I really love being able to feature another artist from Nigeria. Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records empire has provided Nigeria and the rest of the world quite a few artists with ample music for our enjoyment. This week I have the opportunity to write about young sensation Rema. I must admit the title might be somewhat confusing. However, I am not implying that artist Rema might not be ready for the music world. He definitely is. I was writing about the overall listening audience. Nevertheless the evidence is showing that here in the US, and worldwide fans have already embraced the young star and his music. Even former US President Barack Obama added the Rema song Iron Man to his 2019 summer playlist. With such prestigious acclaim, there may be a reluctance on the part of some fans to “jump on” the Rema train. Why? Well that’s what we should discuss this week. Let’s start at the beginning for the young artist.
Divine Ikubor (Rema) was born May 1, 2000 into a Christian family in Benin City, Edo State. He was forced to mature early on, after his father died from asthma-related issues when Rema was only 8 years old. Then, in 2015, his older brother passed away as well. He was forced to go to get a job to help out his mom, who worked as a trader of wholesale goods. Like many artists past and present, Rema’s early exposure to music came by way of his church. Like many churches Rema’s was equipped with an active youth ministry. He was able to start a Christian rap group. “We had to do it all on our own because the adults weren’t ready for that yet,” says Rema “Everyone just listens to Afrobeats here, so we had to attract them with costumes and dance moves,” he says. “It’s where I learned that if I want to impress someone I have to do what they like plus what I like.” He attained his primary and secondary school education in Edo State.
In 2018, Rema posted a viral freestyle to D’Prince’s track “Gucci Gang”. The post caught the attention of D’Prince who flew him to Lagos to offer a record deal. “At the time I only had trap songs, so when D’Prince put me in the studio with an Afrobeats producer I was scared,” Rema explains. “But I just mixed my trap vibes in and didn’t force it.” Many outside of Nigeria may not know that D’Prince is the younger brother of the founder and CEO of Mavin Records. D’Prince took the music to his brother and the rest is history. Rema signed a record deal with D’Prince’s Jonzing World, a subsidiary of Mavin Records. He released his eponymous debut EP Rema in 2019. It peaked at number 1 on Apple Music Nigeria.
Along with the sudden success came some criticism. In Nigeria, there were some who felt that Rema was too similar to fellow Nigerian and World superstar Wizkid. Others did not like his spin on Afropop. Of course, with any very young stars there comes the skepticism of the older audience. I guess Nigeria is no different than any other place in the world. I like Rema’s reaction to the questions from the older generation regarding his music. “My sound is for the young people of my generation and the older people who want to feel young again. I really want to take the Nigerian flag over all the world.” That is one of the most remarkable answers I have heard in a while. The music from Rema and other young artists primarily is for young people. There will come a time in another 40 years or so, when the same fans of Rema will not like the young artists of that day. It’s a cycle that continues to rotate.
Rema seems to bring with him an understanding of how the fanbase works. That’s great insight coming from someone so young of age and within the music industry. I remember in years past, when an artist was signed to a label, the assigned a team to help the artist with press and promotions. That still exists today, however in our age of social media we are forced into a new mode of communication. I have written about this many times in the past, but truthfully our young artists come with an understanding of how to navigate through social media platforms a lot better than the older artist. Speaking about the songs on his EP, Rema says, “If you don’t like ‘Dumebi’ you like ‘Why,’ and if you don’t like ‘Why’ you like ‘Corny. If you don’t like the songs you like my style. And if you don’t like my style you like my hairstyle.” That might sound funny to some, but it’s a realistic view of how music fans view artist of today.
Rema has quickly made his way onto the music scene of Nigeria and the rest of the world. He is doing it with a different style than other Nigerian artists, but he has arrived. He is well aware of what has been popular in Nigeria, but is seeking another path. He said, “I listened to Afrobeats growing up, but I never thought that was something I would do. I really, really loved rapping. Most of the time people want me to make Afrobeats because it’s the biggest genre in Nigeria, but I don’t really like doing what people want.”
As I write this post, I start to think of what Rema said. He wants to do something that others are not doing – right now. It is hard to neglect the influence from the UK and US on music around the globe. Rema speaks about liking other young rappers like the late Juice WRLD and Trippie Redd. True, they and many others have delivered music in the US and UK that is easily accepted. In Nigeria though, things are a little different. “I’ve been trying to ease people into songs like “Why” over here. I’m not sure if everyone is ready for those vibes yet,” Rema says. Things are changing. Fast!
We now see younger people are accepting the rap music Rema delivers. In fact, I truly believe there will be more rappers coming on the heels of Rema’s success. The fans of Afrobeats and older fans may not like that style of music, but there is a waiting younger audience. More ready than not, fans know Rema is here.