Nigerian Afrobeats star Rema dey conquer di world wit im latest milestone wen im perform for football legends for di Ballon D’Or awards.
Dis dey come some days afta im make history wit im song Calm Down, wey become di longest-charting and most successful African song of all time for di Billboard Hot 100 for US.
Di 23-year-old appear to dey ride on di wave of unstoppable success of im musical career.
Rema latest achievement don add to di list of achievments wey plenti African acts don get on di world front wey include:
- Burna Boy win Grammy award for 2021.
- Ckay Love Nwantiti na di most Shazamed song across di world for 2021.
- Jerusalema by Master KG and Nomcebo Zikode inspire pipo around di world make dem post videos as dem dey dance during di Covid pandemic.
Rema, unlike some of im Afrobeats artists, dey mindful of im place for di African music industry, and im debt to di pipo wey build di foundation so im go reach global stardom so fast.
For example, e go perform for London’s O2 Arena on 14 November – di venue wit 20,000 capacity – just four years afta im start im musical career. But dis take Wizkid and Burna Boy ten years to achieve.
For September, during di MTV’s Video Music Awards ceremony, wen im collect di Best Afrobeats prize, Rema dey gracious wit im speech.
Afta im thank im fans, co-star for Calm Down; Selena Gomez and im team, im also greet some ogbonge Nigerian artists:
“E mean so much as I dey see Afrobeats dey grow big and I dey for dis stage dey represent Afrobeats dis night, I dey happy.
“But one tin I no go not forget dis night na to greet pipo wey open di door for me. Big shout-out to Fela who wey start Afrobeats.
“2Baba, Don Jazzy, D’Banj, D’Prince, Runtown, Timaya, 2Face, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Davido. And I wan to also salute di new generation of Afrobeats. We dey here to take am to di rest of di world.”
On Sunday, e bin win di Best Afrobeats Awards for di MTV EMA awards wey suppose happun for Paris.
Dis go be di first time di Afrobeats category go dey added to di European Music Awards.
Oda winners for di night include:
Best Afrobeats: Rema
Best Alternative: Lana Del Rey
Best Artist: Taylor Swift
Best Collaboration: KAROL G and Shakira – “TQG”
Best Electronic: David Guetta
Best Hip Hop: Nicki Minaj
Best K-Pop: Jung Kook
Best Latin: Anitta
Best Live: Taylor Swift
Best New: Peso Pluma
Best Pop: Billie Eilish
Best Push: Tomorrow X Together
Best R&B: Chris Brown
Best Rock: Maneskin
Best Song: Jung Kook Featuring Latto – “Seven”
Best Video: Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”
Best African Act: Diamond Platnumz
Best Asia Act: BE:FIRST
Best Australian Act: Kylie Minogue
Best Brasilian Act: Matue
Best Canadian Act: Shania Twain
Best Caribbean Act:Young Miko
Best Dutch Act: FLEMMING
Best French Act: Bigflo & Oli
Best German Act: Kontra K
Best Hungarian Act: ajsa luna
Best India Act: Tsumyoki
Best Italian Act: Måneskin
Best Lat Am North Act: Kenia OS
Best Lat Am Central Act: Feid
Best Lat Am South Act: Lali
Best New Zealand Act: SIX60
Best Nordic Act: Käärijä
Best Polish Act: Doda
Best Portuguese Act: Bispo
Best Spanish Act: Samantha Hudson
Best Swiss Act: Gjon’s Tears
Best UK & Ireland Act: Tom Grennan
Best US Act: Nicki Minaj
Rema, wey im real name na Divine Ikubor, na self-assured, small man wit big brain, but wetin be dis stardom for am?
One viral video show wia Rema dey happy as e dey watch im fans for Melbourne, Australia as dem dey sing Calm Down lyrics back to back, and e just dey smile.
I first meet Rema back for 2019 wen e bin dey 19 years old. E come UK to promote im songs. E no dey surprisingly, Rema still dey make di adjustment as di boy from good Christian family for Benin City to dis new identity as artist wit international career.
But im get some personal qualities wey I dey pick – e dey pay attention to everitin wey dey happun around am, e dey focus and willing to learn, and get hunger wey go make am succeed.
‘Hustler’
Rema character be say e dey careful as e dey plan im moves.
And dis maturity and awareness of di bigger picture wey I don describe above fit be because of im experience wit tough start for life.
As e don dey document, Rema lose both im papa and broda wen e dey small and e come start to carry di family responsibility.
“Me, I sabi hustle, to dey hustle and work wit my team,” im tok for 2020 interview wit UK Capital Xtra afta e reveal say e struggle to buy car for im mother wen e dey age 17.
E also get di support of producer Don Jazzy, wey be di best for di business as im school Rema for im Mavin Records camp. Here, Rema get luck.
Na D’Prince spot Rema talent, im be artist, and younger broda of Don Jazzy, im bring Rema come Lagos to invest for im talent.
Na D’Prince, tell Rema, make im release im first hit song Dumebi, just as e dey – wit raw, unfinished, vibey lyrics, rather dan make im work on di song as im bin tink bifor.
‘Afrorave’
Even three years ago, Rema bin dey ambitious for global impact. E ginger for di Dumebi remix wit Becky G from Mexico becos e bin tink say di song neva reach “di Latin zone”.
E don successfully tour for three cities for India – afta im take di use one “negative” comment wey tok say im dey sound like Indian to take gbab di opportunity.
Rema dey conscious about aiming for sound wey go cross ova. E tok say odas dey enta studio to focus on “dia street”, and e dey fine for dem, but im dey aim to create vibes wey go make di whole world to dance.
On top di mata of Afrobeats, wey some artists feel say e dey limit dem and e no dey describe dia sound, Rema don name im own sound “Afrorave”.
Anoda ingredient to im success na im style, im own unique style on Afrobeats swag, and di way e dey express imself artistically through im album cover – e dey use artwork rather dan to dey pose foto.
Despite im big achievements so far, wit youth, talent, focus and flare on im side, as well as di backing of an impressive industry, e dey look like say Rema journey to dominate di world just dey start. Watch dis space.
