According to Nigerian singer Divine Ikubor, better known by his stage name Rema, every Afrobeats musician to come out since 2019 has been adhering to the model he set.
During a recent interview on The Breakfast Club, he made this assertion and said that prominent figures in the music industry were demeaning his standing. Eyes Of Lagos reports,
The “Ozeba” hitmaker further asserted that he started the practice of new musicians making their stage debuts with extended plays (EPs).
“I had a template when I entered the game [the music industry]. My approach was distinct from how new artists emerge and take the lead. The EP trend was started by me. Since 2019, every [new Afrobeats] artist has followed the same route, releasing an EP as soon as they debut, Rema said.
Rema claimed that he feels compelled to highlight his own accomplishments because many people are hesitant to recognize his contributions to Afrobeats.
“A lot of people would argue [my innovation in Afrobeats]. I don’t like to feel an Afrobeats Messiah.
“Sometimes, people don’t like young people applauding themselves. Sometimes, it’s not for you to say. Sometimes, it’s the truth but it’s just not for you to say.
“Sometimes I can’t wait for the OGs to say it but since no one is saying it, I might have to say it myself,” he added.
