Article Was Last Updated August 31, 2026
El Corizo is a Nigerian rapper and singer from Edo State. He is known for songs such as “Run Am For Us”, “Story of Padi”, “Fake a SMILE”, “Inside Life” and “Oh Lord”. His songwriting centres on hardship, ambition, relationships, survival and personal experiences.
His real name is Courage Osula. Music credits for songs including “Fake a SMILE”, “Keep It Real” and “Overcome” identify Courage Osula as the songwriter.
Corizo’s career includes two 2021 albums, Chronicles of CORIZO and Dead Rose, followed by the GREAT FOOL EP and numerous singles and collaborations.
El Corizo Real Name, Age and Early Life
El Corizo’s real name is Courage Osula. He is from Osula in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, and he began developing his interest in rap while he was still in school.
Corizo has described himself through his music as an artist shaped by difficult experiences and the pursuit of success. His early writing focused on the situations around him, while his later recordings expanded those subjects into relationships, faith, ambition and street life.
His exact date of birth is commonly listed as 13 January, although the year varies across online biographies.
El Corizo Music Career
Corizo began recording and releasing music before establishing himself with his 2021 projects. “Legend” belongs to this earlier period and focuses on survival, ambition and the determination to succeed.
His breakthrough came with “Run Am For Us” featuring O Bad, a song that became closely associated with his early career. The recording later appeared on Chronicles of CORIZO, linking the single with the project that established much of his early catalogue.
His music career then expanded through albums, EPs and collaborations. Rather than relying on one release, he built a catalogue that includes emotional songs, motivational rap and storytelling records.
Run Am For Us and Corizo’s Music Style
“Run Am For Us” remains one of Corizo’s most recognised songs. The track uses the pressure of everyday life and the determination to keep going as central themes.
Those subjects also appear in “Oh Lord”, where Corizo turns the difficulties of making a living into a prayer for opportunity and progress. The song credits Courage Osula as its writer.
He takes a more personal approach in “Fake a SMILE”, released on Dead Rose in August 2021. The song addresses hardship, patience, ambition and the effort to remain positive during difficult periods. Shazam credits Courage Osula as the songwriter and Big Dawg Records DK as the label.
Corizo also uses storytelling in “Story of Padi”, which follows the experiences of a character dealing with hardship and continuing to pursue a better life. The song carries the same survival-focused writing that runs through several of his recordings.
His music moves between motivational rap, personal reflection and street storytelling. He frequently uses Nigerian Pidgin alongside English in his writing.
El Corizo Albums and EPs
Corizo released Chronicles of CORIZO in 2021. The album contains songs including “Run Am For Us”, “Oh Lord”, “Inside Life”, “Call Me The Devil”, “Hate”, “Down”, “Ready or Not” and “Ena Sarz”. Amazon Music lists the album among his 2021 releases.
He released Dead Rose later in 2021. The album includes “Dead Roses”, “Fake a SMILE”, “Take Off”, “This Kind Love”, “Freedom”, “Ghetto” and “Follow You”. Amazon Music lists Dead Rose as an album released in 2021.
Corizo followed those albums with GREAT FOOL, an EP released in 2022. The project contains five tracks, including “Great fool”, “AMENO”, “Haza”, “Mr superstar” and “Ella”.
His subsequent releases added more singles and collaborations to the discography, including music released in 2023 and 2024.
El Corizo Popular Songs
Corizo’s notable songs include:
- “Run Am For Us” featuring O Bad
- “Story of Padi”
- “Fake a SMILE”
- “Oh Lord”
- “Inside Life”
- “Dead Roses”
- “Call Me The Devil”
- “Wide Awake”
- “Pablo”
- “Legend”
- “Keep It Real”
- “Through the Storm”
- “Ready or Not”
- “Ena Sarz”
His catalogue also includes collaborations with artists such as Dee Will, Dee wayn, Dr Barz, Petsy, King Favour and Smur Lee.
El Corizo’s Recent Music
Corizo continued releasing music after his 2021 albums and 2022 EP.
His 2023 catalogue includes songs such as “Wide Awake”, “Pablo”, “Soulmate”, “Wayward”, “Antisocial”, “Roadman”, “Bully” and “Azaman”.
In 2024, he appeared on “Overcome” with Uncle P. The song was released on 9 August 2024, and its credits identify Courage Osula as a songwriter.
His more recent catalogue includes further singles and guest appearances, continuing his work across Nigerian hip-hop and street-oriented music.
El Corizo Record Label
Big Dawg Records appears in the credits for several Corizo recordings. Shazam identifies Big Dawg Records DK as the label for “Fake a SMILE”, while other Corizo recordings also carry Big Dawg Records credits.
Corizo’s association with Big Dawg Records forms part of the release history attached to several of his songs and projects.
El Corizo Streaming and Music Platforms
Corizo distributes his music through major digital music platforms, where listeners can access songs from Chronicles of CORIZO, Dead Rose, GREAT FOOL and his later singles.
His catalogue includes recordings from different stages of his career, allowing listeners to trace the progression from early motivational rap to more personal and collaborative material.
Streaming figures change as listeners play new and older releases. The number of streams on a platform also does not represent an artist’s personal income because payments depend on rights ownership, distribution arrangements and other commercial terms.
El Corizo Net Worth in 2026
Estimates place El Corizo net worth in 2026 between $20,000 and $100,000, depending on streaming performance, shows, and endorsements.
El Corizo net worth in dollars is commonly estimated at around $75,000. In naira, it’s in the tens of millions.
Corizo earns money through his song sales, music downloads, concerts, and endorsement deals.
Although El Corizo has not made it to the top as one of the richest musicians in Nigeria, the fact is that his earnings will keep on rising as time progresses.
El Corizo Personal Life
Corizo keeps much of his personal life separate from his music career. He is a Christian and attends a Bible-believing church in Lagos. Corizo currently lives in Lagos, Nigeria, where he continues to build his music career as an independent artist.
There’s no proof that Corizo is married. Nobody has written about him having a wife, and there are no interviews or official records that say he does.
Although he has been described as being in a serious relationship with a young woman whose identity he keeps private. He does not post pictures of his partner online.
El Corizo’s relationship status remains private, and there is no confirmed information about his girlfriend.
His house and cars are kept private as well, away from media attention.
El Corizo’s lifestyle is relatively low-profile, with a focus on music and career development.
Many people believe he has the potential to win the Headies Next Rated Award in the future.
El Corizo Discography
Albums
- Chronicles of CORIZO — 2021
- Dead Rose — 2021
EP
- GREAT FOOL — 2022
Selected songs
- “Run Am For Us”
- “Story of Padi”
- “Fake a SMILE”
- “Oh Lord”
- “Inside Life”
- “Dead Roses”
- “Call Me The Devil”
- “Legend”
- “Wide Awake”
- “Pablo”
- “Keep It Real”
- “Through the Storm”
- “Ready or Not”
- “Ena Sarz”
- “Overcome”
