This one prime example is through Rema and Shallipoppi’s new single ‘Benin Boys’ released on Friday, 21 June 2024, also a part of Rema’s first release of 2024.
Rema (born Divine Ikubor) is a Nigerian singer, rapper and songwriter. He discovered his love for music from an early age and he notes his mother as a significant influence in the way his life is shaped. He performed in churches when he was younger and was recognised by Nigerian artist D’Prince.
Rema released his self-titled debut EP in 2019 which features his breakout song ‘Dumebi’. His first EP topped Apple Music’s Nigerian Charts and his songs were included in the FIFA 21 soundtrack. He further continued to release three EPs and in 2022, Rema released his first album titled ‘Raves & Roses’, which features his popular song ‘Calm Down’. The collaborators on the album included multiple notable artists such Chris Brown, Selena Gomez, 6lack, AJ Tracey and Yseult. He went on to win various awards including the MTV Video Music Award for Best Afrobeats Video. His deluxe version of ‘Raves & Roses’ became the first African album to cross two billion streams on Spotify. In 2023, he released the five track ‘Ravage’ EP.
Shallipoppi (born Crown Uzama) is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and rapper. His career started with him freestyling on the video sharing platform TikTok. He garnered his first breakthrough in 2023 with his single ‘Elon Musk’. Shallipoppi was recognised by Apple Music on their "It's Up Next” programme and went on to release the remix of ‘Elon Musk’ which featured Nigerian artists Fireboy DML and Zlatan. He has since released his first EP titled ‘Planet Pluto’.
In 2024, Rema and Shallipoppi collaborated on the single titled ‘Benin Boys’. The title of the single a “no brainer” seeing as the duo both originate from Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, which is vastly known for its beautiful agriculture.
The music video for ‘Benin Boys’ was released on the same day as the single release and has since gained over two million views in three days on YouTube. The eye-catching visuals capture the city where they grew up, highlighting their success through their current lifestyle, whilst being in touch with their roots.
The video showcases their Nigerian roots and they blend their passion of music, culture and dance. The single is a representation of their home state and the vibrancy of the city. The song fuses the sounds of Rema and Shallipoppi seamlessly, as the upbeat nature of the track and use of language mainly English and Pidgin create a unique blend of the duo’s sounds.
The lyricism discusses their perspectives of success, community, heritage and pride in a positive sense as they acknowledge that their success is due to their pride as men from Benin City and as Yoruba men. They still feel a strong sense of belonging before and after their fame in their home, while representing their home, and maintain that they are always Benin Boys.
