancing group called Smooth Criminal in 1997. By 1999, they had added keyboards, bass, drum, and guitar to their skills. Their works include the soundtracks for a number of films like Tobi, Mama Sunday, Moment of Bitterness and Evas River. Despite their parents' hope for them to aim for a career in academics, Peter and Paul remained committed to their music. They later went to do their diploma programs at the University of Jos. After which they proceeded to University of Abuja for their degree program in 1999 to study business administration.