9ice: Biography, Career, Family, Net Worth And More

Alexander Abolore Adegbola Akande popularly known as 9ice is a multi award-winning Nigerian singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, recording artist, dancer and a model.

Early Life

Born on January 17, 1980, 9ice hails from of Ogbomoso Local Government Area in Oyo State, Nigeria.

He is currently 41 years old.

He grew up in a polygamous family of five wives and nine children in Bariga area of Lagos State. 9ice completed his primary school education at Abule Okuta Primary School in Bariga and obtained his First School Leaving Certificate.

He is popularly known by other numerous names such as Adigun, Ibile, Bashorun and Hitmaker.

After completing his primary school education, 9ice proceeded to CMS Grammar School in Bariga and obtained his West African Senior School Certificate (WASSCE).

After completing his secondary school education, 9ice proceeded to Lagos State University (LASU) to pursue a degree in Law. He later dropped out from his law course at the Lagos State University to concentrate on music career.

Music Career

His parents discovered his singing talent a year after he started his music career around 2000.

Before then, 9ice wrote his own songs from the age of 14. As a big fan of Pasuma Wonder, he started his music career with Fuji music.

According to him, he derives his inspiration from his environment, and also from music icons like Ebenezer Obey, King Sunny Ade, Tatalo Alamu, the late Alhaji Ayinla Omowura, and the late Alhaji Haruna Ishola.

He is known for his powerful use of the Yoruba language in his music as well as his proverbial lyrics and unique style of his music delivery.

After recording his first demo titled Risi de Alagbaja in 1996, he joined a group called Mysterious Boys. With them, he did a pair of tracks before going on to form his own group called Abinibi but it was until the year 2000 that he released his first official solo song Little Money.

The song was slightly accepted and started gaining recognition in Nigerian music market.

9ice collaborated with other Nigerian artistes not long after that and it led him to release another hit single titled Ganja Man. Ganja Man which was produced by ID.Cabasa, was released with other new songs as at March 2006.

He later found his own record which was named Alapomeji Records, were he put his album under the record label.

9ice rose to fame in 2008 after the release of his biggest hit single Gongo Aso. The song was a commercial success in Nigeria. Other tracks in the album were also big jams for Nigerians such as Street Credibility, Party Rider, Pamurogo and Photocopy”. He has also collaborated with musicians like Ruggedman, Lord of Ajasa, 2Face Idibia, and others.

9ice is popularly known for his use of the Yoruba language in all of his musics and sometimes mixes Yoruba proverbs with English, pidgin, Hausa and Igbo.

9ice

During an interview with the media, 9ice stated that he compares himself to Youssou N’Dour, who has won several Grammy awards with his music recorded in his mother’s native tongue, and also an award winning singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka, who also sings in her native language.

In March 2020, 9ice released Seku Seye under his record label Alapomeji.
9ice said Seku Seye’ is a description for diabolical people who claim to be friends but are actually enemies.

Marriage And Baby Mamas

Toni Payne

9ice and Toni Payne

9ice met his first wife, Nigerian-American businesswoman, Toni Payne through his colleague, Ruggedman and they got married in 2008.

In 2010, 9ice and Payne officially parted ways. The relationship produced a son, named, Zion Akande.

It was rumored that the marriage crashed due to infidelity. It was also speculated that his controversial song ‘Once Bitten’ was directed at Toni Payne’s perceived romance with Ruggedman but 9ice debunked all the news that it was fake and more so there is nothing of such.

Vickie Godis

9ice and Vickie Godis ©Naijapals

Two years after his divorce with Toni Payne, 9ice met an Abuja based lady, Vickie Godis.

And much about Godis is not known as she is described as an Abuja socialite.

In 2011, 9ice and Godis welcomed a set of twins, Maya and Miya Akande. After that, things hit the rocks with the family of Godis as he was called out by his baby mama’s sister and popular media personality, Oreka in 2013.

Maya and Miyi Akande

He received backlash from the family over his announced plan to likely marry Vickie.

The Godis family were at war with the singer days after he took to Instagram to share beautiful pictures of his twins.

Oreka Godis took to Twitter to blast 9ice calling him a liar, an attention seeker and a moron. Check out her tweet below:

“Ade is such a joker. The lies people tell to save face, pure comedy.
Same moron that spoke to our family in private denied all sorts in public & never attempted to defend Vicky. Now you want to claim the girls?
Private family, public attention seeker. The world is your stage, good luck & Godspeed”.

Sunkanmi Ajala-Akande

9ice and Sunkanmi Ajala-Akande with their daughter, Michelle Bolanle Akande

In 2014, the star hooked up with Lagos-based event planner, Sunkanmi Ajala Akande, and they welcomed a child together, Michelle Bolanle Akande. The two had a brief breakup as 9ice went on to marry another woman but they reconciled back in 2019.

After Sunkanmi, he also reportedly had an affair with Adetola Anifalaje and Olori Oluwayemisi.

Politics

In January 2014, 9ice joined the All Progressives Congress, (APC) and contested for the ticket of the party for the Ogbomosho Federal Constituency but was defeated at the primary.

After losing at the primaries, he said he learnt a lot of lessons, saying that it will take God to reposition Nigeria. He cried out that he would have won the primaries if they had allowed his local government to vote.

According to him, in spite of that, he defeated about three sitting commissioners and came second during the primaries.  So it was a wonderful experience to him. He did not have any regrets, but going into politics taught him a lot of things.

In April 2015, he was appointed as Special Adviser to the then governor of Oyo state, Late Abiola Ajimobi.

Awards

At Nelson Mandela’s birthday tribute concert held in London, June 27, 2008, 9ice’ performances was part of the best as he performed Gongo Aso at the tribute concert which made the crowd go wild with excitement.

He also headlined sold-out shows in the Netherlands and Malaysia in October 2010 to mark Nigeria’50th independence anniversary.

9ice is one of most recognised artist from Nigeria, as he has toured some parts of Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Cyprus where many Nigerians were in attendance.

9ice in the cause of his career won several awards which includes;  Best African Act at MOBO awards, Best Act at Nigerian Music Awards, Most Indigenous Act at the Nigerian Entertainment Awards, Best Act at the Nigerian Entertainment Awards, Best Male Vocal Performer at the Future Awards, Best Hip Hop Act at the MTV Music Awards and Best Act at the LTV/Eko FM Awards.

In addition to that, he has also won several Magazine awards which includes;  Best Vocal Performance (Male) at the Hip Hop World Awards, Revelation of The Year at the Hip Hop World Awards, Best Album at the Hip Hop World Awards, Best Act at the Hip Hop World Awards, Artiste of the Year at the Hip Hop World Awards, Best Song at the Hip Hop World Awards, Most Promising Act at the Dynamix Awards, Best Song of The Year at the Dynamix Awards and Best Act at the Gbedu Awards and City People Entertainment Award.

9ice was named as United Nation Youth Ambassador, Lagos State Environmental Ambassador, Nelson Mandela Charity Organization Ambassador and Global Public Health Ambassador to Society for Family Health.

In 2015, 9ice featured in the movie Pace Setter.

Achievements And Net-worth

9ice reportedly owns a mansion in Lekki, a house which he launched and dedicated to his ex-wife Toni Payne.

“My wife is my life, I’m grateful to God for giving me, Toni”. The least I could do for now is this, I’m hoping to do more in the future,” he said.

He got himself white Convertible Mercedes Benz C Class a 2017 model which costs about N31million.

“Don’t you just love what white can do?”, he wrote on his Instagram page.

He has also signed some endorsements deals, he has sold a lot of records in his career, he is one of the richest and highly influential artists in Nigeria.

He has an estimated net worth of N500million.