Mr P (Peter Okoye) Biography: Early life, PSquare, solo career and facts

Mr P is the stage name of Peter Okoye, a former member of the now-defunct PSquare that was one of the most popular music duos of all time in Nigeria. The duo’s career was so successful that at one point, they topped the list of richest musicians in the country. In this biography about Mr P, we will provide many important details about him that covers his time as part of PSquare and his personal life as Peter Okoye.

In this updated article, we will answer several questions that you may have regarding Mr P or Peter Okoye. You will see how he has been doing in the music industry since PSquare split up.

First, to aid your smooth reading, see a summary of the top 10 important facts about him below.

Top 10 important facts about Mr P (Peter Okoye)

1. Mr P was born as Peter Okoye on 18th November 1981 in Jos, the capital of Plateau State but he is an indigene of Anambra State. He grew up in a large family of seven children.
2. Peter Okoye and his twin brother Paul Okoye made up the now-defunct dynamic, award-winning music group known as PSquare.
3. Peter and his brother Paul Okoye’s interest in music started in their teenage years. While still in secondary school, the twins started performing as dancers and later as an A Capella group with three of their friends. The late king of pop – Michael Jackson – heavily influenced their dance routines.
4. When Peter Okoye and his twin Paul started performing with their friends, they used different group names such as MMMPP, MMPP and Smooth Criminals. However, in 1999, they adopted the iconic name PSquare during their time as students of the University of Abuja.
5. Peter Okoye, as a member of PSquare, dropped his debut album in 2003. The album titled “Last Nite” was sponsored by Benson & Hedges sponsored after PSquare won the Grab Da Mic competition in 2001. As a solo artist, Peter Okoye debut’s songs were “Cool It Down” and “For My Head”, which he released in 2017 although he had released “Look Into My Eyes” in 2016 before PSquare officially split. He released the official music video for the song in 2018.
6. The late Howie T is credited as the person who discovered PSquare. He was also their first manager. Peter Okoye and his twin brother reportedly lived in his house when they started their musical career.
7. Peter Okoye, as part of PSquare, dropped his sixth studio’s “Double Trouble” album between 2003 and 2014. “Double Trouble” was the group’s last album together.
8. In 2017, PSquare split after Peter Okoye announced that he was leaving the group following years of brewing disagreements between him and his twin brother Paul and their elder brother Jude Okoye.
9. In 2018, Mr P won his first award as a solo artist. He was awarded the Best International Male Artiste at International Achievement Recognition Awards (IARA).
10. On 17th November 2013, Peter Okoye married his then-girlfriend Lola Omotayo. They share two adorable children named Cameron and Aliona Okoye.

ICYMI: Rudeboy (Paul Okoye) Biography: Early life, PSquare, solo career and facts

Mr P (Peter Okoye) Biography: Early life

Mr P was born on 18th November 1981 as Peter Okoye in Jos, the capital of Plateau State, Nigeria. He has a twin brother named Paul Nonso Okoye, aka Rudeboy. Peter Okoye grew up in a large family that includes other siblings, namely: Jude Okoye, Mary Okoye, Tony Okoye, Lilian Okoye and Ifeanyi Okoye.

His mother was Josephine Okoye while his father was called Mazi Moses Okoye. Since the brothers rose to fame, their family has become famous.

Together, they are either called the PSquare family or the Okoye family. Peter grew up with his parents and siblings in the city of Jos. They are originally indigenes of Anambra State. However, the family spent most of the 1980s and 1990s in the north-central state of Plateau State.

Peter and Paul Okoye attended St. Murumba secondary school in Jos. It was while they were students there that they started pursuing music as an extracurricular activity.

Mr P (Peter Okoye) Biography: Early music career

Peter Okoye and his twin brother Paul joined the St. Murumba Secondary School music and drama club as young teens. They also sang and danced as part of the social club. Soon, the Okoye twins formed a strong interest in breakdancing or breaking.

They revealed years later that American superstars like MC Hammer, Bobby Brown, and Michael Jackson heavily influenced them and they copied their songs and dance steps.

It soon dawned on them that they were not just average singers and dancers. Thus, they and three of their friends formed their first music group. It was later described as an A Cappella group called MMMPP consisting of M Clef a.k.a. Itemoh, Michael, Melvin, Peter and Paul.

After some time, they became more focused on dancing and they started to imitate closely Michael Jackson and his group of dancers. They changed their group’s name to MMPP in 1997 after M Clef left. Then, the group became known as Smooth Criminals in reference to their idol Michael Jackson’s 1998 hit.

Between 1997 and 1998, MMPP were popular for their electrifying and precise dance routines. They soon became household names in Jos and started performing at school functions and other events in the city.

In 1999, Paul and Peter Okoye decided to take their music pursuit more seriously. They attended a music school to hone their skills on the keyboard, drums, bass and rhythm guitar. However, during this time, their father regarded music as a waste of time and urged the brothers to focus on education instead.

In those early days, the twins recorded soundtracks for Nigerian films such as “Tobi”, “Mama Sunday”, “Moment of Bitterness” and “Evas River”. They eventually got admission into the University of Abuja to study business administration.

See also: Top Ten Male Nigerian Musicians Below 30.

Their friends Michael and Melvin also left Jos for their schooling and the Smooth Criminals group dissolved. Finally on their own at the university, Peter and Paul decided to continue performing. They struggled to find a name that would stick.

First, the Okoye twins chose Double P as their stage name but later changed it to P&P. This name did not stay around for long before they changed it to Da Pees. Eventually, they agreed on the now-iconic name – PSquare.

At the time, Bayo Odusami popularly called Howie T was PSquare’s manager. He was an experienced concert promoter and a talent scout. Howie T was also a DJ and is famously regarded as the man ‘who promoted PSquare to stardom’.

Recommended: Peter Okoye reacts to the death of former manager, Howie-T

Besides PSquare, Howie T promoted, discovered or managed several popular musicians like Akon, Shank, Sound Sultan, Faze, Skuki, Black Solo, Skales, Aramide, and many more.

In 2001, PSquare won the Grab Da Mic competition that was sponsored by the cigarette brand Benson & Hedges. Winning the competition meant that the company bankrolled one studio album. This was how PSquare got sponsorship for their debut album.

Also read: Timaya Biography: Early life, education, facts, controversies, personal life and awards

Mr P (Peter Okoye) Biography: Music career as part of PSquare

Last Nite (2003)

Peter Okoye and his twin brother Paul, or PSquare as they were known, released their debut album in May 2003. The album titled “Last Nite” was released under Timbuktu (Timbuk2) Music record label owned by Howie T. In fact, Neusroom claimed that the twins were living in Howie T’s Ilupeju home at the time.

“Last Nite” produced two major singles – “Senorita” and “Igbedu”. Their elder brother Jude Engees Okoye produced the album. Benson & Hedges sponsored the album according to their 2001-agreement. There are 9 tracks in all on the “Last Nite” album.

PSquare was nominated in the Most Promising African Group category at the KORA Awards in 2003. Peter Okoye, along with his brother Paul as PSquare, won their first major music award at the 2003 A.M.E.N Award for the Best R&B Group, which was awarded to PSquare.

The music video for “Senorita” became a hit because the brothers perfectly executed Michael Jackson-inspired dance moves that were nothing like what Nigerians had seen in home-grown singers before then.

In October 2008, PSquare released “Last Nite Reloaded” on iTunes and it featured a different album cover but the same tracks as the original.

Get Squared (2005)

In May 2005, PSquare released “Get Squared” as their second studio album under their own record label, Square Records. TJoe Enterprises marketed the album although the twins were still under the management of Howie T at the time.

The album features popular singles such as “Story”, “Temptation”, “Bizzy Body”, “Omoge Mi” and “Get Squared”. The music video for “Bizzy Body” topped the MTV Base chart for four consecutive weeks. “Get Squared” houses 13 tracks, three of which were instrumentals of tracks on the album.

With the release of “Get Squared”, PSquare consolidated their place at the summit of Nigerian music. The album reportedly sold more than 5 million copies all over Nigeria, giving them ultimate celebrity status.

Meanwhile, music critics heavily criticised the album for sampling too much of Western R&B hits songs and for allegedly lacking its own identity. Despite these perceptions, the album was popular and many teenagers and even older people at the time of its release knew most of its tracks by heart. Aituaje Iruobe, known professionally as Waje, was the only other artist credited on the album for her vocal contribution to the “Bizzy Body” and “Omoge Mi” tracks.

PSquare’s “Get Squared” album won Album of the Year and Best R&B/Pop Album awards at The Headies in 2006. It also won Album of the Year at the Nigerian Music Awards (NMA) in 2006.

Singles from the album won several awards and were nominated for many more. In May 2009, PSquare released “Get Squared” on iTunes.

Game Over (2007)

Two years after the release of “Get Squared”, PSquare dropped “Game Over” as their third studio album in May 2007 under Square Records. It was released on iTunes.

“Game Over” sold an approximate 8 million copies worldwide. The album contains 14 tracks, three of which are instrumentals.

The album’s lead single was “Do Me” along with others such as “No One Like You”, “Roll It”, “More Than A Friend” and “Ifunanya”. Each of the singles mentioned above came with its music video, which was very popular at the time.

For example, the music video for “No One Like You” topped charts in Nigeria for four weeks and stayed in the top ten for more than a month.

Jude Engees Okoye, the older brother of the duo, directed all the music videos for the singles. Waje again was credited for her contribution to “Do Me”. The single won Video of the Year award at Channel O Music Video Awards in 2008.

In August 2007, Northside Entertainment re-released “Game Over” and it contains two new bonus tracks, “Temptation” (featuring Alaye) and “Bizzy Body” (featuring Alaye). Northside Entertainment is a record label owned by Jude Engees Okoye.

Danger (2009)

PSquare released their fourth studio album titled “Danger” in September 2009. The album was released under the Square Records label. It was recorded between 2007 and 2009.

Five singles supported “Danger”, namely: “I Love You”, “Possibility”, “E No Easy”, “Danger” and “Gimme Dat”. Nigerian singer, 2Face Idibia (now known as 2Baba) was featured on “Possibility” while J Martins was featured on “E No Easy”.

Again, Jude Engees Okoye directed the music videos for all five singles off of the “Danger” album. While the album features 14 tracks, four are instrumentals as was customary for PSquare. “Danger” was released as a physical CD but was made available for digital downloads as well.

Music critics faulted the album’s first track “Danger” for allegedly oversampling a Western song. This time, the roots were traced to an Eminem song with similarities drawn between the similar cutting synths and a frog bass baseline.

Meanwhile, PSquare won the 2010 Producer of the Year award at Lil Perry Productions Awards. The duo was also named Artiste of the Year at KORA Awards in 2010.

The Invasion (2011)

In July 2011, PSquare released their fifth studio album titled “The Invasion” under Square Records. The duo enlisted the help of both local and international artists for this project. Tiwa Savage, Naeto C, Waje, May D, Eva Alordiah, Muna, Akon and Rick Ross all contributed to the success of “The Invasion”.

To promote the album, PSquare held a concert called The Invasion Concert at the Expo Hall of Eko Hotel in Lagos. May D, Lynxxx, Eva Alordiah, Muna, 9ice, Ikechuwku and Bovi all performed at the event.

“The Invasion” was released as an R&B album but it contains other musical sounds such as reggae, hip hop, Europop and even contemporary highlife.

Again, some critics pointed out the issue of over-reliance on already popular songs and the lack of originality. However, there was praise from others who commended its lyrical contents, quality sound and accurate mix.

“The Invasion” produced 14 tracks with some of the most popular ones being “Beautiful Onyinye”, “Chop My Money”, “Forever” and “Bunieya Enu”. In 2012, it won the Album of the Year and Best R&B/Pop Album awards at The Headies.

PSquare and May-D featured international superstar Akon on the remix of “Chop My Money” in November 2013. The music video became one of their most popular videos. It currently has 16.6 million views on YouTube.

Greatest Hits (2013)

PSquare released “Greatest Hits” as a compilation album in May 2013, under Square Records. The singing duo compiled their best songs over the years into one project and included “Alingo” as its lead single.

PSquare’s 2013 “Greatest Hits” project contains 17 tracks. “Alingo” peaked at number 1 on MTV Base’s Official Naija Top 10 Chart and Afribiz’s Top 100 chart as well. They released the project as a physical CD but made it available for digital downloads.

Double Trouble (2014)

PSquare released “Double Trouble” as the sixth studio album of the group. It eventually became the group’s last album. It was released in September 2014 under Square Records.

T.I., Don Jazzy, Awilo Longomba, Jermaine Jackson and Dave Scott all featured as guest artists on the album. Credited producers include Vtek, Charles Duke, Mecca E, Oscar, Rudeboy and Mr P.

“Double Trouble” contains 16 tracks. Pre-released singles such as “Alingo”, “Personally” and “Testimony” found spots on the album. Other singles from the album include “Ejeajo”, “Shekini” and “Bring It On”. They came two weeks before the album dropped.

“Double Trouble” produced other memorable tracks like “Collabo”, “Ogadigide”, and “MMS (Mugu Money Spender)”. They also released a smash hit song in 2016 titled “Bank Alert”.

Dance With Peter (2015)

In October 2015, Nigerian telecommunication giant Globacom penned an ambassadorial deal with PSquare and both Mr P (Peter Okoye) and his brother Rudeboy (Paul Okoye) received Range Rover SUVs as part of the deal.

Also, Globacom became official sponsors of Dance With Peter, a TV programme that was stylised as #DanceWithPeter. Dancers from different parts of the world come on the show to display their skills and contend for prizes.

It was during the grand finale of this Dance With Peter show that the public became aware that brothers began having issues. The simmering problems led to Globacom not renewing its contract with PSquare in 2016. In the next section, we discuss the controversy that led to the splitting up of PSquare.

Why did PSquare break up?

Before 2017, there had been rumours since the 2010s that PSquare was on the verge of a breakup. However, they always found a way to mend bridges and push on.

In 2017, rumours started spreading of an imminent PSquare breakup. Peter Okoye later came online to reveal that there was major trouble in their group.

Peter’s side of the story on PSquare break up

According to Peter, their older brother Jude had been a poor manager for several years. Peter accused Jude of not resolving problems and even when he tried to mend issues, he was shut out.

Additionally, he said that Paul was Jude’s favourite and that they teamed up against him on multiple occasions. Pulse mentioned that Peter accused his siblings of having a private business venture that they hid from him.

Meanwhile, 360 Nobs reported that Peter claimed that Jude selected more of Paul’s songs to feature on their joint albums than his.

He also mentioned that he felt betrayed that he was not allowed to sign Cynthia Morgan to P Classic, a personal record label he was trying to build in 2013. However, Jude went on to sign Morgan to Northside Entertainment.

You may also like: Cynthia Morgan Biography: Early life, music career, awards, net worth, legal issues & more

Peter Okoye also claimed that his brothers threatened his well-being and that of his family. Thus, he was done with the group and decided to strike out on his own.

In September 2017, Peter sent a letter to the group’s lawyer Festus Keyamo (SAN) to terminate the contract between himself and his twin brother Paul.

Paul’s side of the story on PSquare break up

Paul Okoye revealed in a 2018 interview, about a year after the official break up of PSquare, that the split had affected him negatively. The singer, who now goes by the stage name Rudeboy, said that he was unable to record anything for nine months.

He also mentioned that Peter had left the group three times in the past but had always come back. However, the 2017 breakup was different in that he did not wait for his brother to return but instead moved on.

Paul Okoye further revealed that he wrote many PSquare’s hit songs like “Do me”, “No one like You”, “Busy Body” and “Temptation.”

According to fans, Paul also accused Peter’s wife, Lola Omotayo, of being behind the issue between the brothers after Paul shared a post on his Instagram page that read, “Only a woman can come where there’s peace and destroy it.”

Peter, Paul and Jude Okoye fight video

In 2017, Linda Ikeji’s Blog posted a video of Jude Okoye threatening to assault Peter physically while Paul Okoye repeatedly said “shame on you” to his twin. The fight had ensued in PSquare’s lawyer’s office.

Peter later apologised to fans over the fight with his brother Paul although he maintained that there was no going back to the group.

Since PSquare split in 2017, there have been fans hoping that the brothers will reunite and they seemed to have gotten their wish in August 2020 when a video surfaced of Peter apologising to Paul over their issues. However, it turned out to be an old video.

Peter Okoye went on his Twitter page to write: “Stop wasting your time… that’s an old video 2015?… Forever MrP. The Prodigal Album Loading… #MrP” 

Mr P (Peter Okoye) Biography: Music career after PSquare split

After the popular PSquare group split up, Peter Okoye started his career as a solo artist with the stage name Mr P. Peter has not revealed how he came up with the moniker ‘Mr P’ but it is likely something that he had picked it up along the way during his more than 17 years as an artist.

Mr P first gave a hint of what to expect with a car performance of “Look Into My Eyes” in 2016. He eventually released the official music video for the song in 2018. Before then, he had released singles such as “Cool It Down” and “For My Head” in 2017.

In 2018, Mr P won his first award as a solo artist. He was awarded the Best International Male Artiste at International Achievement Recognition Awards (IARA).

He has other popular singles like “Ebeano”, “WOKIE WOKIE” (featuring Nyanda), “Zombie” (featuring Simi), and “One More Night” (featuring Niniola). Recently, he dropped the video for his single “Follow My Lead”, which features Wande Coal.

Mr P (Peter Okoye) Biography: Net worth

When Rudeboy was part of the PSquare group, the duo was regarded as the richest music group in Nigeria and even Africa as a whole. The brothers were once estimated worth at least $26 million. They appeared on Forbes List of 40 most influential celebrities.

Other sources claim that PSquare was worth about $20 million in 2017. However, since the group dissolved, their wealth has been split.

ICYMI: Psquare reportedly put their multi-million naira mansion in Ikeja up for sale

As of 2020, Mr P makes lots of money from brand ambassadorial deals with the likes of Adidas, KIA Motors Nigeria and Globacom. He also has a music recording deal with American record label Empire.

Mr P is considered among the top ten richest musicians in Nigeria and he is still one of the most expensive acts you can call on to perform at your event.

Mr P (Peter Okoye) Biography: Personal life

Peter Okoye or Mr P is married to Lola Omotayo (now Lola Omotayo-Okoye), a marketing representative whose mother is Russian. Mr P and Lola had dated for about seven years before they got married on 17th November 2013.

Their marriage was a big society event in Lagos and both local and international celebrities turned up for the ceremony. Genevieve Nnaji, Don Jazzy, Dr SID, Kate Henshaw, Emmanuel Adebayor, Aliko Dangote, Folorunsho Alakija, Rukky Sanda, Toke Makinwa, and more were some of the guests at Mr Peter Okoye’s wedding.

Mr P and his wife Lola have two children, a boy and a girl named Cameron and Aliona Okoye respectively.

In 2012, Peter Okoye lost his mother, Josephine Okoye. She had died in a hospital in Kolkata, India, where she had been undergoing treatment. His father, Mazi Moses Okoye died in 2014 of cardiac arrest.

Final thoughts…

Peter Okoye was one-half of the defunct PSquare duo that took Nigeria’s music industry by storm with their never-before-seen dance performances. Their quality music helped them to stay at the top for about 13 years before they split up with each member going his way.

Since Peter Okoye began making music as Mr P, he has shown that he is just as good a musician as he is a dancer, something that fans had misconstrued all these years. That he is still getting the numbers and securing the bags show that he is doing well.

We and many other music fans are thrilled to have witnessed the PSquare era and the one after it. It has been filled with outstanding songs and great memories. We wish Peter Okoye, aka Mr P, all the best as he continues to advance in his career.

Additional Peter Okoye (Mr P) information

Mr P as part of PSquare list of albums

1. Last Nite (2003) tracklist

• E No Good
• Last Nite
• Kolo
• Senorita
• Igbedu
• Dat Tin
• Mako Fiesta
• Bad Boy
• Last Nite (Remix)

2. Get Squared (2005) tracklist

• Story
• Bizz Body (ft. Waje)
• Oga Police
• Get Squared
• Say Your Love
• Your Name
• Temptation
• Omoge Mi (ft. Waje)
• E Don Happen
• Your Name (Remix)
• Bizzy Body (Instrumental)
• Get Squared (Instrumental)
• E Don Happen (Instrumental)

3. Game Over (2007) tracklist

• No One Like You
• Game Over
• Do Me (ft. Waje)
• Miss U Die
• Why E Be Say
• More Than A Friend
• Am I Still That Special Man?
• Ifunanya
• Stand Up
• Roll It
• Game Over (Uncensored)
• No One Like U (Instrumental)
• Do Me (Instrumental)
• Roll It (Instrumental)

4. Game Over Re-Issued version (2007) tracklist

• No One Like You
• Game Over
• Do Me (ft. Waje)
• Miss U Die
• Why E Be Say
• More Than A Friend
• Am I Still That Special Man?
• Ifunanya
• Stand Up
• Roll It
• Temptation (Bonus Track) (ft. Alaye)
• Bizzy Body (Bonus Track) (ft. Alaye)

5. Danger (2009) tracklist

• I Love You
• Trowey!
• Break It
• Possibility (ft. 2Face Idibia)
• Danger
• E No Easy (J Martins)
• Bye Bye
• Who Dey Here?
• Gimme Dat
• Super Fans
• Danger (Instrumental)
• Trowey! (Instrumental)
• Break It (Instrumental)
• E No Easy (Instrumental)

6. The Invasion (2011) tracklist

• Beautiful Onyinye (ft. Rick Ross
• Chop My Money (ft. May D)
• Asamkpokoto
• Do As I Do (ft. Tiwa Savage & May D)
• Forever
• Me and My Brother
• Jeje (ft. Waje)
• Bunieya Enu
• Ole Buruku
• Player
• She’s Hot (ft. Naeto C)
• Fire
• Anything
• Shake It Down Low (ft. Muna & Eva Alordiah)

7. Greatest Hits (2013) tracklist

• Alingo
• Do As I Do (ft. Tiwa Savage & May D)
• Jeje (ft. Waje)
• Shake It Down Low (ft. Muna & Eva Alordiah)
• Chop My Money (ft. Akon & May D)
• Mako Fiesta (Remix)
• Bizzy Body (Remix)
• Do Me (Remix)
• Game Over
• Your Name (Remix)
• Why E Be Say
• Danger
• No One Like You
• Ifunanya
• Temptation
• Personally (ft. J Martins)
• Beautiful Onyinye (ft. Rick Ross)

8. Double Trouble (2014) tracklist

• Shekini
• Missing You
• Bring It On (ft. Dave Scott)
• MMS (Mugu Money Spender)
• Ifeoma
• Ejeajo (ft. T.I)
• Collabo (ft. Don Jazzy)
• Ogadigide
• No Be Joke
• Enemy Solo (ft. Awilo Longomba)
• Sari Sari
• Zombie (ft. Jermaine Jackson)
• Ije Love
• Testimony
• Personally
• Alingo

Mr P notable singles

1. Cool It Down (2017)
2. For My Head (2017)
3. My Way (2018)
4. Look Into My Eyes (2018)
5. Ebeano (2018)
6. WOKIE WOKIE (ft. Nyanda) (2018)
7. Zombie (ft. Simi) (2018)
8. One More Night (ft. Niniola) (2019)
9. Too Late (2019)
10. Follow My Lead (ft. Wande Coal) (2020)

Mr P as part of PSquare list of awards

1. Best R&B/Pop Album at The Headies (2006)
2. Album of the Year at The Headies (2006)
3. Best Music Video at The Headies (2006)
4. Song of the Year at The Headies (2006)
5. Artiste of the Year at The Headies (2006)
6. Best Hip Hop Group at City Mag 9th Awards Show (2006)
7. Album of the Year at Nigerian Music Awards (NMA) (2006)
8. Music Video of the Year at Nigerian Music Awards (NMA) (2006)
9. Best Duo or Group at Channel O Music Video Awards (2007)
10. Best Duo or Group at Channel O Music Video Awards (2008)
11. Video of the Year at Channel O Music Video Awards (2008)
12. Best Group at MTV Africa Music Awards (2008)
13. Best Group at MTV Africa Music Awards (2009)
14. Artiste of the Year at KORA Awards (2010)
15. Best Group at MTV Africa Music Awards (2010)
16. Best Group at MTV Africa Music Awards (2010)
17. Producer of the Year at Lil Perry Productions (2010)
18. Most Gifted Group of the Year at Channel O Music Video Awards (2012)
19. Album of the Year at The Headies (2012)
20. Best R&B/Pop Album at The Headies (2012)
21. Most Gifted African (West) Video at Channel O Music Video Awards (2013)
22. Best Group at MTV Africa Music Awards (2015)
23. Artist of the Decade at MTV Africa Music Awards (2015)

Mr P Awards as a solo artist

1. Best International Male Artiste at International Achievement Recognition Awards (IARA) (2018)