Sometimes, nostalgia hits and you suddenly start missing your faves from the past. We were curious about these ones in particular, so we did a little digging to find out what they’re up to these days.
Tunde & Wunmi Obe
In the late 90s, you’d find Tunde with Wunmi, his wife, in perfectly tailored suits and hats and durags to match. Popularly known as T.W.O, this power couple were in the limelight as actors, hosts, entrepreneurs and musicians, dropping six whole albums. But since they dropped their last, T.W.O Plus, in 2014, the fashion-forward heartthrobs have gone quiet, focusing on other business ventures. You can catch them on TikTok, where they’re still active.
Styl Plus
You probably didn’t know that this R&B music group from the late 90s was originally called STYL, an abbreviation of the founders’ first names (Shifi, Tunde, Yemi and Lanre). After Lanre’s demise in 1999 and Zeal’s entry into the group, “Plus” was added to the name. After three albums and hits like Olufunmi, Four Years, Runaway and Iya Basira, they dropped their last single, Alive featuring rapper, Sunky, and went under the radar. We thought they were back when Shifi and Zeal dropped Aso Ibora a day before Valentine’s Day 2017, but they’ve left us again to keep rinsing their classics.
Niyola
Toh Bad was the first single Niyola dropped under Empire Mates Entertainment (EME) in 2013. But if you grew up before the SoundcityTV era, you’d know she was affiliated with Trybe Records and Make-Sum Noise Entertainment when she put out her first and only self-titled album in 2008. She’s a coach on The Voice Nigeria 2023 and posts photos we love to like on social media. But are we getting a new song or video soon? We just might, based on this Instagram post she captioned “Time for MUSIC”.
K-Switch
Once upon a time, K-Switch was an enigmatic artist, who reigned in Mo’Hits Records. With a discography that included collaborations on Dr. Sid’s 2010 Over the Moon and Wande Coal’s 2009 iconic anthems, Who Born the Maga? and Booty Call, K-Switch captivated hearts and ears alike. No one knows why he chose to leave music, but once in a while, he posts lifestyle content on Instagram. At least, it’s better than nothing.
OzzyBee
If you’ve been asking where the former child-star, Ozzy Bosco — who dazzled us with his hit, Tinini featuring Olamide, in 2013 — has been, he’s now OzzyBee. Now a teenager, he still features Naija music heavyweights — Teni Makanaki was on his most recent single, Omah Baby (2021). As of 2023, he’s busy with school while constantly recording. We’ll get new music when he’s ready.
Flash
Flash has shown he can be one of the best afrobeats acts of his generation if he wants to. His unique songwriting skill and vocal dexterity brought him major attention after his feature on Sarz’s 2017 Get Up with DJ Tunez. These days, he’s either outside Naija or focused on school. We support artistes taking their time, but someone needs to lock Flash in a recording studio with badass producers for 40 days and nights.
Terry tha Rapman
Terry tha Rapman gained prominence in the Nigerian hip hop scene in the early 2000s. Regarded as the initiator of the popular Nigerian phrase, “Boys are not smiling”, Terry tha Rapman has released several singles, mixtapes and albums throughout his career, and is also known for frequent collaborations with artists like Mode9 and DJ Jimmy Jatt. Although in December 2022, Terry tha Rapman dropped a single named after viral TikToker, Bhadie Kelly, we’ve been waiting for him to fully grab the mic. And if his most recent IG post is to be believed, we might not have to wait too long for a new album.
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Naeto C
Do you remember those Facebook pictures of man dem wearing a Mahmudi cap on T-shirt and jeans, with “#yesboss” somewhere in the caption? Naeto C pioneered that whole movement. 13 years since his popular single, Ten Over Ten, came out — and eight since Festival, his last album — Naeto C has gone on to focus on getting his master’s degree, raising his family and judging new talent on The Voice Nigeria. But 2022 seemed to be the comeback year for OG rappers, with M.I Abaga, Mode9 and Vector all dropping new albums. So if Naeto C isn’t too busy, maybe he could finally drop a new jam?
Infinity
When their classic Olori Oko came out, this gospel music collective gave us an unconventional experience, finding the common ground between art and spirituality. After their first album, two members — Kenny and David — went solo. The rest churned out three albums and then went on a hiatus, returning in 2021 with their most recent EP, Abiyamo. Since then, Sunny Steve — the group’s musical director and producer — has been a voice coach on Kids Voice Nigeria, while Joe juggles music with a career in sales. Though it’s hard to find Infinity on socials these days, they still get together to minister sometimes.
Blackmagic
Blackmagic’s 2013 single, Repete, off his critically acclaimed BlackMagic 2.0 album, will remain a staple on any serious Nigerian classic songs list for a long time. The rapper-singer has since serenaded us with alternative sounds like Pass You By featuring Oritse Femi (2013), Golden Girl and Africa remix (2014), consistently putting out bodies of work with undeniable quality.
Lynxxx
Lynxxx’s music was like a pot of deliciously spiced jollof rice that kept everyone coming back for more. And his record label, Syndik8 records, served as a launching pad for his extraordinary talent. But in 2014, Lynxxx announced that he’d experienced a profound encounter with God, and took a break from secular music. In 2022, we saw him in Nollywood’s Glamour Girls, but that isn’t enough for fans who’ve been hoping for new music. In his latest interview with Taymesan, he shared some tea about new businesses (a creative agency and crypto company) that have taken his focus.
