Top Nigerian Artistes to Watch out for in 2022 and 2023

Nigerian Songs include many types of folk and popular music. Folk music styles are related to the country’s numerous ethnic groups, each with their own techniques, instruments, and songs.

Below are some artistes to watch out for

Omah Lay

Omah Dibia, also known as Omah Lay, is a Port Harcourt, Rivers State-born artiste who debuted in the Nigerian music industry in 2019 with singles such as Brother and Do Not Disturb.

Omah Lay was not popular at the start of 2019, but he had a breakthrough during the disease outbreak with his singles, You and Bad Influence, using digital platforms to stream his 2020 singles. His songs have received millions of streams, and he is on his way to becoming one of the most popular upcoming African acts.

CKay

Ckay, whose real name is Chukwuka Ekeani, is a Nigerian music star signed to Chocolate City Music. Despite being an Anambra State native, he was born in Kaduna.

His father, who was the church choir coordinator, introduced him to music when he was seven years old. He began producing and writing when he was 13 years old. Ckay was officially signed as an artist with Chocolate City Music in August 2016.

The same year, he released his first official single, Nkechi turn up. Love Nwatiti, Gaddemit, Chinekeme, and Gmail, featuring DMW Rapper Dremo, are among his other notable songs. Ckay was a popular artist in 2021, and he released a number of songs, including Felony, Skoin Skoin, and Show My Side.

Buju (Bnxn)

His real name is Daniel Benson, but he’s better known as Buju; many people became interested in Buju’s music after the release of Spiritual, featuring Zlatan, in 2019, and he’s been on an upward trajectory since then.

Buju Bnxn began his career as a Soundcloud artiste, but it wasn’t long before Nigerians discovered him on the popular premium streaming platform. Buju officially released the following hit songs in 2018: a day in Lagos, Aje, and Catch a Vibe. In 2019, he released Balance It, L’enu, and Spiritual, which featured Zlatan.

In 2021, he released several hit singles, including Your Body (featuring Basketmouth), Confident, and Peru (featuring Fireboy DML). Buju is one of the few up-and-coming artists who has worked with many industry heavyweights, including Wizkid, Burna Boy, Timaya, and Ladipoe.

Tems

Temilade Openiyi, also known as Tems, is a songwriter, singer, and record producer. Try Me, her hit single from 2019, was released in 2019. Tems released her debut, Play for Brolen ears, in September 2020, which included several tracks, and her single, Damages, became another follow-up hit. Tems was set to appear on Drake’s certified lover boy album, which was announced on billboards in Lagos on September 2, 2021. Fountains’ collaboration with Drake on the song earned her a second Billboard Hot 100 entry, debuting at number 26. Tems’ collaboration with WizKid, which received a Grammy nomination, was a huge success in Essence.

Zinoleesky

Azeez, also known as Zinoleesky, is a Nigerian Music songwriter and musician. His career in the music industry began at a young age, and he has released a lot of music since breaking into the spotlight. However, some of his popular songs include Kilofeshe, Mapariwo, and Gone Far.

Zinoleesky normally participates in various types of music battles and freestyles in order to master his music craft. This was one of the things that drew the attention of the Marlian President.

He has known Ibradosky and Lil Frosh for many years and some online reports indicate that they went to the same high school.

The three friends frequently challenged themselves with freestyles, unaware that it would lead to their stardom. Kizz Daniel discovered one of their rap videos on Instagram after it was posted by Zinoleesky and later followed him on the popular photo sharing app.

The small act motivated them even more, and they had to put in more effort, which eventually paid off.

Ruger

Michael Adebayo, professionally known as Ruger, ranked first on the list of Nigeria’s top ten rated artists in 2021.

The talented Nigerian singer is from Lagos. The singer rose to prominence after signing with Jonzing Records in January 2021. Ruger, on the other hand, had been developing for over a year before being unveiled by D’Prince’s Jonzing World Records.

In January, he released his first single, One Shirt, which featured Rema and D Prince and was a massive hit enjoyed and accepted by his fans. As a follow-up, the multi-talented upcoming artist released Pandemic, his debut extended play (EP). Bounce, Abu Dhabi, Bow, Monalisa, Yekpa, and Ruger were among the hit songs on the EP.

Blaqbonez

Emeka Akumefule, better known as Blaqbonez, is a Nigerian rapper signed to 100 Crowns, an imprint of Chocolate City Music. He is best known for his contentious self-proclaimed title of “Best Rapper in Africa” (abbreviated as “BRIA”), which became the most talked about topic in the Nigerian music scene between July and September 2019. Blaqbonez began exploring his rap skills at a young age, and at the age of 16, he placed first out of over 3000 Nigerian rappers in Terry tha Rapman’s Zombie competition.

As a result, he appeared on Terry’s 2012 album World Domination alongside Olamide, Vector (rapper), Mode 9, Spellz, and others. Terry was featured on one of Blaqbonez’s projects five years later. Mr. Boombastic, Blaqbonez’s ninth EP, was released on October 25, 2019.

Blaqbonez released the promotional single Jesus Is Black a day before the EP’s release (Letter to Kanye West). Blaqbonez had the following hits in 2021: Traffic after traffic, with Blaqbonez; Bling, with Amaarae and Buju Fendi; Sex over love, with Nasty C, Laycon, and Joeboy; and BBC, with Tiwa Savage and others.

Ayra Starr

Onyinkansola Sarah Aderigbe, better known as Ayra Starr, is a Nigerian songwriter and model. Earlier in 2021, she released her song, Away, which went viral and brought her fans.

She then went on to release another song, Bloody Samaritan, which trended on social media, particularly Tiktok, and went viral. The demand for her in 2023 is expected to grow.

Ayra Starr identified her interest in music at the age of ten because her family loved and encouraged music. She began singing in the church choir and songwriting with her brother, Dami.

Furthermore, her college days played a significant role in her immersion in music. Ayra Starr stated that she was constantly bullied because of her appearance and age, which led her to turn to music, particularly Nicki Minaj’s. Ayra Starr also lost her father in 2018, which prompted her to pursue music. As a coping mechanism, she began writing sad songs and tributes to her father.

Ayra Starr was signed into a modeling agency in Lagos in August 2018 at the age of 16. She collaborated with a variety of brands, including Esperanza Woman Wear, Complete Fashion Magazine, Mazelle Studio, and others. Ayra Starr chose her stage name “Ayra Starr” long before she became famous and released her debut single. Her stage name, which means “woke and eye-opening,” represents what she stands for, according to her. The lovely singer is dedicated to creating music that appeals to both adults and children.