A-Q

A-Q
Born	Gilbert Bani (1986-08-01) August 1, 1986 Nigeria
Occupation(s)	Rapper, songwriter, business innovator
Years active	2001–present
Known for	Nigerian rap music, Headies Awards winner

Gilbert Bani (born 1 August 1986), professionally recognized as A-Q, is a Nigerian rapper, songwriter, and business innovator. His track "Agu Ji Ndi Men" earned a nomination for Best Rap Single at The Headies 2016. Throughout his career, he has released several projects through labels such as The Cake Bizness, Hustle Inc, and 100 Crowns.

Early life

Gilbert Bani, the youngest among six siblings, was raised predominantly in Surulere, where he has spent the majority of his life.

Education

A-Q attended Kings College Lagos for his secondary education before proceeding to the University of Lagos for higher studies. His interest in hip-hop emerged early, beginning with lip-syncing to lyrics before progressing to composing his own verses.

Music career

In 2001, A-Q inked his initial recording contract with Big Leaf Records, remaining for two years before opting for independence in 2003. His debut single "(W)rap Nigeria," produced by kraftmatics, was released in 2004 accompanied by a music video. The following year saw the release of the compilation album Listen and Understand and the single "Things That We Do," which gained international digital distribution. In 2006, he introduced the mixtape Maga Must Pay vol 1.

While pursuing his degree at University of Lagos, A-Q dropped the single "Make Money" in 2008 featuring Morachi and Xtrim, taken from the mixtape Love and Money. After completing his studies in 2010, he co-established the record label Hustle Inc and initiated the Black Friday Twitter Freestyles series, enhancing his digital footprint and attracting acclaim from producer Don Jazzy, who described him as “one of the sickest rappers alive.” That same year, he released the album The Past Present and Future, which included singles such as "Names" and "Champagne and Rum." Later works featured collaborations like "Distractions" with Vector (2012), as well as tracks like "Machine Gun Flow," "555 (5beats 5verses and 5blessings)," and "Why" featuring Pamela.

December 2012 marked the release of A-Q’s EP Make Your Best Rapper Look Stupid, while he was developing his second album G.I.L.B.E.R.T (Grace and Glory).

In 2018, A-Q took part in Nigeria’s LAMBAugust rap initiative and partnered with Chocolate City artist Loose Kaynon on the album Crown. His work on "Crown" earned him The Headies Award for Lyricist on the Roll at the event’s 13th edition.

After departing from Chocolate City (record label) in 2020, A-Q reflected positively on his tenure there, noting his contributions to the label's success. Subsequently, he founded a music incubator aimed at nurturing African talent.

In February 2021, he secured Best Rap Album at The Headies 2020 for "God's Engineering." Later, in September 2022, he won Lyricist on the Roll again for "The Last Cypher" from the album "Behold The Lamb" at The Headies Awards held in Atlanta.

In 2023, A-Q unveiled God's Engineering 2, which received acclaim for its remarkable lyricism and performance.

Studio albums

• The Past Present and Future (2010)
• Son of John: History Untold (2015)
• Rose (2016)
• Blessed Forever (2017)
• Crown (with Loose Kaynon) (2018)
• God's Engineering (2020)
• Golden (2021)
• Behold The Lamb with M.I Abaga, Loose Kaynon and Blaqbonez (2022)
• ETHOS (with Brymo) (2022)
• God's Engineering 2 (2023)
• Purple Doesn't Exist (2024)
• GE3 (The Beginning) (2025)

Mixtapes and EPs

• Listen and Overstand (2005)
• Maga Must Pay Mixtape (2006)
• Love and Money (The Mixtape) (2008)
• Make Your Best Rapper Look Stupid (2012)
• Son of John: Grace & Glory (2014)
• Catch Your Sub (2016)
• The Definition (2016)
• The Live Report (collaboration with M.I Abaga) (2020)

Singles

• "(W)rap Nigeria" (2005)
• "Make Money" (2007)
• "Names" (2010)
• "Champagne and Rum" (2011)
• "Why" (2012)
• "God's Work" (2019)
• "L.A.M.B Cypher" (2019)" featuring M.I Abaga, Loose Kaynon, and Blaqbonez
• "You Must Feel Am" (2020) featuring Oxlade
• "Breathe" (2021) featuring Chike

See also

• List of Nigerian musicians