There is always a season in every year when a group of artists finally get the recognition they deserve in the industry. These artists may be completely new or may have been at the background for a while before having their big break. Whatever the case may be, they succeed in winning the hearts of Nigerians by introducing their revolutionary sounds and setting new trends in pop culture. Find below five musicians whom you should definitely pay attention to and who may just be Africa’s next big thing.
Zlatan Ibile
Famous for the slang ”Gbe Body E” and proclaimed to be the originator of the reigning pop culture dance “Zanku”, Zlatan Ibile has revolutionalised street music with his anthems. The rapper, who has undeniable street cred and possesses an aura of charisma, gained massive popularity after he featured in the song “Able God” alongside Chinko Ekun and Lil Kesh. Since then, he has achieved significant success collaborating with the likes of Davido and Burna Boy. Zlatan’s sound is one you can hardly miss as he has established himself as the current ‘King of Street music’ in Nigeria.
Rema
When Rema released his first song many mistook him for Wizkid due to the similarities in a tone which he arguably shares with the singer. Benin born and bed who goes by the name of Divine Ikubor is unmistakable with his distinctively adorned dreads and unique sense of style. Since he ventured into the limelight, Rema has been taking the industry by storm with a sound that has never been heard before but already seems to appeal to the Nigerian audience. First, he released “Iron Man” which conveys the Bollywood sound and now, “Dumebi”, which is currently topping the charts and receiving critical acclaim around the world. Although quite new in the industry, Rema has come up with a sound of his own and seems eager to make Nigerians well-acquainted with it.
Fireboy DML
Newly signed to YBNL record label, Fireboy DML is another musician currently winning the hearts of Nigerians with his raw undeniable talent. Recently, debuting with “Jealous”, another song with the Bollywood sound – perhaps the emerging sound among Nigerian musicians – Fireboy is dominating the charts and is fast becoming a sensation in showbiz. His second song “What If I Say” is equally deserving of attention and is proof that the YBNL crooner is not slowing down anytime. Fireboy’s has that special X factor and is currently on his way to becoming YBNL’s biggest star.
Skiibi
For a long time, Skiibi seemed to be in the background since he rose to stardom in 2015. After he left the record label which he was signed under, Five Star Music, and launched one of his own, the singer finally had his big break in late 2018 when he released the hit song titled Sensima featuring Reekadobanks. Since Sensima, Skiibi has released more anthems like “Omaema” and “Daz How Star Do” impressing fans around the world and proving how significantly he has grown as an artiste.
Crayon
Crayon is one of the Mavins record label’s newest recruits. The artiste was announced by Don Jazzy in May as the newest signee of the group. Although Crayon has not jumped on a solo track, he recently featured in the song “All is in Order” by the Mavins crew where he gave us a glimpse of what he was like and thankfully, he did not fail to deliver. Since the song was released, fans have been rooting for him and anticipating what he has to offer as an artiste.
Featured image source: Vibe.ng