Omah Lay

Stanley Omah Didia, who operates under the nom de plume Omah Lay, is a Nigerian singer and producer who emerged in 2020 with a dynamic Afrofusion sound that draws from pop, R&B, hip-hop, and highlife. He released his debut album, Boy Alone, in 2022, and earned international attention through his collaborations with Justin Bieber and Ozuna. Born in the southern city of Port Harcourt, Didia spent his formative years on a marine base where his father was stationed. Music was already in the budding star’s blood — his grandfather was a drummer for ’70s Igbo highlife legend Celestine Ukwu — and by his late teens, he had traded rapping in the streets of the marine base for music production. In 2019, after finding a modicum of success writing and producing for other artists, he released a pair of his own singles, “Do Not Disturb” and “Hello Brother,” which caught the attention of KeyQaad. Upon inking a deal with the label, Didia relocated to Lagos, and in early 2020 he issued his debut, the sleeper hit “You.” That track and four others appeared on his acclaimed debut EP, Get Layd, later that spring. He doubled-down on Get Layd’s success with a second EP, What Have We Done, which arrived in winter and included the hits “Godly” and “My Bebe.” In 2021 he was featured alongside Alpha P on Masterkraft’s remix of Justin Bieber’s “Peaches,” and later that year, teamed up with Bieber on the single “Attention.” In 2022, Didia issued his first full-length outing, Boy Alone, which included “Attention,” as well as the singles “Understand” and “Free My Mind.” A deluxe edition appeared in 2023, including an updated version of the album’s “Soso,” this time featuring Ozuna. ~ James Christopher Monger