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2. The Holy Grail
In his song "All Of You’" young Davido hat tips these three pioneering artists for their role as the veterans who provided the blue print for Nigeria’s modern day pop landscape. The young bucks coming up behind these entertainers—notably Nigeria’s highest paid—could do far worse than aspire to their longevity and business acumen.
D'Banj
The "Michael Jackson of Africa" (Wyclef’s moniker for D’Banj) appears to be bearing up under what must be considerable pressure. Signed to both Mercury Records (via Kanye’s G.O.O.D Music deal) and Sony Music Africa, there seems to be some hold-up on a new solo album from D’Banj. There was that "appearance" he had on Kanye’s GOOD Music posse cut "Cruel Summer" and Kanye returns the favor with a cut-and-pasted verse on an old track of D’Banj’s "Scape Goat."
DKM (short for 'D'King’s Men'), the compilation he spearheads on his DB Records, is a sort of placeholder which features the likes of Big Sean, Snoop Dogg, and Congolese pop star Fally Ipupa. "Don’t Tell Me Nonsense" is the lead single.
P-Square
Pop duo P-Square are the identical twin set of brothers signed to Akon’s Konvict Music Label. They have a record distribution deal with Universal South Africa. Along with former collaborator May D, Akon appeared on their 2011 hit single "Chop My Money." Rick Ross features on one of their most popular songs, "Beautiful Onyinye," from their album Invasion, and he also appears in the video. The two pay tribute to their musical idol Michael Jackson in their latest video.
2Face Idibia
Just a couple years shy of 40 years old, 2baba has definitely earned the title of the Naija contemporary music scene elder statesman. "African Queen" was one of the first true continental crossover hits in the last decade. His resume of albums released and subsequent awards won is second to none on the scene.
3. Generation Next
With one album each (and a couple mixtapes) down, there seems to be plenty more coming from these former wunderkinds who are stepping into their rightful places as the rightful leaders of a new generation in Naija music.
Wizkid
MOBO, Nigerian Entertainment, BET, MTV awards… there isn’t a single industry accolade that Wizkid—25 years old and fresh off a highly successful performance at the U.K.’s Wireless Festival—doesn’t have resting right now on his mantle. It’s been a non-stop ride for the Star Boi since a studio freestyle for "Tease Me" leaked and took on a life of its own. The debut album that followed, prophetically titled Superstar delivered hit after hit, making Wizzy the cornerstone on which R&B singer and mogul Banky W built his record empire.
Meanwhile Wizkid, when not showing Azonto moves to his BFF Chris Brown, can be found enjoying another co-sign by Afrobeat royalty Femi Kuti.
Davido
It’s easy to hate Davido. The Atlanta-born 22-year-old son of a billionaire, he likely never has to work a day in his life. But he does anyway, and damn hard, too. A singer, a songwriter, and a producer signed to his own HKN records, he hit a home run with "Dami Duro," his infectious, cascading, percussion-heavy breakout track, which on its own had people whispering that he was coming for Wizkid’s throne as supreme teen talent at the time. "Gobe," his latest single is hands down one of the hottest urban African tracks out right now.
4. The Foreign Exchange
The saying goes that sometimes you have to leave home to come back. These three artists—coincidentally all women—took the scenic route into the bossom of their audience. Via other countries they rep the old green and white lovely.
Asa
Paris-born and based, Las Gidi-raised Asa rightly followed her instinct when she decided to move to the city of her birth in her early twenties. Her first singles, "Eyé Adaba" and "Jailer" are only beginning to do the rounds in Nigeria. With a gold and platinum album to her name, this prestigious French Constantin Award winner has had all manner of high praise heaped upon her—including direct comparisons to Bob Marley. She is an extraordinary and uncommon social voice in a commercial scene.
Nneka
By her own admission, Nneka’s star rose in her native country Nigeria only after her profile in Europe and in the United States started to take off. Born to parents from Nigeria and Germany, Nneka oscillates in between these two destinations nowadays. Of her first album Victim of Truth, the U.K.’s Sunday Times said it is as good as The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
Black Thought from The Roots, Nas, and Lenny Kravitz are some of the collaborators she has amassed during her rise, either on record or on stage. "Heartbeat," her first song to break into the German Top 50, also charted to in the U.K. thanks to the remix by dubstep heavy hitters Chase and Status.
Temi Dollface
The way this young lady challenges the parameters of not just African music but pop music as a whole is exciting. "Drama Soul" is the tag she gives her style of theatrical and soulfully delivered pop music. She grew up in both Nigeria and the U.K., but is currently based in London readying her EP SecondFirst, which promises to be a riveting debut to if this '50s-inspired, Azonto-toting masterpiece of a music video is anything to go by.
5. The Leftist: Bez
As with every other scene in the world, there is a dominant commercial sound in Nigeria which makes it that much harder for any musicians offering something else. Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Bez is an artist that most certainly has something else to offer. He makes guitar music in a space where afropop and hip-hop are the default genres, and that’s part of the reason why his achievements so far are admirable. His "Stupid Song" was the first Nigerian song to hit BET’s 106 and Park back in 2011. The Boston Globe rated Bez’s debuted album Super Sun third out of the top ten world music albums that year. Bez has a penchant for the retro sound as heard in modern soul singers such as John Legend and Erykah Badu.
6. The Debutante: Tiwa Savage
The artist with the most anticipated album in Nigeria this year, it looks like Tiwa Savage delivers the most polished afropop/R&B sound ever heard in Africa with Once Upon a Time. There is a clear display of influences from the likes of Destiny’s Child and Brandy, but the afrobeats percussion and Yoruba mixed with Pidgen English lyrics, it defies any cookie cutter presumptions.
The former "X-Factor" hopeful and backing singer for Mary J. Blige, Sting, George Michael, Kelly Clarkson, and Spice Girls is a SONY/ATV-signed singer/songwriter with a Grammy nomination under her belt. As the star artist on Mavin Records—the label Don Jazzy created when his Mo Hits Stable co-owned by D’Banj fell apart—Tiwa is the only other African artist besides Wizkid with a Pepsi endorsement.
7. The Freshmen
These two have earned their kudos the good-old fashioned way–on the mix tape circuit. The next logical step is an album.
Ajebutter22
Back in 2009, Ajebutter22 was half of the afro/hip-hop/soul brother-sister duo called Soyinka Afro. Now a solo artist, Ajebutter’s unique, languid, melodic delivery is a winning combination and an initial three singles have proven him to be an artist worth paying attention to. They tracks are lifted off a collaborative album with his go-to team of producers Studio Magic, titled Anytime Soon.
Burna Boy
Burna Boy’s Pidgen drawl and bashment-style flow draws you in and keeps you there. His profile has skyrocketed since he relocated to Nigeria from the U.K. in 2010 such that he has attracted endorsement deals from leading cellular network Glo and South African street fashion label Head Honcho—all without the benefit of an official album yet. There is one on the way titled L.I.F.E., an acronym for “leaving an impact for eternity." By all indications, this could well be self-fulfillng.
8. The Heatseekers
They have the songs on heaviest rotation in Nigeria right now but do they have what it takes to go the distance? We'll see.
Iyanya
The 22-year-old singer/songwriter just released his sophomore album Iyanya vs Desire in February. Since then, he's packed nine venues during a North American tour in April, and most recently, in June he sold out two big album launch concerts in London and Manchester respectively. While lately he's made headlines with a highly-publicized breakup with Ghanaian actress Yvonne Nelson, Iyanya’s career looks bright—and he has no problem letting you know it.
Sean Tizzle
While some people compare his look and sound to the more established Davido, Sean Tizzle is slowly carving out his own lane, following this big single "Sho Lee" with two new singles—"Mama Eh" and "International Badman" dropped simultaneously this July. With legal differences between his label and collaborators settled just days ago, Tizzle has time to strategize and build buzz with two new tracks that could lead to an insanely huge summer.
Kcee
The former KC Presh member has established himself as a solo artist with a string of catchy hit tunes. The biggest smash, "Limpopo," helped land him a gig as one of fresh young faces of telecommunications company MTN Nigeria alongside Iyanya, Wizkid, Davido and more. He snagged in the huge endorsement deal in late June, and though there’s no mention of future collaborations with his fellow brand ambassadors, we’d keep an eye out.
9. The Wild Cards
Ice Prince
With the exception of his career defining single "Oleku," Ice Prince’s thing has been featured verses on other people’s songs—since as far back as 2004—so he is no Johnny-just-comes. The Chocolate City hip-hop stalwart took this year’s BET Best International Act (Africa), a category in which 2Face Idibia (Nigeria), Radio and Weasel (Uganda), Toya Delazy (South Africa) , Donald (South Africa) and R2Bees (Ghana) were contenders.
Naeto C
“The only MC with an MSC” has been laying low, likely enjoying the new-found joys of fatherhood. His absence makes one realize what a pro Naeto is at cooking up hooks. Super C Season, his second album, was a total one-up on his debut U Know My P. But given the singles from the last two years—from "Tony Montana (Bad Pass Remix)" and "I Gentle" to his smash hit with Davido, "Back When"—it was clear Naeto had really come into his own. Makes one think the Texan-born, dapper MC has his best work ahead of him.
