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Seyi Vibez has put out three projects in 2023 alone: Vibe Till Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Kingdom Come and his latest, NAHAMciaga EP — which drops on the first anniversary of his Billion Dollar Baby 2.0 album.
On December 1, he released his new EP on Deezer and Tidal alone. Seven days later, he finally put the project on other streaming platforms, and I got to listen. I’ve now rinsed it over ten times even though it’s eleven minutes long.
Image source: BellaNaija
The culmination of his back-to-back releases has solidified that Seyi Vibez holds the secrets to street hits. In this write-up, we’ve taken notes to give you the clear-cut recipe.
Image source: BellaNaija
Before you pick up your pen and paper (or whatever you take notes with), you should know you need significant competence in your mother tongue. To be a voice of the streets, you must be in sync with the local audience.
Most of Seyi Vibez’s music is in Yorùbá. But don’t forget you need to spit in a few more languages. He spoke Xhulu on Hushpuppi. In Highlife Interlude featuring Phyno, he sang in Pidgin English, Yorùbá and Igbo!
Image source: Nairaland
Next, when you get in the booth, work with a music producer you’ve grown up as Siamese twins with. Seyi and Dibs Tunez created hits like Man of The Year, Hat-trick, Chance (Na Ham), Professor and more together. If you have their kind of synergy with your producer, nothing can box you. From Highlife to Apala, Fuji, Afropop, and Amapiano, Seyi has built a solid CV on the back of this relationship. Even Indian sounds aren’t left out; he executed them well on Psalm 23.
If people made you lead praise and worship whether you liked it or not as a kid, send them money today. According to his lyrics on Kingdom, Seyi was once in a Quranic school for nine years and he’s better for it. His Psalm 23 covers everything from BBLs and pleasing women to his singing skills, and at the core, his quest for divine protection. Apply your Bible or Quran knowledge to your music. Asides from hacking the substantial religious demography, this is a smooth way to convince your parents about your music dreams. They love God, and you love music; everyone is happy.
Image source: Bella Naija
Don’t forget choral effects and sonorous background vocalists like Nelly Baradi, who harmonises on Seyi’s songs.
Once you’ve added these ingredients, your music is set to blow and the street is yours. But if it still doesn’t work out, don’t panic. Check your swag. Fix a gold grill and add more XXL clothes to your wardrobe.
These last three weeks on social media, we’ve seen an interesting back-and-forth between Nigerian street-pop musicians, Seyi Vibez and Portable, with Zinoleesky somewhere in the mix.
In these episodes, they get into a dick-measuring contest about who has the better music, biggest cars, most money and street credibility. You know, the usual beef topics; but do you know how it all started?
What started the fight?
2023 started hard, and it wasn’t hard to tell people were too frustrated for drama. But not for Portable, who anytime he turns his camera to himself, chooses “chaos”. On January 30, 2023, he posted some video on his IG page where he subtly called Seyi Vibez a beta version of Asake.
Using Seyi’s Chance music video as a point of comparison, Portable pointed out that it was an obvious play on Asake’s style. He didn’t stop there. He went ahead and accused the video director, TG Omori (director of most Asake MVs) of working with a copycat, then warned artists to leave music alone if they can’t be authentic.
In the aftermath, fans began to air their views about Seyi Vibez, supporting Portable, and even started a “who is better (Seyi vs Asake)?” poll.
While Seyi Vibez was giving Portablebaby the silent treatment, he was getting into a battle of words with Zinoleesky. How did that start? In December 2022, Zino posted his new house and two cars on IG. In May 2023, Seyi posted his own new crib and two rides too, sparking a debate among their fans, about who’s the better and richer musician. Before we knew it, the two artists were throwing subs.
Zino went off first:
Seyi Vibez called Zino a chained Django. This is Seyi’s way of saying he’s independent and has all his creative control unlike Zino who’s under a contract has to get his boss’ approval first before releasing a song.
And even reminded Zino that he doesn’t have chart-topping projects like his debut album, Billion Dollar Baby, its deluxe version and EP, Memory Card.
Then it turned into a snippet war.
Zinoleesky drops new snippet to continue sparring with Seyi Vibez. ⤵️
Zino said he’ll never have a number one record — then Seyi Vibez got his number one record with his single, Hat-trick, surpassing Young John’s Aquafina, Asake and Olamide’s Amapiano, and particularly, Zinoleesky’s A1.
Then, he dropped his first album of 2023: Vibez Till Thy Kingdom Come.
Two weeks after, Seyi Vibez released his second album of the year, Thy Kingdom Come.
On Flakky, the eighth track off the second album, he opened by talking about an artist’s car being pushed on the street just three days after purchase:
“G-Wagon, Brabus B
Ojo keta ni won pada ti Brabus B”
You know who has a Brabus B (even though he calls it a G-Wagon)?
“Your whole career is a debt,” Portable fired back.
From Lagos to Atlanta, fans never stop comparing and pitting their faves against each other. Just like Rihanna can’t beat the Beyoncé comparisons 17 years into her awe-inspiring career, Davido still gets Wizkid comparisons daily despite just a year between their debut. Similarly, Seyi Shay was compared to Tiwa Savage when she came out with Irawo, Rema to Wizkid after his breakout with Dumebi, and more recently, Seyi Vibez to Asake.
No one had a better year than Asake in 2022, at least not when it came to afrobeats. In February, the singer released an Olamide-assisted remix for his fairly popular single, Omo Ope. Before we knew it, a string of hits, like Sungba alongside Burna Boy and Peace Be Unto You (PBUY) helped usher in his no-skips debut album, Mr Money with the Vibe.
Asake wasn’t joking when he sang, “I just blow, but omo I know my set” on PBUY, because the truth is, he’d been in the industry since the mid-2010s in a ring of upcoming artists that included Blaqbonez, Fireboy DML and Cheque, each one fighting for their big break. But deeply inspired by the melodies of fuji music and the choir effects of that church at your junction, Asake finally caught the world’s attention with his own sound.
What followed Asake’s entry was a truckload of hits with a similar sound pattern from other artists. Pheelz finessed a hit with BNXN, Carter Efe paid tribute to Wizkid with Machala, and both Tiwa Savage and Fireboy DML brought Asake on board for Loaded and Bandana respectively. The sound was everywhere, and while people called Asake out for repeating the same formula over and over again, we still danced and streamed. Everything was fine with the world until Seyi Vibez dropped Chance (Na Ham).
Contrary to what people might think, Seyi Vibez didn’t come out of nowhere. Before breaking out with Chance (Na Ham) and winning fans like Burna Boy and Rema over, Seyi Vibez had built a reputation on the streets of Lagos with songs like God Sent and +234. These songs crossed over from the “streets” to the mainstream scene, but most people couldn’t place the name or the face behind them. However, with the release of his debut album, Billion Dollar Baby, Seyi experimented with a new sound, and most people are claiming it’s a little too similar to that of Ololade mi Asake.
Discussions surrounding Seyi Vibez, his sound and Asake’s have left the internet divided. For some, Seyi Vibez literally jacked Asake’s sound and is trying to make a name out of it.
And for others, these artistes are different in every way.
Whether the new Seyi Vibez sounds like Asake doesn’t really matter. The argument has dragged on for too long, and since I’m writing about it, I’m clearly part of the problem. But we often forget that as much as artistes make music about themselves or their experiences, they don’t exist in silos, either as artistes or human beings. They consume what we consume, and at some point, it might pop up in the art they create.
Remember when Mr Eazi came out with Skin Tight and Bankulize, kickstarting an era of slowed-down Ghana-influenced hits like Runtown’s Mad Over You and Tekno’s Pana? These artistes had been making music for a long time, and when a new wave arrived, they rolled with it. Our industry isn’t big enough to ask an artist not to experiment with or borrow their peer’s winning formula. Asake unlocked something with his music, but it doesn’t mean this sound is exclusive to him now.
We often task artistes to be different and keep reinventing their sound, but what if I use a sound everyone already loves to tell a story that’s unique to me, isn’t that different enough? Seyi Vibez might sound like Asake, but it doesn’t mean their music is the same.
The most glaring difference lies in the vibe and underlying meaning behind their songs. While Asake might reminisce about the years before he became famous, a lot of his music is celebratory. Songs like Organise, PBUY and Joha are club bangers to the rest of us, but to Asake, they remind him that he’s the shit — he’s no longer the upcoming singer from OAU.
Meanwhile, Seyi Vibez’ music is rooted in the moments right before you reach that dream. Even when it’s celebratory, it paints a picture of what life would look like when he finally gets to live out his dreams.
These themes reflect the different phases they’re in: one is a major breakout star, and the other is on the precipice of crossing over.
When it comes down to it, not everyone can or will like both artistes. Just because I like Asake doesn’t mean I have to like Seyi Vibez and vice versa. But discrediting one artiste’s work for the upliftment of another’s feels very 2005. The two can exist in the same industry without everybody foaming at the mouth.
Newer artists are always either placed in a box or pressured to stand out, but we need to give them time to find a style that works for them, regardless of whether it’s groundbreaking or familiar. Allow them to find a space where they believe they can best express themselves, and simply enjoy their music if it sounds good to you.
The conversation shouldn’t be about who sounds like who but how street pop is getting the respect it deserves for shaping the culture. These two artistes are the most recent in a long line that includes Olamide, Naira Marley and Zinoleesky, who’ve managed to extend what was supposed to be 15 minutes of fame into impactful careers.
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.
Seyi Vibez was forced to make a difficult decision barely two weeks before his debut album, Billion Dollar Baby, was released to the public at the start of November [2022]. His manager informed him the remix of one of his songs, C Major, with Tiwa Savage, would have to be removed from the album (and everywhere else) due to some label drama from the featured artist.
“It ended up being this lightbulb moment for me,” he says. “I had other features with Simi and Mayorkun, but I realised I couldn’t depend on them. I didn’t have to. I stepped into the studio, recorded a new song in two hours and added it to the album at the very last minute.”
That new song was Chance (Na Am), a major standout from Seyi’s album and a crowd favourite, with over nine million streams in the three weeks since the album dropped. It’s easy to say the 23-year-old singer has proven to be a hitmaker with or without assistance. But this wouldn’t be the first time.
Born and raised in the trenches, as he calls it, Seyi Vibez’s childhood was defined by two distinct places in Lagos: Ketu, where he lived up until he was eight, and the chaotic streets of Ikorodu where he honed his craft performing freestyles in shorts and slippers for anyone willing to listen. He explains that Ketu represents Seyi, while Ikorodu helped him create Seyi Vibez.
Ikorodu is where Seyi had what he thought would be his first small concert, only to end up singing in front of over 200 people from around the area, who knew his songs word for word).
But singing isn’t the only memory Seyi has of his time in Ikorodu. He vividly remembers guys he knew getting into gang fights that either ended in death or got them behind bars at the local police station. “The streets taught me that life is short,” he tells me before taking a few seconds to compose his thoughts into words. “I loved my experience there, but it was also my biggest motivation to blow. I wanted to take care of my family. And most importantly, I didn’t want to die.”
Fame eventually came knocking right before the pandemic and lockdown of 2020, with his breakout single, God Sent, which started out as an anthem in Ikorodu before organically transitioning into an online pop hit. He remembers giving his parents the first two million he made and buying a Toyota Solara with the next big paycheck.
A couple of singles followed God Sent, and by the time the singer dropped his debut EP, No Seyi No Vibez, audiences had already grown accustomed to his exciting blend of hip-hop and fuji music. This fusion created earworms that chronicled his struggles on the street, all while showing a dogged desire to make it no matter what.
While Seyi is cementing his status on and off the streets, with songs like +234 and Hustle, it’s important to note he’s doing it all without the backing of a label. When I ask him whether his independence is by choice or circumstance, he quickly tells me he enjoys being his own boss. “I can wake up tomorrow and decide to drop three albums if I want,” he says, laughing. “I like being in the front seat even though I have management. However, who knows. If I meet a label that checks all my boxes, I might sign with them.”
But before he drops (or doesn’t drop) those three albums, Seyi is basking in the reception Billion Dollar Baby is getting so far. Finishing the album has made him fearless and confident that he’s on the right track to fulfil his purpose in life. Despite the success of everything around him, Seyi wistfully tells me he misses the days he spent hustling in Ikorodu. He misses the unfiltered love that wasn’t driven by marketing, and most importantly, he misses the food. “Island restaurants can’t compete with food from the trenches,” he says.
I’m not sure I agree with him, but we’ll have to wait until he introduces me to this “trenches” food he’s talking about. Even though Seyi misses strolling around Ikorodu without security, he tells me he’s happy making music people can dance to and still connect to the lyrics.
Just like fans questioned what Adele would sing when she finds happiness, I’m curious about what Seyi will sing now that he’s got the fame and money he’s been yearning for. “The chase for money will never end,” he explains before reminding me even Dangote, one of the world’s wealthiest men, is still looking for money. “I don’t have the billion dollars I’m singing about now, so that’s what I want next. I have the babes, but I want more money.”
