Being from Odi, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, Timaya is known for combining Nigerian pop with elements of dancehall, hip-hop, and soca, as well as Afro-Caribbean/Dancehall music.

[4] His secondary education began at Nkpolu Oroworukwo in Port Harcourt,[2] where he often broke house rules to attend late-night music events.

[5] Timaya enrolled at the University of Port Harcourt, only to drop out after the first semester due to low grades,[4] eventually moving back to Lagos to join Eedris Abdulkareem's hip-hop group as a backup vocalist.

He began collaborations with fellow new artists and made his first cameo appearance in an unreleased music video by UDX, a Lagos-based rap group.

He gained further visibility and international prominence with his third studio album, De Rebirth, released in partnership with Black Body Entertainment and featuring the lead single, "Plantain Boy."

In 2010, Timaya was featured on the song "Kokoroko" by the female gospel artist Kefee, which won the Best Collaboration category at the 2010 Headies Awards.

Both artists were honored at the fourth annual Odudu Music Awards, alongside M-Trill, Sodi Cookey, Becky Enyioma, and Timi Dakolo.

It also included collaborations with 2Baba Idibia, Patoranking, Olamide, Sir Shina Peters, Deethi, Phyno, and Terry G.[11] In 2017, Timaya performed in Nassau, where he headlined the first-ever Afro-Soca Concert.

In 2023, Timaya's 2022 release, "Sweet Us," became a national hit and an anthem for the 2023 general elections,[13] after he reached an agreement with Nyesom Wike's band leader, Bamidele, who was the original creator of the song's chorus.