Arya Starr. Rema. Ruger. Loudda. P.Priime. These front-liners have been holding down the charts with back to back hits, writing their names boldly in the books that matter, and into the hearts of millions. A remarkable attribute about this “Soro-Soke” (Speak Up) pioneers is their tremendous ability to inspire themselves, and resilient dare-to-do attitude to things they face in life. Though we can attribute part of their success and exposure to the pathway created for them by existing icons, these young hitters cannot be robbed off their undeniable talent and consistent work-rate.
With the year 2021 coming to a close soon, it won’t be too early to dub this year “The year of the young”, based on the chart domination and consistent top quality music produced by these creatives. This article will highlight some of the major young talents in the Nigerian music industry right now, and would be a combination of artistes and producers.
AYRA STARR – There is a striking similarity between the 19 years old artiste Ayra Starr and the Arya Stark of “Game of Thrones”; they are both certified gunwomen. Ayra burst into the scene, never been heard of before, and captivating the hearts of listeners with her hit single “Away”. While the question ‘Who is Ayra Starr” is still circulating, she didn’t rest on her laurels. She put her acts together and delivered one of the topmost body of work in form of an album titled “19 and Dangerous”, featuring top hits like Fashion Killa and Bloody Samaritan, which is currently trending on reels and tiktok in Africa and the world generally. It could be concluded that this was a breakout year for the Mavin records asset, as she has been able to comfortably fit her name into the conversation of top hit-makers this year.
P.Priime – The young and sexy producer making hot waves in Nigeria currently for being the brain behind the production of Wizkid’s smash hit “Anoti” off the Made In Lagos Deluxe project is only 19. What if I told you he is also behind certified hits like Olamide’s Loading and Infinity? Bunkers right? P.Priime is a Generation Z icon already, as he has worked with some of the biggest names in afrobeats already like Wizkid, Olamide, Zlatan, Fireboy amongst others. Right now, we can only imagine how the future would be for this inspiring creative, as he continues to push his “Giddem” brand to infinity and beyond.
Ruger – After dropping one of the hottest debut EP/Projects as at the time of release, Ruger’s single “Bounce” has been charting successfully for months now, making it arguably one of the best songs of 2021. His distinct gangster demeanor capped off by his pirate eye-patch look, in addition to his very unique sound and piercing voice, makes him 1 of 1 in the Nigerian music industry currently. High flying under Jonzing world records and Mavin records, Ruger is poised to be one of the frontliners in years to come, as he is in great company with the likes of Ayra Starr, Rema and the other young Mavin pacesetters.
Loudda – He produced majority of the songs on the celebrated Ayra Starr’s debut “19 and Dangerous” album, including Cast, Amin & Beggie Beggie ft Ckay. It is pertinent to note that he was the producer Ayra Starr was working with before she was discovered, so the ongoing music chemistry between both creatives can be said to be almost natural right now. Under the tutelage of Mavin’s boss Don Jazzy who is a seasoned hit-maker, we could be seeing top collaborations between Loudda and other big hitters in the Nigerian music industry. A young producer with the creative license to be as expressive as he can, it can be said that the sky is currently his take-off port.
Rema – As seasoned and experienced Rema seems to be, the fact remains that he is just 21, which currently makes him the King of the Generation Z generation. After his breakout year in 2019, and several minute projects to keep his fans satisfied, Rema is currently working on his debut album; and with the quality that we expect from him and the confidence he exhumes, this should be another banger. Without counting hits from his breakout year, Rema has dropped top echelon singles and features this year that cements his place as the prince of afrobeats. From Bounce and Soundgasm, to his feature on the Jae5 track featuring Skepta “Dimension”, Rema is not only a Nigerian/Afrobeats superstar, but is making serious waves in the international community. It doesn’t seem like he is done with us as we expect his debut studio album Rave&Roses to scintillate our eardrums as soon as it drops.
The future isn’t soon or imminent again, the future is now. We are in the presence of greatness as these young pioneers push afrobeats to heights that have never been achieved before. These pacesetters are also committed to helping other generation z creatives find their feet, showing incomparable commitment to rising by lifting others up. The world is listening currently to the sounds from Nigeria in particular, as legends like Wizkid, Burnaboy and Davido are invoking “big font” energy by being celebrated internationally for their afrobeats success; and this seems like the fate of these Gen Z hitters if they are consistent. Rema winning a grammy and P’Priime producing a track for Drake doesn’t seem so farfetched again, does it?
