Nigerian rapper, singer, and producer Phyno made his name in 2014 with his debut album, No Guts, No Glory, whose lead single, the Olamide collaboration "Ghost Mode," earned Best Collaboration honors at both the Nigeria Entertainment Awards and the Headies. Known for rapping in the indigenous Igbo language, he combines elements of hip-hop, R&B, Afro-beat, and Igbo highlife, and continued to enjoy success with subsequent releases like 2016's The Playmaker and 2019's Deal with It.

Born Chibuzor Nelson Azubuike in Enugu, he began playing drums and piano in his teenage years and initially was drawn more toward production. After relocating to Lagos in 2010, he shifted focus to his career as a rapper using his nickname, Phyno. Sessions for his debut album began in 2012, and over the next two years he released a handful of singles, the most prominent of which was the Olamide-assisted "Ghost Mode." With two awards and several more nominations already to his credit, he released No Guts, No Glory in 2014, rapping primarily in Igbo and Nigerian Pidgin languages. The album was loaded with guests like Runtown, Timaya, Flavour N'abania, and Omawumi. A year later, Phyno and Olamide teamed up for a second collaboration, this time recording a full album called 2 Kings. 2015 also saw the inaugural edition of Phynofest, a popular annual festival series that has continued to grow in size each year. His sophomore LP, The Playmaker, arrived in 2016 and featured guests like 2baba and Burna Boy. It was followed in 2019 by Phyno's third solo album, Deal with It. ~ Timothy Monger, Rovi