Looking at the new year 2021, Here are the list of the 2021 Nigerian Artiste to watch out for.
Picture the most emotional, alarming, erratic thriller you have ever seen where you thought the world as far as we might be concerned was coming to an end, at that point multiply that by 1,000,000, that summarizes the year 2020.
In any case, notwithstanding the World War III mysteries, Protests Nationwide, worldwide pandemic, and long stretches of lockdown, some super capable Nigerian artistes had the option to transcend the different obstacles in their manner and put out stunning music that assisted listeners with daydreaming for some time and nearly forget the madness happening around them.
See the 2021 Nigerian Artiste to watch out for, 2021 should be another bumper year for African music.
We’ve taken a look at who’s innovating in terms of style and sound, as well as who is exploring new genres, to come up with our list of who to watch out for:
we will be spotlighting 10 outstanding new artists who have found their voice and audience in 2020 and have shown that they are ready to own the new year.
Omah Lay
Stanley Omah Didiya popularly known as Omah Lay can easily be described as the breakout star of 2020 as he was able to grab the attention of Nigerians everywhere with his exceptional 5 track EP titled “Get Layd”.
The 23-year-old artiste first gained prominence in 2020 after his debut single ‘You’ went viral. Starting off as a producer and songwriter in Port Harcourt, Omah Lay worked behind the scenes on other people’s songs but only made up his mind to take up singing when he realized he wasn’t getting enough credit for the songs he helped create for others.
Omah Lay had earlier dabbled in music as a teenager, rapping in the streets of Marine Base in Port Harcourt under the alias Lil King but he got bored and learnt how to produce music.
After the success of his debut EP which raked in hundreds of millions of streams, he dropped another 5 track body of work titled “What Have We Done” which cemented the fact that Omah Lay was not a one-hit-wonder.
2020 saw Omah Lay launch into superstardom and it’s obvious he has no intention of cooling down anytime soon.
Bella Shmurda
As far as chart-toppers and hits are concerned, Akinbiyi Abiola Ahmed aka Bella Shmurda was definitely responsible for some of the biggest songs in the country this year.
Making his debut in 2019 with his highly successful track “Vision 2020” which eventually got a remix with Olamide, the artiste has continued to rise in his ranks and grow his listenership exponentially.
His 7 track EP titled “High Tension” was equally well received and further helped to fan the flames of his career along with notable features with A-listers like Davido.
Fine boy Bella as he fondly calls himself was also notably recognised for his song “Dangbana orisa” and listed as one of the artistes with the “Most streamed new song” in the world on audiomack in the second week of September followed by international colleagues like Lil Durk and 6ix9ine.
Looking forward to seeing what the new year holds for Bella Shmurda.
Tems
Commanding attention with the release of her 2019 single Try Me, Tems is a Nigerian singer-songwriter on the rise.
Renowned for her powerful voice, her music is layered over an infectious sound accentuated with elements of soul, hip-hop and R&B.
There’s a certain freedom that comes with her lyrics emphasising that the artist is in control.
With the release of her EP For Broken Ears, Tems is building a fan base that stretches beyond Nigeria and the continent.
Otega
Born Ifedayo Stephen Oghenetega. Otega not giving up was one of the key note that skyrocketed the artist music career to where he is today. Otega started singing in 2010, getting massive fans from the street till date.
2020, Otega has dropped a couple of songs and projects, which includes his joint E.P with Dablixx, “Price Paid” and his sophomore project of the year “Really Bhard [all in one body]”. Otega is predicted to take over 2021 as he slowly taking over the street.
In the album titled ‘REALLY BHARD” which have gained more than 15Million Streams across all digital platform..The “All Genre” icon proves to be getting better with age as this album gives fans a taste of how wide his reach and influence on the Nigerian music scene has truly been.
Appearances from friends, proteges and comrades like Bella Shmurda, Mohbad, Miz Kiss, Trod, Degree and many more, further highlight and emphasize his well deserved label as one of the best to do it.
“The project is a reflection of my mind, and also the current sound brewing underground in Nigeria. It’s a combination of a lot of traditional elements and also a sound from Nigeria Afrobeats, which is getting alot of attention in the Nigeria Industry.”
Infamous for his ability to rap and sing stories in English, Yoruba and Pidgin, Otega pushes the envelope even further with Really Bhard. From exploring his abilities as a vocalist, traditional street rap elements clear in track “Kosere”, to radio-ready afropop bops “Ginger” and “Keys To The City”, fans are sure to be satisfied with the diverse genre bending album.
BadboyTimz
Whenever you heard the words “Gbese Lekan kan” you already knew it was none other than Olorunyomi Oloruntimilehin better known as Bad Boy Timz. Before 2020, Timz had made several attempts to break into the Nigerian music industry with his Zlatan assisted track “Hustle” and his viral Twitter freestyle which would eventually earn him the support of his family but it wasn’t until he released his hit song “Micheal Jackson” that his career officially took off.
He would later go on to release multiple remixes of the song, one with Mayorkun and another with Teni and ultimately land an appearance on Olamide’s album where he shone on the 10th track titled “Loading”.
Bad Boy Timz has shown a lot of promise and it seems he’s just getting started.
Ckay
Chukwuka Ekeani aka Ckay is a producer and recording artiste currently signed to Warner Music South Africa. He’s been actively involved in the music-making process for a better part of his life as he started producing and writing music at age 13.
Ckay made his production debut with “Third Mainland Bridge” which featured MI & Moti Cakes on the TICBN vol. 1 album.
Over the years he’s been a recurring character in the Nigerian music scene, collaborating with top artistes across the board but 2020 has been a year of personal wins for him with his song “Love Nwantiti” getting over 70 million streams and his deal with Warner Music among other things.
Chike
Chike-Ezekpeazu Osebuka professionally known as Chike is a singer, songwriter and actor commonly known for his participation in talent competitions like MTN project fame and The Voice Nigeria.
His talent, creativity and captivating vocals made him a fan favourite throughout his completions and moved Patoranking to call him a star and promise to make him a superstar while he was on The Voice.
However, it wasn’t until Chike released his 14 track album titled “Boo of the Booless” that he achieved huge mainstream success as the album became the most listened to and number 1 album on 19 February 2020.
Chike’s talent is unquestionable and he has a unique way of making listeners feel different emotions through his music so one can only imagine what he has planned for the new year.
Ajebo Hustler
Ajebo Hustlers is a music group made up of two artistes, George Dandeson aka Knowledge, and singer Isaiah Precious aka Piego.
They are true Port Harcourt boys and their musical style consists of a mix of Afrobeat and highlife music genres.
In 2015, the duo released a remix to “Bole And Fish” which was their first official song together but their big break didn’t come until 2020 when their song “Barawo” became one of the prominent anthems of the #EndSARS movement. The popularity of their song earned them a feature with Davido. The artistes have been on the scene for a while but it looks like their time has finally come.
Asake
Ahmed Ololade Asake known professionally as Asake Music is a fast rising Nigerian singer and songwriter born in the southwestern, Nigeria.
He hit the limelight with the release of his viral single, Lady which received massive response from several online media and top celebrities.
The Nigerian born Lady crooner had repost of his freestyle from the likes of Sydney Talker, Tunde Ednut, NastyBlaq, Broda Shaggi and a countless number of others…
Asake started his music career at a very tender age, he was always seen releasing series of freestyles across all his social media platforms.
Grace found him in 2020, when one of his freestyles, Lady went viral, earning repost from top celebrities across several online based platforms.
Immediately the freestyle went viral, it was recorded with the production credited to Blaque Beats. The song gained massive turn up with repost repost and dance videos from the likes of Broda Shaggi, Sydney Talker and a vast of others.
With the huge turn up, the single, Lady by Asake became an instant hit and social media anthem. …
Seyi Vibez
Balogun Afolabi Oluwaloseyi nicknamed Seyi Vibez is a fascinating young rising Nigerian singer and songwriter born in Ketu area of Lagos State, Nigeria. He became music sensation with the release of his God Sent single.
The Nigerian born talented singer Seyi Vibez, sometimes addressed Seyi Vibes is an indigene was conceived in Ikorodu, he pushes his music in Lagos. He is currently an independent artist signed to No Record Label. …
Seyi Vibez mixes African neighborhood lingual Yoruba joined by persuasive in addition to moving verses couple with musical sound infusion to keep any audience dependent on him.
He’s aced his sound which makes him stand apart among the artists to keep an eye out for. It’s recorded that he began as a performer in Ikorodu yet got his motivation from the incredible Fela Anikulapo Kuti and everything occurring around him any place he goes….
Seyi Vibez who has several records such as Dia Father, Okay, Better Days Freestyle, Anybody, On Your Own, Ori Mi, For You, 12:07 had his career breakthrough with the massively accepted single God Sent which visual was directed by Amazing Klef‘s Aktivated Sessions.
Since his boost up, Seyi Vibez has has garnered both fan base and streams massively across all digital platforms. …
