Get To Know: Zlatan

Zlatan Ibile is more than an Afrobeats artist; despite being one of Nigeria’s most respected and consistent, because of his ability to sing, rap, and move across genres with ease.

Instead of being an artist, he is a movement. From the streets of Lagos to global stages, Zlatan, widely known as the World President, has built a career through relentless energy, unshakeable faith, and a determination to prove the streets can breed icons, too.

He has collaborated with Afrobeats elite, including Olamide, Davido, Burna Boy, and Wizkid, cementing his place among Nigeria’s top acts. Internationally, he has worked with Ms Banks, Stormzy, and Pa Salieu.

He also has his own signature dance, Zanku, which embodies his cultural impact as a global phenomenon, the dance appearing in NBA 2K, Beyoncé videos, and beyond.

His humble beginnings are the reason why hope has always been at the heart of Zlatan’s story. Long before his name topped charts, faith kept him moving, quietly shaping his choices and music. That hope isn’t only confined to his own endeavours.

I want people to feel “like things will get better”, says Zlatan as he opens up to New Wave Magazine about his latest album, Symbol of Hope, his journey, where he talks not just about the highs of fame, but the struggles behind the music and the vision that keeps him going.

Zlatan’s story begins in Ikorodu, Lagos, where he was raised by pastor parents. Football was an early passion, but fate had another plan. His first studio experiences came at 14, experimenting with friends.

Speaking about it, he says, “I did not even know I had it in me. We made my first song. It was terrible, but everyone was gassing me up. And that is literally how it all started.”

At 19, friends entered him in a music competition at school with a brand new car as the grand prize. He won.

“That was the first time my parents knew I was an artist”, he reveals.

“That night, I slept thinking maybe it was all a dream. But I realised it was God’s plan. If God made me win a car from something I just started, then this must be His purpose for me.”

Early recognition sparked an understanding that music could change lives, not just his own, but those who saw themselves reflected in him.

His relationship with God is not a surprise to his fans, who know that faith has always been Zlatan’s anchor and “the most important thing” to him.

Speaking about God, he says, “I was not the author of this. He saw me before I came to this life. Everything good that is happening is His plan.”

Fame, he adds, has been a teacher. “Fame taught me patience. Sometimes people want to trigger you; they want reactions. Once you realise that, life gets better. Not everyone will like you, and that is okay.”

When asked about his first symbol of hope, Zlatan turns to the record holder for the most streamed album by a Nigerian rapper Olamide.

“We watched him start from nothing to something, with the same kind of background we came from”, he said. “Music was his escape, and we saw him go from the hood to London, Canada, everywhere. That is a symbol of hope. He made it from nothing to something.”

At the time, Zlatan did not even know he wanted to make music, but Olamide’s journey showed him that coming from nothing did not mean staying there. “Olamide was the first person to believe in me. He did not just talk; he showed love. He gave me a verse when I had nothing. That changed everything.”

That moment propelled Zlatan from local recognition to national attention and mirrors the mentorship he now offers through his label, Zanku Records, spotlighting emerging voices and keeping the cycle of hope alive.

After years of shaping Afrobeats, Zlatan’s third studio project feels less like an album and more like a manifesto, a meditation on faith, resilience, and the audacity to dream beyond circumstance as he takes us on a journey through struggle, resilience, and triumph.

From start to finish, Symbol of Hope moves from reflection to celebration. Zlatan says the sequencing was deliberate, a journey from struggle to purpose. In ‘Demons,’ he confronts anxiety, fame, and mental health.

“People feel like our lives are smooth, but even celebrities fight demons. Fame comes with stress… ‘Demons’ was me saying, ‘I have been fighting too,’ so listeners feel less alone.”

Speaking about that, he wants fans to take from the album, he said: “Whenever I make songs, even danceable ones, I want people to connect. I want them to sing along and feel like things will get better.”

The album cements his evolution from hustler to hitmaker, blending street hop, Afropop, and gospel uplift, capturing Lagos’s pulse while expanding Afrobeats globally.

Zlatan also speaks to those still struggling. “Even if I have 24-hour power now, I know people are still struggling. My songs say, ‘Look at me. If I can make it, you can too.’ Symbol of Hope is about preaching hope, reminding people not to give up.”

Music might be Zlatan’s first love, but it has never been his only passion. Beyond the studio, he has quietly built an empire, channelling the same drive into his ZTTW fashion line, restaurant, and car lot. His love for fashion dates back to his youth, when he admired people who dressed well and vowed to make style a priority, an ambition now central to his personal brand and business ventures.

For all his success, Zlatan’s daily life is far from glamorous. He records music from 2 to 6 a.m., then wakes again for his son’s school runs. “I do not really show that side online. People see the success, not the sacrifice,” he admits. Years in the game have taught him balance. “Not every time you are going to be at the top. Just make sure you are close to it. Sometimes business slows down, sometimes music slows down. You just have to do the work.”

Ultimately, Zlatan wants to be remembered for more than music. He is a rapper, entrepreneur, mentor, and movement all at once. “I want to be seen as someone who kept building, stayed out of trouble, and helped others rise. Proof that you can start from nothing and reach something.”

He emphasises paying it forward. “I want people to see that my talent helped others, the same way Olamide and Davido helped me. Every year, when I see new artists coming up, I reach out: ‘I see what you are doing. If you need me or a verse, I am down.’ Now when people think of who to get a verse from to boost a song, my name comes up. That is a symbol of hope. I made it from nothing to something. I want people to say I was one of the reasons they did not give up.”

Through honesty, hustle, and humility, Zlatan shows what hope really sounds like on Symbol of Hope, whether dancing to his beats or drawing inspiration from his story, he proved that with faith, grit, and vision, no dream is too far eith this personal reminder that even amid uncertainty, better days lie ahead.

Zlatan’s new album, Symbol of Hope, is out now. Listen here.