The Nigerian music industry is evolving more quickly than it ever has, and the growth of social media and streaming platforms has given independent musicians more opportunities to define their own standards and own their styles.
There has been a distinctive renaissance brewing – particularly among African creatives – where old standards of culture and brand identity no longer dictate an artist’s success.
We are here for that African movement.
Here is a list of 10
Underground Nigerian musicians you may not be familiar with but are a raving style. So get familiar
Khaid
The newest kid in the Afrobeats music genre is Khaid (born in 2005).
The singer, composer, and rapper is an expert in the AfroFusion style and is known for fusing Afro and Trap music.
As the use of social media was on the rise, Khaid started to upload videos of his freestyle songs on his social media profiles.
Throughout this time, he continued to produce music, honing his style and developing as a songwriter.
YKB
Yusuf Kan Bai aka Ykb is a Nigerian Afropop singer and songwriter. He is one of the new artists making wave and pushing through in the Nigerian music industry.
Very talented and possessing a tiny unique voice, Yusuf has been able to fit into the hot competition among latest Nigerian Artists.
He currently has less than 10k monthly listeners a proper underground Nigerian artist.
Eclais
The exceptionally talented Canadian rapper and singer Eclais is getting ready to wow crowds at the next Afrobeats Music Festival Toronto. She is originally from Nigeria.
Eclais, who graduated from Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, with a degree in Economics, entered the music industry and quickly gained popularity with her debut song, “OOUUU,” which is regularly played on Nigerian radio and television.
Eclais, who is now working on new projects that will lead to her debut EP, has become recognised as one of the emerging talents of Toronto’s underground Afrobeats music scene.
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Portable
Every year, obscure acts from popular streets in Lagos give the country a banger street hop record.
Most times these songs blow up unexpectedly and slowly and circulate the airwaves for an extended period after which we never hear from the artiste behind the record.
But for Habeeb Okikiola, his rise to the spotlight from the streets of Mushin was more tactical, with DJs and microbloggers serving to garner a buzz around his Zazoo song.
Obongjayar
Crossing over officially with the tacit Sarz cosign on their joint Sweetness EP, Stephen Umoh, known popularly as Obongjayar, had before that, been slowly but steadily making a name for himself as an Afrofusion artiste, mixing in elements of funk and alternative RnB and Afrobeats to create his unique style of music that had earned him underground cult status in the diaspora as well as in Nigeria off the back of his debut album, Which Way Forward?
Bizzonthetrack
Even though the year is only halfway over, the all-around creative genius known as Bizzonthetrack has already managed to persevere and produce one album, two EPs, and multiple singles inside the first six months of the year.
Additionally, Bizzonthetrack has confirmed in tweets and emails that a project titled “Afro Jackson” will be released later this year.
Azanti
Last year when Nathan Ayomikun, popularly known as Azanti broke out unto the scene, he was a fresh-faced 17-year-old singer introduced officially through an 8-track album, YP & Azanti Vol. 1, which was a joint project with PsychoYP, leader of the Apex Village collective which he’s a member of.
Backed with trap cadences, the project had served as the perfect platter for his fresh fusion of RnB and Afropop and it had been met with raving reviews, with Caro, Ji Masun and Long Way Home emerging as faves
Dai Verse
The airwaves have been revolving to Dai Verse’s melodies for the most part of the past year, with music lovers now able to tell his cold coffee-toned voice apart without missing a beat, but the face of the artiste himself remains a closely guarded secret.
This is because Ifeanyi Chineme Lennon, the man with the voice we now know as Dai Verse broke out with an undisputed earworm in the form of Your Body (Cocaine) and soon after, hit us with a feature on Zugo’s Colorado.
Guchi
With a sound that feels familiar and novel at the same time, Guchi’s music is a mix of highlife, bongo flava elements and pop that is slowly making a case for itself.
Full name Ugochi Onuoha, the singer had a good run in the previous year as an emerging female act off the release of her singles, Benzema and Jennifer, all put out after her debut on the I Am Guchi EP released in 2020
Jaywillz
There’s an entire subculture of beauty enthusiasts, otherwise known as slay queens, as well as lovers, that thrive on the rise of soft-toned and romantic Afropop music and Jaywillz, has proved to have the right dose of that
Originally named Victor Ima, Jaywillz had also been blessed by an Olamide co-sign after the rapper watched freestyling videos of him on Instagram and featured him on Jailer, off his UY Scuti album
Minz
Dami Aminu, or Minz as he’s professionally known, has been making a name for himself in the Nigerian alternative music space over the past few years, putting out sensual Afrofusion bops like Beautiful and Skin which had made him a ladies favourite and the guy for the guys as well.
But 2021 was an especially exceptional year for the singer, first from securing multiple features on Runtown’s SoundGod Fest Reloaded and then putting out successful solo records from the self-produced 234 to BDMN that not only propagates his uniquely sensuous style but show that there’s much love for it.