Ahmad Ibrahim Rufa’i, better known by his stage name Deezell, is an American-Nigerian singer with a unique cross-cultural background. Born on June 4, 1988, in the United States, Deezell spent his early years in America before moving to Nigeria at the age of five to begin his primary education. After completing his primary schooling in Nigeria, he returned to the United States to continue his secondary education and later attended university, where he earned degrees in media and communication and international business.

In addition to his academic achievements, Deezell has made a name for himself in the music industry, releasing numerous successful singles and collaborating with renowned artists such as DJ AB. However, the question remains: does Deezell possess the true artistic talent to sustain a long-term career, or is he merely a showman seeking the spotlight?

Let’s take a look at the facts.

When Did Deezell Start Singing?

According to a recent interview, Deezell’s music journey began early when he was invited to perform at a British Council event in Kano State. His impressive performance garnered praise and inspired him to pursue a career in music wholeheartedly.

Having immersed himself in various music genres from a young age, Deezell’s natural talent has played a pivotal role in his successful career trajectory. He is widely recognized in the music industry, collaborating with contemporaries like DJ AB, Lil Prince, Jigsaw, and others who share his passion and drive for musical innovation.

Music Career

He has collaborated on numerous songs with notable Nigerian artistes such as DJ Ab, Korede Bello, M.I Abaga, Classic, Ice Prince, and others.

Deezell rose to prominence after collaborating with Nigeria’s most awaited artist “Yung6ix” on the tune “Sunlight.” Later, he released “Girma,” a song with Classiq and DJ Ab. He also released a hot track called “Sunana Deezell” in 2020.

Deezell has become a household name in the Hausa music industry since then. He has worked with renowned Nigerian artists on several tracks, including Classiq, Lil Prince, Boc Madaki, and others.

Despite all these features, many believe the singer only features on tracks with successful artists and has no path himself to show for it.

Besides being a Rapper, Deezell is also a professional Actor; he landed a movie role in Hollywood in 2017. His first movie was “Life In America” Deezell’s skills in that film paved the way for him to venture into acting movies in Hollywood. He is also planning to produce his movie soon, as he announced on the microblogging platform Twitter.

Relationship with ‘Jiddarhbeauty’

Deezell is married to Jiddarhbeauty, whose full name is Hauwa Aminu Ibrahim. She is a Kaduna Based Makeup Artist popularly known as Jiddarh Beauty on Instagram. They got married in 2021. They have since been blessed with a baby in 2022.

Before their highly publicized marriage, the rapper milked the relationship for its worth. He constantly flaunts their pictures on social media with the hashtag #Jidzel, taunting ‘haters.’

The publicity stunt reached its peak when he surprised his then-girlfriend on her 21st birthday. This was released on their YouTube channel, Jidzell TV. The rapper declared he wouldn’t be present for the birthday, yet later showed up in grand style.

The rapper enjoyed the limelight after the video was released. The year before, the rapper gifted her with 20 cakes for her 20th birthday celebrations.

But this wasn’t Deezell’s first foray into the spotlight involving his relationships. Before that, his highly publicized relationship with actress Maryam Booth resulted in a scandal.

Deezell and Maryam Booth Nude ‘Scandal’

Maryam Booth was a long-time old girlfriend of Deezel. They later broke off for reasons unknown to the public.

In early 2020, Maryam Booth accused him of recording her naked without her permission and releasing the sex video to trend in public. But Deezel, however, reacted to the allegations and denied the allegations.

This resulted in the rapper suing for ‘false accusation and defamation and demanded 10 Million compensation. The actress countersued as well.

One will think that was the end of it. It wasn’t.

The rapper sued five more individuals on social media, including; Sarki. (@Waspapping), Imam Anas (@itz_imaam), Auwal Fulani kid (@SkinnyBoi001_), Zulaiha (@UnscramZ) and Maryam Obaje, Booth’s friend.

The charges include; Criminal Defamation, Insulting and Abusive Language, Cyberstalking, and more. Despite consultation with his ‘United States Attorneys,’ the trial never saw the light of the day as nothing was heard about it anymore, leaving many to wonder if it was nothing more than a glorified publicity stunt.

The 4th of the 4 Horsemen?

Many fans of Arewa music were shocked and were not only featured on the EP ‘The Four Horsemen’ with DJ AB, Kheengz, and BOC. The trio has been considered ‘GOATS’ in the Hausa or ‘Engausa’ rap, while Deezell’s singing abilities are below par. Many were surprised by rappers ClassiQ and Morell, whose more evident impacts on the northern music industry.

“What about ClassiQ & Morell?” Gwariloaded.com, a prominent entertainment blog in northern Nigeria asked. This seems to be the question on everyone’s lips.

Critics on Twitter severely panned his involvement in the project.

Deezell talks about his money and Twitter, the latter with such frequency to suggest obsession. I sincerely recommend that he considers finding other talents. In this case, those which he has.

@IsiyakuDanlawan

Giveaways on Social Media

While Deezell claims to be the first Nigerian Artist to get verified on Instagram and Twitter; He constantly uses his Twitter account for ‘Giveaways,’ an act which his criticizers accuse him of doing to promote his songs. Some of the giveaways are said to be ‘fake’

I’m very sure, but I think, I have this to say about Deezell’s giveaways. For those whom he sent 100k, it’s like and that amount was subject to immediate reversal. But those 10k were real. PS – You’ll ses in 100k one, he hide the names. But in 10k the names were showing.

@meothmans

This perhaps also explains his large followership on social media. His Instagram account is well known with the name @officialdeezell like the one on Twitter. He has 1.2 million followers on Instagram as of June 2024.

Relationship with DJ AB

Deezell is good friends with the rapper DJ AB, featuring in many songs, including; Crush, Banaji, etc.

However, even his friendship with the famous rapper has been criticized, with many accusing AB of ‘carrying’ Deezell.

DJ AB was doing just fine and was on track to become the greatest northern artist in history until he started carrying Deezell on his back and featuring him in his songs.

@_Waspapping

Conclusion

Deezell is one of the most famous artists in Northern Nigeria. To some, he is a great singer and rapper. To others, he is an attention seeker and a showman. So far, evidence suggests he belongs to the latter category.