Rema

Nigerian singer and rapper Rema launched his career in unintentional fashion with a social media upload that prompted a contract with Mavin Records. Several commercial releases throughout 2019 (compiled as 2020′s Three EP's) were highlighted by “Dumebi,” a showcase for his soft, elastic voice. Switching his sound to something he calls Afrorave, Rema released his debut album, Rave & Roses, in 2022. It was well-received by critics and even broke into the lower reaches of the Billboard Top 200 chart. A deluxe version of the set landed in 2023, featuring his hit collaboration with Selena Gomez, “Calm Down,” followed by the companion Ravage EP. His sophomore album, HEIS, arrived in 2024 and reached the Top Five in Nigeria. Born and raised in the Edo State capital of Benin City, Rema (Divine Ikubor) grew up listening to Afrobeat and commercial rap. He formed a rap group with peers at his church, but his interest in music took an unexpected turn in February 2018 when he uploaded a clip of himself freestyling to an instrumental version of D'Prince’s “Gucci Gang.” D'Prince saw the video and got in touch, which led to Rema signing with Mavin, the Lagos-based label — run by Don Jazzy, D'Prince’s brother — that had issued “Gucci Gang.” Rema made his commercial debut in 2019, a year during which he released the four-track EPs Rema, Freestyle, and Bad Commando, and was featured on tracks by D'Prince, Thutmose, and Peter Maxx, as well as Mavins, a Mavin label group. “Dumebi,” a single off the self-titled EP, fared particularly well in Nigeria and abroad. Rema attracted more attention when another track, “Iron Man,” was included on Barack & Michelle Obama’s Summer Playlist 2019, tweeted out by the former president that August. In 2020, his EPs were compiled as the Three EP's release. Rema began calling his sound Afrorave in 2021, blending the Afrobeats style with Arabian and Indian influences. His first full-length, Rave & Roses, arrived in 2022, with guests including 6LACK, Chris Brown, and AJ Tracey. The album spent some time in the charts, reaching the number five slot of Billboard’s World Albums chart and entering the Top 200 chart at number 196. One track from the album, “Calm Down,” became an unexpected smash hit the following year with the help of a Selena Gomez reworking. Both versions combined to surpass one billion streams and became the highest-charting African song on the U.S. charts to date, entering the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100. A deluxe version of his debut, Rave & Roses ULTRA, arrived in April 2023, capitalizing on the success of that breakthrough single. He rounded out his Rave & Roses era with a companion EP, Ravage, which followed that October and featured the track “Don’t Leave.” In July 2024, Rema returned with his sophomore full-length album, HEIS. Recorded over a two-year period, it featured production by Rema, along with PPriime, London, Cubeatz, and Take a Daytrip, among others. Featured on the album were the tracks “Benin Boys” with Shallipopi, “War Machine” with ODUMODUBLVCK, “Yayo,” and “Hehehe.” It reached number seven on Billboard’s World Albums chart and number two in Nigeria. ~ Andy Kellman