ZayLevelTen, also known as Tenski is a Nigerian afro-rap artist who is singlehandedly pioneering a new sound that blends western trap influences with very Nigerian lyrics.
He is one of the only musicians who can sing in igbo, yoruba, english and pidgin fluently.
In less than a year since blowing up, Zay has garnered a strong alte and rap-rage fanbase who started the “Zaylevelten glitch trend” on tiktok. He has had quite a successful run for a young artist coming with a fresh sound.
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In this article, we’ll break down important details about the new music star: his age, real name, parents, origin, net worth, and the personal life of Zaylevelten.
| Name | Chisom Okoro |
| Nickname | Zaylevelten, Tenski |
| Age | 23 |
| Date of Birthday | 12th of August, 2002 |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Languages | English, Yoruba, Igbo |
| Country | Nigeria |
| Related Singers | Mavo, 6UFF Daddy |
| Religion | Christian |
| @Zaylevelten | |
| Net worth | $10,000 – $20,000 |
Early life and Background
ZayLevelTen, whose real name is Chisom Okoro was born on August 12, 2002, in Lagos, Nigeria.
He is of Igbo heritage and was raised in a Christian home by his parents Mr and Mrs Okoro.
Zay grew up in a large, lively household in Ikorodu, where he lived with his parents, siblings, and several extended family members.
Despite growing up in a chaotic environment, he developed an introverted personality and a close bond with his mother, Mrs Okoro.
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Education
Zay attended both his primary and secondary education at a private boarding school in Ikorodu, before moving on to the University of Lagos (UNILAG) where he completed his degree and graduated in 2024.
As a child, he often felt a strong urge to make music but had limited freedom to explore it.
However, he would still write raps and lyrics whenever he got the chance. Everything changed when he entered university.
Away from home and its restrictions, Zay finally had the freedom to explore music fully.
He also set up a small studio in his parents’ house, where he recorded, mixed, and mastered his early songs by himself. It was in that small studio he recorded and released some of his hit songs.
Career Beginnings
ZayLevelTen’s music journey started long before he became popular. Growing up in Ikorodu, he was always surrounded by noise, creativity, and a full house. Even though he was introverted, music became the place where he could express himself freely.
He wasn’t allowed to do many things his parents feared that his environment would influence him, but he still found ways to write songs whenever he had the chance.
When he got into university, everything changed. Being away from home helped him explore music fully and understand how much it meant to him. From that point, he never stopped recording.
Musical Influences
ZayLevelTen’s sound is shaped by the artists he grew up studying. In rap, he draws heavy inspiration from legends like Young Thug, Future, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, Playboi Carti, and Lil Uzi Vert. He often mentions them as the artists who influenced how he raps today.
He also grew up listening to African stars like Wizkid and Davido, along with rappers like Nasty C. The combination of these artists helped him develop his music style of alte, street rap and trap.
His Unique Sound & Creative Process
One thing that separates Zay from many young rappers is his creative process.
He is a full “punch-in artist”, a word he describes himself with in an interview.
He records line by line, letting the beat guide him. According to him, this gives his music a fresher, more natural flow.
He often jokes about how, after recording, he listens back to the track like a fan because he can’t remember any of the lines he just laid down.
Before he blew up, Zay was doing almost everything by himself. He recorded, mixed, and mastered his songs, and he was heavily involved in the visuals.
He built a small studio setup in his parents’ house, which became the birthplace of many of his early tracks.
What does “ZayLevelTen” Mean?
Zay didn’t always go by ZayLevelTen. His original stage name, “Aizay,” was constantly mispronounced by almost everyone, as “Eze.”
To avoid the confusion, he kept the “Zay” and added “Levelten,” which was another alias he already used.
He liked how it sounded, and the name stuck.
Rise to Fame
ZayLevelTen’s breakthrough started with the viral success of “watching me”, a track that blew up across TikTok and Instagram.
By this time, he had already built a new wave of alte-street fusion. His fans kicked off the Tenski Glitch Challenge which helped his sound reach even wider audiences.
He rode on the wave and dropped another hit single, “Maye,” which earned him recognition from big names, including Davido. More attention followed with “Fly” and “Pawon,” both self-produced.
‘Then 1t G0t Crazy’ Mixtape
After months of anticipation, Zay released his 12-track mixtape, then 1t g0t crazy.
The intro run includes:
- Wenski
- Guide Pass (afropop-influenced)
- Gbona
- Zanku — the fan favorite
“Zanku” especially stood out because fans had been waiting for it since he teased the snippet earlier in the year. When the full version finally dropped, it became one of the most replayed tracks on the mixtape.
What to expect from Zaylevelten?
ZayLevelTen is just getting started, and he’s already shaping a new wave in the Nigerian rap scene. He believes that he’s one of the first rappers to break out of Ikorodu as a complete artist because he didn’t need to water down his sound or switch lanes just to be accepted.
Looking ahead, Zay has big plans both locally and globally. Internationally, he hopes to collaborate with Ken Carson, someone he believes he could create “crazy” music with. In Nigeria, he has his eyes on Rema, confidently saying their collaboration would definitely be a banger.
But Zay’s dreams don’t stop at music. He wants to expand his creativity into fashion. Clothes, bags, full merch drops. He’s already hinting that fans should stay ready, because when he steps into fashion, it’s going to come with the same crazy energy as his music.
Net Worth
As of 2025, ZayLevelTen’s net worth is estimated between $10,000 – $20,000 which is around ₦14,000,000 – ₦29,000,000 at current exchange rates. His viral songs, mixtape success, and growing fan base have helped him build a good net worth.
With all these revenue streams combined, ZayLevelTen is establishing himself as a rising force in Nigerian music, and his wealth is expected to increase as his career progresses.
Sources of Income
Zay earns from several key areas:
Music Streams & Sales
Zaylevelten uploads his songs on Spotify, Apple Music, Audiomack, and other platforms to generate regular income. He currently has almost 500k monthly listeners on Spotify and his song, Guide Pass reaching 1.6 streams on spotify, and songs trending on TikTok. He earns steadily from music platforms and online exposure.
Live Performances & Ticket Sales
He earns from concerts, events, and live shows. His upcoming “Craziest Show on Earth” and past performances like Glitch Africa contribute directly to his earnings. The “Craziest Show on Earth” is scheduled for December 15, 2025, at Spacehub in Lekki from 10PM-3AM.
Viral TikTok Trends
Songs trending on TikTok, like Guide Pass, help boost streams and exposure, indirectly increasing his revenue.
Merch (Coming Soon)
Zay has teased clothing and accessory drops, which will become another revenue stream once launched.
Personal Life
Outside the studio, ZayLevelTen lives a pretty calm life. He spends most of his time listening to music, and working on video concepts.
He’s a true music lover at heart. He’s also active on Twitter, where he freely shares random thoughts and promotes his music.
He also enjoys watching movies. When it comes to movies and shows, Zay has very clear favourites. “Romeo Must Die” is his all-time favourite movie, and horror and thriller films his top genres. His favourite TV show is “The Boondocks,” and for anime, is “Naruto”.
Even though he’s famous, you won’t catch Zay at clubs. If you ever ran into him late at night, it would probably be at a suya spot or somewhere grabbing a burger.
He also loves fashion a lot. He talks about high fashion and streetwear in his music because it’s a real part of who he is.
In an interview, Zay admitted that he’s the type to spend his last money on clothes before food, and he thrifts often. Some of the brands he rates include Popwave, Bolapsd, and ClappedMob.
Zay is open about his lifestyle too. He smokes weed and drinks occasionally to help with his social anxiety. But he doesn’t depend on any of that to write or record his music.
He describes the most painful physical experience as the time when he was in secondary school in 2015 and he was running past a canteen and a cook threw out hot water which splashed on his face.
About his love life? Tenski has not publicly revealed if he has a girlfriend as of 2025, the young artist appears focused on building his career for now but we would see what the future holds.
Conclusion
Overall, ZayLevelTen keeps things simple in his life: music, fashion, good food spots, and staying true to himself and the grind.
