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I hate to be one of those people, but while I appreciate the wide range of Afrobeats at the moment, a part of me is still nostalgic about the songs and artistes who raised me.
I’ve been listening to some of them again recently, so I decided to give them their flowers and do a little digging to find out what some of them are up to now.
Olu Maintain
Nigeria is never beating these 419 allegations because how did a song about doing yahoo-yahoo become the country’s unofficial anthem in 2007? Olu Maintain’s Yahoozee was so big I remember watching him perform it in front of then-President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
But even before Yahoozee, Olu Maintain was responsible for 1990s hits like Catch Cold and Wifey.
Mo’Cheddah
Miley Cyrus’ Hannah Montana might’ve raised some of you, but my teen female pop icon was, and will always be, Mo’Cheddah. This babe gave attitude, fashion and range with songs like If You Want Me and Ko Ma Roll. No one was doing it like Mo’Cheddah from 2009 to 2010, both within and outside rap in Nigeria.
Even though Mo has given up music for the lifestyle-content-creator-mummy lifestyle, she’s still one of the baddest to ever do it, and that’s on Mary and her little lamb.
Naeto C
For millennial Nigerians, life is divided into life before Naeto C’s Kini Big Deal and life after. Economies were saved, clubs were popping, MP3 players were on fire, and life was good, all because Naeto C sang the lyrics, “Wahalai lai talai, gimme lighter. Shebi shebi, we’re on fire.”
Naeto C has evolved from yummy rapper to yummy Instagram daddy and husband. Even though I want new music, watching him and Nicole Chikwe serve couple goals is enough for me.
Terry G
Is it me, or did Terry G’s Free Madness come out 15 years too early? We were all relatively sane when he dropped that and Akpako, but after the shege we’ve seen over the years, omo, Nigerians are currently running on madness, vibes and long island.
I discovered that Terry G still makes music, so I feel this is the right time for Free Madness 3.0. Does anyone have his WhatsApp number so I can pitch my idea?
Soul E’s short run in the Nigerian music industry feels like a fever dream. One minute he’s climbing charts with Soul E Baba and singing with 2Face on E Be Like Say. Next thing, the man is announcing that he’s an apostle.
Happy for you, sir, but you could still drop a gospel album. I won’t be mad at that.
Kas
I know what you’re thinking, “Conrad, but Kas had only two hit songs, Fimile and Whine for Me“, and my response is:
Imagine leaving such an indelible impression with just two songs that people still ask of you over ten years later? I mean, look at the material. But like Soul E, Kas is now a man of God, so we’ll have to manage these songs until we get raptured or something.
Shank
Before Burna Boy began serving dancehall-inspired jams like Run My Race and Check & Balance, Shank was the original don gorgon of reggae and dancehall in Nigeria. Remember Julie and Ghetto? Shank was the music industry’s resident bad boy, churning out hits and getting tattoos like it was nobody’s business (to be fair, it’s actually no one’s business).
If there’s one rap song I can rap bar for bar with a gun to my head, it’s Sasha’s 2007 hit, Adara. Dropping the song as a response to the haters who called her a one-hit wonder after the success of 2004’s Emi Le Gan, Adara was a significant part of my early teens. Even though I couldn’t see them, I was super confident I had haters too.
Sasha, we don’t have a lot of female rappers in Nigeria today. Do you maybe want to help us with an album or two?
K-pop has been in our faces for a long time, so it’s impossible to say you’ve not heard any K-pop songs. Whether you listened on purpose or not, it’s the perfect earworm that finds a way to you, especially if you’re a big movie watcher, gamer, or you’re just chronically online.
You might not be a stan yet, but if you can identify all 11 songs in this article, my brother in Christ, you’re one deliberate listen away from being a K-pop fan.
Fantastic Baby – BIGBANG
This song appeared on Glee and in the Pitch Perfect 2 trailer. If you watched both, there’s no way “Wow. Fantastic baby” wasn’t stuck in your head for days. Give it a proper listen.
Remember that scene in Justice League, where Batman is just sitting in the Flash’s liar like he paid the rent? I’ve always found it funny that BLACKPINK’s As if It’s Your Last was playing on a desktop monitor in the background. Yeah, that’s why you know that chorus.
Kill This Love – BLACKPINK
Every other day, someone on the internet remembers how cute the To All The Boys I’ve Ever Loved movies were. I always fight the urge to tell them that BLACKPINK was all over the OST. This is probably the most popular one, and it’s from the scene where Lara Jean tries to be a supportive girlfriend. It’s her GRWM montage.
Hangover by PSY ft Snoop Dogg
You probably heard this song in the first Black Panther movie and bop-ed to it even though you couldn’t sing along. Come on, give it a second listen. Watch your brain remember how it felt to listen to it the first time. If you don’t remember it, ask us for your data money back.
I Am The Best – 2NE1
For fans of dance movies where the mean character does these super complicated routines, you probably heard 2NE1’s I Am The Best in Work It. Or you were to busy staring at Keiynan Lonsdale to hear it.
ZimZalabim and Russian Roulette – Red Velvet
Where are all my adults who watch kid’s cartoons? If you saw Trolls 2, you’d remember the scene where the main trolls kept meeting other trolls with different music tastes. ZimZalabimand Russian Roulette probably got stuck in your head for days afterwards.
https://youtu.be/9h8ZL3xRHsQ
Friends – BTS
Was this a super short music cameo? Yes, but how can you say you didn’t notice Friends playing in the background? Chelsea, come on now. It’s BTS.
Dynamite – BTS
We can pretend you know half the lyrics of this song from Clifford The Big Red Dog, but we both know you don’t even know where you heard it the first time. It’s okay. You like K-pop, and nobody will beat you for that.
How You Like That – BLACKPINK
I’m actually convinced that when two or three people are gathered, one person knows how to sing How You Like That. My source? “I no go lie give you”. I probably heard it first on Hotel Transylvania, and TikTok didn’t help either.
Euphoria – BTS
Remember that cute scene on Euphoria, where Kat and Ethan finally admit to liking each other, and the background turns purple, and Euphoria by BTS plays loudly in the background? You didn’t miss it. In fact, fill in the blank: “You are the cause of my…” Exactly. You know the song.
Lucifer – SHINee
Where are the fans of the Lucifer series? Season three, episode 13, starts with Lucifer fighting a Korean drug dealing group to the same-title song by SHINee.
Bonus if you use TikTok
You know at least six of these catchy songs: Zoo – NCT x Aespa, DDU-DU DDU-DU – BLACKPINK, Money – Lisa, The Feels – TWICE, Butter – BTS, Christmas EveL – Stray Kids, Loco – Itzy, Love Shot – EXO, ASAP– StayCand Attention – NewJeans.
Nobody will judge you for even knowing the choreography thanks to TikTok. Of course, you fell victim to good music. Now, go and listen on purpose this time.
Ajebutter 22 is not your mate when it comes to this alté music thing; that man is your daddy. Way before artistes like Cruel Santino, Odunsi the Engine and Tems helped make alté music and culture popular, Ajebutter was dropping bangers people didn’t quite get but still loved.
With his new album, Soundtrack to the Good Life, featuring collaborations with Oxlade, Ajebo Hustlers and Ladipoe, I decided to look through Ajebutter’s collab discography and rank these songs based on how alté they are
Omo Pastor featuring BOJ
Eight years before Beyoncé made a song for church girls on Renaissance in 2022, Ajebutter 22 and BOJ dropped Omo Pastor, a hilarious song that describes the adventures of a pastor’s daughter they know. While Beyonce’s church girl can drop it like a thotty, Ajebutter’s omo pastor is the superior babe here, downing four bottles of beer in one sitting right after choir practice and prayer meeting.
Alté-ness of the song: 9/10. This was Ajebutter and BOJ’s first major hit, and even though many people weren’t used to the sound, it crossed over into mainstream culture big time. Shoutout to Seyi Shay for flying that fence in the video.
Serenre featuring Taymi B
You just had to be there when Ajebutter’s Serenre first hit the streets. No one knew what the song meant, but it was provocative, it got the people going. I remember hearing it for the first time on Ndani TV’s Gidi Up back in 2012 and going, “Whoa, who TF is this?” The sound was fresh and groundbreaking if we’re keeping it 100.
Alté-ness of the song: 8/10. This is Ajebutter 22’s Like to Party, his Dami Duro, his Ojuelegba — his game changer.
Damiloun featuring Show Dem Camp and BOJ
You know it’s a vibe when you see Show Dem Camp’s name on a track that opens with the line, “classic”. Teaming up with my fave rappers and his music husband, BOJ, Ajebutter 22 delivers a romantic bop that’s perfect for trad weddings. You can’t listen to Damiloun and not think of firewood jollof rice and aunties asking you when they’ll be coming to your own wedding.
Alté-ness of the song: 7/10. This song has all the OGs of alté music. Chelsea, come on now.
Tungba featuring BOJ
Another Ajebutter and BOJ record? Hell, yes! These two work so well together they’ve dropped two EPs over the years — Make E No Cause Fight in 2018, which had Tungba, and Make E No Cause Fight 2 with Falz.
Alté-ness of the song: 8/10. The fact that the word alté became a thing after BOJ mentioned it on Paper is enough to have Ajebutter’s BOJ features occupy the top 5.
A song that finds Ajebutter 22 threatening his lover with an overdose of enjoyment? Inject it, please. In a collaboration destined to happen (Ajebutter 22 and Ajebo Hustlers, get it?) Ajebutter reminds his babe that the butter in his name isn’t there for decoration. My guy is really about that soft life.
Alté-ness of the song: 5/10. This might not be an alté song, but it’s my song for sure. I have an Ajebo Hustler bias.
Lekki featuring M.I Abaga and Odunsi the Engine
M.I Abaga’s 2017 EP, Rendezvous, was a big creative risk that paid off. After years of wearing Nigeria’s rap king crown, M.I pushed himself by working with artists like Nonso Amadi, Cruel Santino and Tomi Thomas, who were growing the alté scene at the time. But if there’s one track that stood out on that EP, it’s Lekki with Odunsi the Engine, Ajebutter 22 and Falz. Powered by a house-inspired beat, these men spend over four minutes coming for girls who prefer men who live in Lekki.
Alté-ness of the song: 4/10. Outside of the runs girl obsession, this song actually works. MI was able to curate a sound that appeals to his core fans and the alté crowd. None of the artistes sounded out of place, but maybe it’s because they were talking about something they seemed to be super passionate about.
Bad Gang featuring Falz
Remember when Ajebutter and Falz made themselves the morality police with Bad Gang in 2017? From those who love wearing all black and taking shots to those who don’t comb their hair (I’m bald, can’t relate), no one was safe from Falz and Ajebutter’s stray bullets. Bad Gang also started Falz and Ajebutter’s unnecessary obsession with runs girls.
Alté-ness of the song: 3/10. While Bad Gang is a bop, Falz was never an alté artist, and don’t get me started on that “body count going way up” line. We do not slut-shame in this house, dears.
Amapiano x Shisha featuring Toby Shang
Ajebutter 22 making amapiano music is shocking but still very much on brand. His signature baritone skates so seamlessly over the amapiano beat that I can’t imagine him doing anything else. This is one Ajebutter song that has the clubs in a chokehold.
Alté-ness of the song: 2/10. It’s not an alté song, but it slaps harder than pounded yam and efo riro. Something about Toby Shang shouting, “Amapiano is the rave right now” just sends me. Not him saying what we already know like it’s brand new information.
At just 22 years old, it’s safe to say T.I Blaze is living his best life.
When he dropped his breakout single, Sometimes, in August 2021, with lyrics like “Steady grindin wan tire me” and “When no one to ginger me, I ginger myself,” TI Blaze put into words what most Nigerians were feeling after a global pandemic, the #EndSARs protests and daily struggle to beat the weapon fashioned against us AKA Nigeria.
Getting a remix with Olamide barely six months after the song’s release shot T.I Blaze into the stratosphere of fame. What followed was The Fresh Prince of Lagos EP and a couple of hit singles.
With the release of his debut album, El Major in November 2022, T.I Blaze is looking to cement his position as one of Nigeria’s biggest rising stars. He talks to Zikoko about going into music to impress a crush, meeting his idol and why he doesn’t see himself as just another street artist.
First off, congrats on the new album. But, bro, how did you run an EP and an album in the same year?
Bro, thanks man. I don’t think I’m the first to do this EP and album thing, though. Ayra Starr did it in 2021 when she came out. I’m always working, and it’s good to feed the fans with music back-to-back. Who am I singing for? I can’t let them rest.
Does it ever get tiring?
More than 80 per cent of my life is spent between the studio, interviews, shooting a video or a photoshoot — but it’s the life I wanted. I knew that’s what I was signing up for when I decided to become an entertainer.
Plus, I recorded some of these songs early last year. Alone was recorded in March, and then, I called Bella Shmurda to be on it. I just held on to the song.
How do you know it’s time to drop a song, EP or album?
I track streaming. For instance, let’s say a song used to get one million streams before, and now, it’s doing 25k, then I know it’s time to drop something new.
Serious monitoring spirit vibes. But before we get into the album, how did Akintunde Abiodun Timileyin become T.I Blaze?
If we’re starting from the beginning, then I’d say I had a very rough, no, mid childhood. I lived in a one-bedroom with my parents and younger brother in Agbado, Ogun State. My mum and grandma were choir mistresses, my dad played a lot of music in the house, and my older brother played instruments in church, so music was there, but no one took it seriously outside of the church.
It all started around 2014 when I was in secondary school. I wanted to be a rapper like Lil Kesh, but I didn’t get the chance to enter a studio until 2018 when one bros allowed me to record my first song, Asiko, in his studio.
What was that like?
Man, I was so happy. I didn’t even mind that I had no money and had to trek for two hours back home. That was the first song I played for my parents, and I remember my mum praying for me. Nothing serious happened until I moved out two years later, when I turned 20.
Moved out ke? To where and with what money?
It was 2020, and I didn’t have anything. I moved out and started crashing with one producer I knew. I couldn’t even ask my mum for money because she’d warned me about moving out, but I did it anyway because I wanted to be independent. I was recording and doing backup for artists who came to the producer’s studio. I even wrote songs and sold them without writer’s credit for quick cash because I needed to eat.
I lived like that until August 2021, when I met Shocker (producer for Small Doctor and Portable). This was the first time I was meeting a big-time producer, so I was nervous AF. We were freestyling when I sang that “Sometimes food no dey give man joy, but Canadian loud the feeling is different” line, and the studio went crazy. We recorded Sometimes that day, and even though they all thought it’d be a hit, I didn’t believe them.
Why?
I’d been recording songs, but nothing was happening. They were right sha because the song got like 300k streams in five days. But I was still on the streets looking rough until December that year, when I got to do some shows and earn enough money to support myself and family.
How did the remix with Baddo happen?
Mehn, I was on my own in January 2022, when my phone started blowing up that Olamide had posted my song on his story with a heart emoji. I actually started crying when I saw it. Even though I wasn’t verified, and he wasn’t following me, I got the ginger to DM him to say thank you. And as soon as he responded, I sent him one long message, begging him to be on the remix.
It was long o. I was nervous, so I just kept typing. He responded, “Okay”. He then sent an address and number and asked me to come to his place the next day.
Just like that?
I thought I was dreaming. I almost fainted when I got there and saw him in person. I introduced myself, we gisted for a while about my career and the things I wanted to do before entering his studio to record the remix. I asked him when we should drop it, and he was like, “Are you a joke? Omo, drop this thing tomorrow.”
That remix changed my life.
I have a feeling Akintunde from secondary school never saw this coming
I swear! I knew I had what it took, but I didn’t think I’d get this far. I thought I’d just blow on an “Omo Adugbo” level where people on my street or two streets after that know me.
Why didn’t you think it was possible? And when did it hit you that you had the talent?
Coming from the streets, I didn’t allow myself to dream too big. As for talent, I started singing because I had a crush on a girl when I got into SS1. I wrote a song for her called Long Time.
Okay, lover boy
I remember the lyrics: “Long time, long time, ti mo ba e soro.” I sang it in front of the class, and they didn’t believe I wrote it. All my classmates kept saying the song sounded like it was already out. That was the moment I realised I had something. If these guys in my class thought it was a hit song, then maybe this is what I’m meant to do.
You have an album now, so I guess you were right.
LOL.
Talking about El Major, you have a couple of collaborations with Ladipoe, Bella Shmurda, Camidoh, Skibii, FAVE and Backroad Gee. But I’m curious to know which collab took the longest and why?
I would’ve said Omah Lay, but he had stuff going on and didn’t make the album in the end. Play with FAVE took a lot of time to set up because of scheduling. I love her music, and she was one of the first people to post my song on her socials and tag me. I wanted her on the album, so I’m happy we both got to work together with Rexxie.
Of all the 13 tracks, which is the most personal to you?
The second track, Benefit. I listen to it over and over again because it gingers even me, the artiste that sang it. But there’s also Alone,Far Away and Play. Don’t make me pick one, abeg.
Fair. Panic and Fire Down show a more romantic side of T.I Blaze. In a time when everyone is singing about “chasing the bag”, what inspired these songs?
Have you forgotten my first song was a love song for the girl in my class? Romance has always been a part of me. I love Burna Boy’s music and how he’s able to find that balance between singing about the craziness around him and how he feels. I’m not copying him, but I don’t want to box myself as a street artiste. I sing about my experiences and life — love is a part of my life.
I can’t be chasing the bag every time.
About love and the bag, Try and Lock Up talk about women who only love you when you have money or access. Is there a breakfast story here?
That crush from my secondary school ended up leaving me for my teacher.
I’m dead.
That was my first breakfast. When a girl leaves you for another guy, it’ll pain you small. But a teacher? Haba. The teacher knew I liked her and kept using me as a scapegoat for everything, but I chested it. I managed from SS1 to SS3, and this teacher frustrated me throughout.
That’s messed up. Do you and this girl still talk?
Bro, she texts me. I still have the same number I used before I blew, and I’m still on my secondary school’s WhatsApp group. We say hi once in a while. Nothing can happen between us.
But how is the relationship thing going now that you’re popular?
I’m dating people, but I’m too young to be in a serious relationship.
That makes sense. So what did El Major teach you about yourself as a person and as an artist?
Making this album showed me how much I enjoy making music that ginger people. I want people to hear my stories and say, “Yeah, I can do it too.” I could make music about booty all day, but I want to talk about my life.
What’s next?
I don’t know what’s next. I need the album to have a significant impact, and from there, I’ll figure out where I’m going as an artist.
Wizkid has hinted that he’s going on a tour with Davido. *screaming*
Even though Big W hasn’t given us a date or a list of locations yet, I’ve taken it upon myself to create a setlist. Are you really a fan if you don’t help your faves plan every aspect of their lives?
Let’s get into this setlist.
The Beginning
The show has to open with a blast from the past. Before we get to the colour-coordinated fashion icon Wizkid, we need to revisit the Mohawk and shambala-wearing Wizkid of hits like Holla at Your Boy and Pakurumo. The same goes for Davido, who made carrot jeans super popular with hisDami Duro video back in 2012.
For Me featuring Wande Coal/Back When featuring Naeto C
Major collaborations off their first albums
Underrated Bops
Davido and Wizkid have massive hits, but we still need to appreciate the bops that were either ahead of their time or drowned out by a busy year.
Daddy Yo/Like Dat
Two songs that were way ahead of their time.
Fever/Tanana featuring Tiwa Savage
A Tiwa Savage cameo and duet? I couldn’t have planned this better.
Steady/Nwa Baby
Nwa Baby deserved so much more just because of the lyric, “My baby, no feeding bottle”, alone.
Lover Boys
This is when all the lovers in the audience start heavy PDA, and the single people whisper, “God, when?”
Love My Baby/Aye
Davido and Wizkid’s biggest love songs, in my opinion.
Sweet Love/1Milli
Are you really getting married if the DJ doesn’t play one of these?
True Love/FIA
Tay Iwar’s vocals are amazing on True Love. And Davido screaming, “You for dey for me” and “Shukushaka aya shoemaker” will definitely get the crowd hyped up.
The real party is about to start. Drink some water and stretch as we dive into some of the biggest hits that helped cement Davido and Wizkid’s position as modern-day Afrobeat legends.
Energy (Stay Far Away) featuring Skepta/If
Wizkid kicking things off with a Skepta hit and Davido finishing it with If feels like a good start.
On Top Your Matter/Jowo
These men were gone when they made these bops. May bumbum and love not land us in trouble.
Jaiye Jaiye featuring Femi Kuti/The Best featuring Mayorkun
Songs that have Davido and Wizkid singing about being GOATs who deserve all the best things in the world? Inject it, please.
Beat of Life featuring Sarz/Champion Sound featuring Focalistic
Two collaborations that can turn any gathering into a major rave.
After years of “Are they friends?” or “Are they beefing?” Wizkid and Davido are finally working together. And no, it’s not a song; it’s a freaking tour. What God cannot do does not exist for real.
With two of Nigeria’s biggest stars burying the past under a concert stage, it’s time for other “beefing” celebrities to take the high road, reconcile and work together. Nigeria is tough. We need this, dears.
Burna Boy and Davido
Only God knows when the beef between these two started because it’s been on since Mary Slessor stopped the killing of twins in Calabar. From throwing shade on Fem and Way Too Big, to throwing hands in a Ghanaian nightclub in 2020, this beef has been messy AF.
With Big W and OBO entering the BFF zone, I hope he helps mend the fence with Odogwu so their tour will have three GOATs, not just two.
As two of the biggest new acts in the game, BNXN and Ruger’s beef has been mad entertaining and educative — remember the streaming farms gist? But you know what would make this beef sweeter? A joint tour. Imagine getting to watch Asiwaju and Kilometer live in one night.
2Baba and Blackface
Is it me, or should we have an age limit for beefs? Like, no one should be nursing a beef and pushing 50 at the same time. Our daddies, are you guys not tired? 2Baba and Blackface’s beef is older than some Gen Zs, and it’s high time they squash it, hit up Faze and head out on a Plantashun Boiz reunion tour. Trust me, millennials like me need this.
Naira Marley and MohBad
Even though MohBad had been hinting at trouble in paradise for a while, his public beef with Naira Marley in 2022 still had most of us shook. The situation between MohBad and his record label boss was so serious they had to involve a couple of “My lord, May I?” to settle the issue. With the wounds still fresh, and MohBad out with his diss track, Tiff, there’s a high chance we’ll have to wait like three more years for a reconciliation tour. But fingers and wallets crossed sha.
Imagine going to a salon to get your edges laid, only to watch two of Nigeria’s biggest acts drag themselves by their edges? That’s the live show some people got in 2021 when Tiwa Savage went ham on Seyi Shay because she dissed her in a Kizz Daniel #fuckyouchallenge.
Even though these two have been real quiet about the incident for a while now, I’m sure the fans would kill to watch Tiwa Savage’s take on Irawo and Seyi Shay’s version of Kele Kele at a joint concert.
Ladies, what say you?
Omah Lay and Victony
BNXN and Ruger couldn’t just fake beef with each other in peace, they decided to help launch another beef between Omah Lay and Victony. While trying to defend BNXN in 2022, Omah Lay called Victony a child, and let’s just say it really made him kolomental. This beef ended up undercooked, as it didn’t even last up to a week.
But when you think about it, the best way to show all is forgiven is by collaborating, so I’ll need Omah Lay and Victony to cook up something for the emo-lover boys this year.
Zlatan and DJ Cuppy
Bold of DJ Cuppy and Zlatan to assume I’d let them beef after they gave me my number one guilty pleasure jam, Gelato.
This beef went public when DJ Cuppy revealed that Zlatan had blocked her everywhere after they worked together. And to make matters worse, Zlatan denied Cuppy like Peter did Jesus when he was asked about her on a show. Ouch.
They’ve settled now, but we still need a follow-up to Gelato before the end of 2023. Please, do it for the culture, Florence.
If you dream of being a rapper and don’t know how to tell your Nigerian parents, this article is for you. If not, you might want to read something else and be blessed.
Now, my future rap kings and queens, let’s get into these tips.
Tell them you want to rap for Christ
So many musicians started out as gospel artists. Who says that can’t be your story? There’s a higher chance your parents will allow you to start your rap career if they know you’ll rap your way through the gates of heaven.
At least, drop one gospel album before you start rapping about bagging shorties and imaginary Ferraris.
Bribe them with grandkids
If you won’t be the first tech inventor in your family, the least you can do is give your parents a new batch of children to project their hopes and dreams on. Or what do you think?
Show them how much Nigerian doctors and lawyers are making
It’s important to remind your parents that doctors are the ones going on strike every week, not rappers. Doctors and lawyers were ballers back in your parents’ era, but these days, not so much. If your parents don’t believe you, take them to Quilox to see who’s buying tables and Azul. Why do you think people say, “dinner with Jay Z” and not Dr Ben Carson?
Tell them you saw the rap career in your dream
Imagine your parents telling you not to be a rapper after you’ve told them it came to you in a dream. In fact, If they start to argue too much, just pull out receipts of all the times they stopped you from going out or doing shit because they had a dream. Sorry o, Martin Luther King. Unless they can dream a dream that’ll match your own, case closed.
In a delicate situation like this, it’s essential to speak to Nigerian parents through the medium they understand — WhatsApp. Send a broadcast message to one of your aunts, and watch the gist spread everywhere. By the time the story gets to your parents, all the people they would want to hide it from would’ve already heard the gist. No need for them to say, “What will people say?”
Rap about your plans to become a rapper
Do you know what’s better than talking to your parents about your rap dreams? Rapping to them about your rap dreams. The best way to convince anyone you’re good at something is by doing that thing. Freestyle for your parents. If it slaps, they’ll support you. If it’s trash, well, at least you tried.
Remind them of all your sibling’s fuck-ups
Your parents need to know you’re not the only disappointment. Let them weigh all their children’s fuck-ups and realise you’re a saint in the grand scheme of things.
Blow first…e get why
How can your parents argue when you have thousands of followers and a song that’s everywhere? Money stops nonsense, so move in silence until you have enough fame and success to shut your parents up.
Have you ever heard a song title and gotten deja vu, like you’ve heard that title before? Well, that’s exactly how I felt when I heard Mavin’s Won Da Mo — Burna Boy dropped a song with the same title almost ten years earlier, in 2013.
Because Zikoko pays me to do weird things, I decided to hunt for more songs that share the same title, and let’s just say, the list is long.
Jailer
Even though Olamide and Asa’s songs share the same title, they couldn’t be more different from each other. While Asa spends time begging for freedom from her jailer AKA Nigeria, Olamide is in another corner begging his own jailer to suffocate him with bumbum. The interesting thing is I agree with both of them.
Mavin’s Won Da Mo was one of the biggest songs of 2022, used in TikToks left, right and centre. Do you want to guess what one of the biggest songs of 2013 was? Yep, Burna Boy’s Won Da Mo. Crazy coincidence of divine alignment?
Kilometre or Kilometer
If Burna Boy is British and BNXN is American, what am I?
All Over
Between Tiwa Savage wanting to “scatter the club and dance like say na fight” and Magixx willing to wait for ten years because of one person, I don’t know who this love thing was affecting the most. They really meant it when they called their songs All Over, because it’s clear they’re both down bad.
Everybody and their daddy knows Lojay and Sarz’s Monalisa, but what if I told you Ruger also has a song called Monalisa? While Ruger’s version might not be as popular as Lojay’s or his new song, Asiwaju, I’ll give it major props for the hilarious line, “I want to deplete your ozone layer. Give you tungba tungba”.
Cruel Santino and Adekunle Gold might not have sang about giving their lives to a higher spiritual power, but at least, they got badass features from Amaarae and Fatouma Diawara respectively. If you thought any of these songs were religious, I’d tell you for free, Santino has a line that goes, “I got your jet wet”. Do with that information what you will.
Anoti
Almost 13 years after grabbing my attention for the first time with his chorus on M.I’s Fast Money, Fast Cars, Wizkid dropped Anoti, a song that shares the same title as another popular M.I song. However, if there’s one thing Wizkid’s version did, it reminds me I still don’t know the meaning of Anoti, after all these years. Any ideas?
Apollo
The fact that Victony, Tay Iwar and Show Dem Camp don’t see a girl making them catch Apollo as a red flag proves that Nigerian men are the most romantic men on earth. We might do a little bit of cheating here and there, but no one comes close when it’s down to professing love. If you don’t believe me, try other men and see.
Energy
Whether it’s asking people with bad vibes to stay away, like Skepta and Wizkid on Energy (Stay Far Away), or reminding the haters that they can’t steal my power, like Runtown on Energy, all songs with the word “energy” highkey represent my mood for 2023.
Amin
Dammy Krane and Ayra Starr’s Amin are two spiritual bops sharing the same name and theme — praying and believing the best is yet to come.
With hit after hit, Asake put his foot on our necks, marking one of the biggest runs the industry has seen since Naira Marley’s 2019 breakout. Can Asake’s big break be replicated? Probably not anytime soon. But there’s a high chance the artistes on this list could end up as major breakout stars by the time we close out 2023.
Seyi Vibez
The biggest underdog of 2022, Seyi Vibez has become one of the most streamed artists in Nigeria without the backing of a label — even though fans are just finally getting to attach a face to the sound and name.
Building his following organically, with honest stories about his early days in Ikorodu and the complex reality of adjusting to fame, Seyi has used songs like Chance (Na Am), God Sent, +234 and Para Boi to keep Nigerians in a chokehold, and we’re here for it.
Odumodublvck
Rap is not dead in Nigeria, it’s changing, and Odumodublvck is one of the rappers at the forefront of this movement.
One of the pioneers of the Nigerian drill scene, his fearless lyrics and high-life-inspired melodies have called out the government on Potor-Potor, spoken against police brutality on Bloody Pavements and soundtracked some of the biggest raves in the country with Agbalagba. Closing out 2022 with the addictive single, Picanto, Odumodu and his Okpu Agu seem set to take over 2023 with vim.
Bloody Civilian
We were all psyched when the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack dropped. After being excluded from the first film’s soundtrack, it felt good to see Nigerians dominating the conversation this time. But among heavyweights like Burna Boy, Rema and Tems, was Bloody Civilian, an artist not many people had heard of before. Wake Up, Bloody Civilian’s entry on the Marvel Soundtrack was a loud, rousing banger, but it had nothing on her follow-up single, How to Kill a Man.
Remember how Tems and Ayra Starr came and changed the game? There’s a high chance 2023 might be Bloody Civilian’s year.
TAR1Q
TAR1Q’s 2022 EP Son of the Moon might be just 15 minutes long, but it still manages to make a strong introduction to the type of artiste he’ll be. From the opening track, Emotions, which has him in love with two women, to Dear Insecurities, the album-closer on which he battles with his inner demons, TAR1Q shows different sides of himself, all while making the five-track project cohesive AF.
If you’ve spent hours listening to Omah Lay, you need to add TAR1Q to your playlist ASAP!
Bayanni
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF8xqCf-ArE
Mavin Records’ latest signee might not have a face as famous as Ayra Starr or Rema, but best believe you’ve heard his voice before.
From his star-making verse on the label’s 2022 hit, Won Da Mo, to the viral TikTok sound coined from his single, Ta Ta Ta, Bayanni has proven himself a worthy baton-collector in the Mavin hit-making factory. The next move? Increase social media presence and push a unique personality Nigerians can relate to.
Not everyone can successfully turn 15 seconds of fame into a thriving singing career, but that’s exactly what Ugoccie did after Do You Really Love Me? her TikTok parody of Rotimi’s My Bedtransitioned into a bonafide hit. Since then, the rapper/singer has worked with artists like Phyno and Niniola on her 2022 debut EP, A Piece of Me. Best believe you’ll see and hear a lot of Ugoccie’s cheeky humour in 2023.
Lobi
Lobi’s Freemotion is hands down one of the most underrated debut projects of 2022. A deadly combination of Wande Coal-like circa Ololufe falsettos, Tay Iwar-inspired harmonies and the seductive BDE of The Weeknd before the whole pop fiasco, Lobi’s take on R&B feels familiar yet distinct. From the brooding Roses to the self-assured No Pressure, Lobi makes his mark in under 20 minutes, and now, we want more.
Efe Oraka
Efe Oraka is no stranger to the game. Stealing hearts with her 2017 single, Wonderland, Efe quickly became a fave of SoundCloud babies just around the time artistes like Odunsi the Engine and Cruel Santino started to achieve widespread attention.
While she’s been on and off for a while, Efe’s ethereal voice has only gotten better with each project, as evidenced by her 2022 singles, No More and Damn, Daniel. Hopefully, she puts out more music and finally claims the alt. R&B princess crown that’s been waiting for her.
Major AJ
Afrobeats is constantly evolving, with new iterations popping up every day. Rema helped make Afro-Rave a thing, and before him, Fireboy DML introduced audiences to Afro-Life with Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps. Now, thanks to Major AJ, a new sound is brewing, and he calls it Afro Disco.
Taking elements from the strings that carried some of our parents’ fave highlife and funk records of the 80s, Major AJ’s EP, Retroverse, was a major standout of 2022. With tracks like Taboo and Mr Lover (which samples Angelique Kidjo’s Agolo) bringing the past into the present, I can only imagine what new musical territory Major AJ will explore in 2023.
SirBastien
SirBastien makes music for misunderstood Gen Zs who get tattoos when they’re sad and profess their love by sending playlists. While I don’t do any of these things, I still deeply connect to SirBastien’s music because he reminds me of a Frank Ocean and Thundercat love child.
After 2022 which saw him work with Rihanna and Tems on the Black Panther soundtrack, there’s no telling where SirBastien’s music might take him in 2023. But I’m down for the ride as long as he remains quirky and exciting.
Since debuting on the scene as the fresh yet familiar voice that carried hooks for MI and Ice Prince, Brymo has charted a unique path for himself as an artist. His music has successfully straddled the lines between catchy Afropop on his debut album, The Son of a Kapenta,and alternative-leaning sounds on his later projects.
But being a musical fave doesn’t excuse reckless behaviour. And reckless doesn’t even begin to cover Brymo’s antics since we stepped into 2023.
For those unaware of Brymo’s recent misadventures, here’s a quick recap: He started off the year with a tweet on January 4th that described an Igbo presidency as a “pipe dream” because of ongoing talks about Biafra. For context, Brymo had, in May of 2022, announced his support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. So while his tweet was jarring, it tracked. Supporting a political candidate is a personal choice, but when it starts entering the territory of tribalism, there’s a problem.
While it’s easy to brush off Brymo’s tweet as political banter, ignoring the obvious bigotry attached will be doing a huge disservice to Nigerians, especially those affected by his statement.
There are obvious parallels between Brymo’s bigoted tweets and the recent shit show that was Kanye West’s anti-Semitic meltdown of 2022. After all, these two men have, at different points, described themselves as geniuses way ahead of their time, even when the receipts presented feel rooted in the past rather than future.
The cascading effects of bigoted statements like Kanye’s were highlighted in a Financial Times report that showed direct connections between Kanye’s outburst and recent anti-Semitic attacks within Los Angeles. This included a group of white supremacists gathered at a busy interstate road with banners that read, “Kanye is right about the Jews.”
Although Brymo’s statements are yet to cause a ruckus of this nature outside of social media, it feeds directly into attacks on Igbos that dates back to even before the Biafran War that started in 1967. Igbo people, especially in the North and West are often treated as non-Nigerians, with statements like, “Go back to Biafra” thrown around casually.
Even online, the discourse often tows the same line when conversations get heated. If you have doubts, peep the outpour of support for Brymo’s statement on Twitter, as it more than rivals any backlash he’s faced so far.
While Brymo might not be the biggest star of the moment, he does have a reasonable amount of influence and reach with almost 500k followers on Twitter alone. That’s more than enough people actively consuming his unprovoked vitriol, which could easily transition from social media into real life.
Kanye has apologised several times, but as of the publishing date of this article, Brymo has done nothing but aggravate the situation further with more incendiary tweets of his own or retweets from people who share his views. In a spree of follow-up tweets, he’s doubled down on his stance.
In response, Charles Ogundele started a petition to prevent the singer from winning the Songwriter of the Year award at the upcoming 2023 All Africa Music Award (AFRIMA). The petition, which Brymo has mockingly retweeted multiple times, currently has over 6k signatures. But even if it works, losing an AFRIMA award is not enough consequence for Brymo, at least, not in my book.
Outside of the ongoing petition and a few tweets scattered across social media, the response to Brymo’s bigotry has mostly been mid. Nigerians haven’t fully grasped the concept of accountability when it comes to celebrities. And the harsh truth is an alarmingly large group of people share Brymo’s beliefs, if not in public, then in their private WhatsApp groups.
While cancel and woke culture have become little more than internet buzzwords over the years, creating a culture of accountability is still necessary. Following his anti-Semitic statements, Kanye West was dropped by Adidas, Balenciaga, GAP and his former in-laws, the Kardashians. And that’s what I call facing the consequences of your actions.
Because Brymo has no endorsement to his name, I doubt we can follow the same route. But you know what we can do? Not attend shows and stop streaming his music. It might not count for a lot now, but down the line, it’ll hit right where it’s supposed to — his bag.
Over the years, tribalism and bigotry towards the Igbo community have been persistent, and you don’t have to be Igbo to notice. If we sit back and fail to identify, stop, correct and expose Brymo’s statement for what they are — bigoted, as opposed to political — we’ll be continuing a long line of passes that’ve enabled bad behaviour in exchange for good music and vibes.
