After 6 years, Rema returns to his hometown Benin City
After 6 years, Rema triumphantly returns to her homeland of Benin City.
After a 6 years absence, afrobeats sensation Divine Ikubor, better known as Rema, returned to his hometown of Benin City and set off on a momentous trip.
For the gifted artist, who had left the old city in search of new possibilities and experiences, this homecoming was very important.
On Thursday, March 28, 2024, a video that went viral online captured the Mavin artist's historic comeback. Rema was accompanied by other native performers from his state, including as Shallipopi and Israel DMW, a manager for singer Davido.
The video showed Rema, who is well-known for songs like "Calm Down," escorting the party down the aisle of the aircraft and interacting cordially with other travellers.
Rema's breakthrough song from 2019—"Dumebi"—marked the beginning of his musical career. He already had a record contract with D'Prince's company, Jonzing World, and was connected to Don Jazzy's Mavin Records before this.
International praise was bestowed on his 2022 hit song "Calm Down," particularly on the remix that featured American pop sensation Selena Gomez. The remix topped the US Afrobeats Songs chart for an incredible 58 weeks and climbed to number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
Rema's return to Benin City in 2024 is a bittersweet moment of reconnecting with his roots and celebrating his journey from humble beginnings to global acclaim. Rema moved to Lagos in 2019 to pursue his music career.
Do you believe the Nigerian music industry needs to do better?
Nigeria industry
Quoting lyrics from Bnxn's song 'Maximum Damage' featuring Headie One: 'I’m from a place where nobody makes it out without people thinking it's magic.' The Nigerian music industry stands at the top of the world, but all we can see is a mix of OGs, LGs, Cat As, and sub-Cats like Ruger and Bnxn (formerly known as Buju) using social media to cultivate characters that may define history for generations to come. Nobody is perfect, but it's concerning how easily everyone is willing to throw others under the bus once they gain a platform. If you believe the Nigerian music industry needs to do better, then read.
While you listen to the song, consider this: Have you ever wondered about the purpose behind Bnxn and Ruger engaging in online conflicts via tweets and content? Is it to manipulate people's minds before dropping a song together? Are these artists focused more on creating good music or on trashing their colleagues online to generate more clicks for their upcoming songs? Who's really telling the truth? Did they settle their fight behind closed doors? One reason why there will always be Wizkid fans versus Davido fans while Burna Boy's crew awaits the drama? Where is the Nigerian music industry heading? Lastly, is it true that Bnxn and Ruger are about to drop a single? Take a minute to ponder all of this together."
While listening to Khaid's song 'Forever,' ponder this question: What is the purpose behind someone like Jaywon going on a podcast to criticize Burna Boy's response to Edris, merely to validate his own opinion based on personal experience? It seems many of our OGs, LGs, and Cat As forget that social media never forgets. Instead of engaging in podcast sessions, our legends and current top A-list artists should prioritize studio sessions. Everyone, from Charlie Boy to Daddy Showkey, Rude Boy, Jaywon, Edris, and even Seun Kuti lately, seems caught up in proving themselves right. Meanwhile, artists like Bnxn and Ruger are already following in their footsteps, influencing fans. In 2024, it's time for them all to grasp the power of social media, use it to earn money, and leave a positive legacy, rather than perpetuating the drama we see online.
I will use Burna Boy's song 'I Told Them ft GZA' to address every artist who finds themselves leading the country in the music world. Let's take Edris and Burna as examples. There was a time when Edris was the talk of the Nigerian music industry. Those who were around then know his journey, from then till now. Burna, on the other hand, faced a period when the industry seemed to have left him behind. Only a few kept faith in him. So however he chooses to move forward now, we should allow it. But Edris's life should serve as a lesson for him because none of us knows what the future holds. He's not the first; let's not forget it all began with 2baba's 'African Queen' in an American movie, and the likes of Dbanj, Don Jazzy, PSquare, Wizkid, and Davido paved the way. Now it's Burna Boy's time, and Rema is also closing the gap. What are your thoughts on this?"
Universal Music Group acquire Majority Stake in Nigerian Label Mavin Global
With musicians like Rema and Ayra Starr calling it home, the organisation is leading the way in Africa's Afrobeats trend, which has been taking the world by storm.
The renowned record label Mavin Global, created by Don Jazzy and is home to Rema, Ayra Starr, Crayon, and Ladipoe, was acquired by the Universal Music Group for a 75% interest. The firms stated that assuming regulatory approval, the merger should be finalised by the third quarter.
The agreement's terms were kept a secret. It was unclear whether publishing was included in the deal when Billboard reported in October that Shot Tower Capital was shopping Mavin at a valuation of more than $125 million, with a potential sale price of $150 million to $200 million. Don Jazzy, the CEO and founder of Mavin, and COO Tega Oghenejobo have entered into an investment agreement.
"Great artists, great entrepreneurs, and great people are our simple criteria for identifying partners," UMG chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge said in a statement announcing the agreement. We've found the perfect partners to expand within Don Jazzy, Tega, the Mavin Global crew, and their artist list. We're excited to have Mavin's talented musicians join the Universal Music Group family as they have helped to make Afrobeats a worldwide sensation.
With Rema's "Calm Down," the biggest Afrobeats song ever and the number three spot on the Hot 100 last year, initially released by Virgin Music and its remix featuring Selena Gomez licenced to Interscope, Mavin had already built a relationship with UMG. Meanwhile, Starr has a contract with Republic. Since its debut, "Calm Down" has received over 1 billion on-demand plays in the United States alone, with a much higher total number of plays worldwide.
According to a press release, the investment is intended to accelerate Mavin's global expansion. It specifically targets the company's Artist Academy, which develops its roster's musical and performance abilities, as well as its executive leadership team, which aims to develop the next wave of African leaders in the music industry.
Oghenejobo stated in a statement, "Given the diversity and potential of our business, we have a strong belief that they are the ideal partner for the next phase of our growth, especially with our proven history of collaborations within the UMG family."
Some of the top musicians and record companies in the world call UMG home, which makes them the ideal fit for our goals. We are committed to creating a dynamic creative atmosphere that elevates African music to new heights on the international scene, and we are doing so by working with UMG.
Winning the Mavin auction propels UMG farther into the Nigerian Afrobeats industry, which is an umbrella term for Afropop, Afro-fusion, high life, and other genres that are still exploding globally. Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy are just a few of the artists who have become international superstars in recent years. Meanwhile, fresh African talent is being spearheaded by artists like Rema, Starr, Tems, Tyla, Ckay, Asake, and Fireboy DML. The movement has gathered so much traction that the Recording Academy created a new category for the Grammy Awards called "Best African Music Performance." Tyla's song "Water" won in this category earlier this month.
Rema’s Calm Down is the biggest afrobeat record of all time
Rema's famous song "Calm Down" has achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the most certified African music in the US, with 6,000,000 units sold.
One of the lead singles from Rema's 2022 debut album "Raves & Roses," "Calm Down," has consistently had tremendous commercial success.
"Calm Down," which features Selena Gomez, has achieved the remarkable milestone of 6,000,000 units sold, solidifying its position as the most commercially successful African song in the United States. This achievement has earned the song an RIAA 6-time platinum plaque.
The US saw tremendous success with the "Calm Down" remix, which stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for more than 52 weeks.
It also earned the highest spot for a Nigerian song and the second highest position for an African song, reaching its peak at No. 3 on the list, placing it only below Hugh Masekela's 1968 classic "Grazing in the Grass," which peaked at No. 1.
In addition, Rema's song "Calm Down" has broken several records. It is currently the most streamed Afrobeats song on Spotify, having had over one billion plays. Additionally, it is the Nigerian music video with the highest number of views on YouTube.