Rema and his claim to a big 4 in Afrobeats

Ever since Rema said “No more big three it’s now a big four”, I have not slept well. I have had many conversations with many music execs surrounding this statement. From what I’ve come to understand, majority are upset. Afrobeats heads feel like the statement is disrespectful to the big three as they’ve been in the game longer than Rema has, and they are most definitely not happy that the Ravelorde is blowing his own trumpet and planting his own flowers. 

The conversation is quite basic. They say many people have a claim to a fourth spot before Rema can. Olamide because of his longevity. Kizz Daniel because of Longevity and relevance. Tiwa Savage because of both factors and that the game needs a spot for the queen. They argue that one global song can not just catapult you into a big four conversation, because what happens when everyone has their global hit record? Fair points. I see the logic and reasoning behind some of them. 

Rema Donates Millions To Christ Embassy

A quick trip down memory lane shows that between 2010 and 2018, the conversation was really about two people, two. Wizkid and Davido. It was always a big two. From when they were the new kids on the block ready to own the genre to the point when they were established acts with 5, 7 years at the top. They were always the two at the forefront of the conversation. 

It’s also why there was never a big two conversation till a big three conversation started. What we had was a direct face off. Wizkid Vs Davido. Starboy FC vs 30BG. The masses vs the elite. However you choose to see it. 

Many tried to open the conversation. Olamide was there from the get go. In my opinion, they came up together. He had enough if not more hits to go head to head with Wiz and David. Who comes out on top is not for me to say, but I do know that a battle is not a reach. He had the numbers. He had the consistency. He had the legacy. He also had the impact in the industry. As he’d say on “Awon Goons Mi”, he did about 60 collaborations annually, handing out guest verses that’d turn hustlers into superstars, while still putting out an album every year. 

The only two reasons I believe Olamide wasn’t put in a big three conversation early enough are as follows. One, he’s a rapper. We knew him as a rapper. We welcomed his transition, (it’s probably one of the smoothest we’ve seen), but we always did leave rappers out of the conversations around the best artist. His beef was more with MI for the best rapper tag, something he’d address on “Sitting On The Throne”. 

No matter how many times he gave us melodic hits, from the Melo Melos to the Shakiti Bobos, from the Lagos Boys to the Motigbanas, Olamide was our rap king. Hence, he wasn’t getting a seat at the big three conversation. That leads to my second reason, he wasn’t intentional about branding himself out of the local rapper tag early enough. If he wanted to, he would have. I believe he was okay being the voice of the streets. I believe he was okay being Olamide. 

I also believe it’s why Asake is as polished as he is street. From his branding to his visuals, his superstar aura to his carriage, you can tell that the mechanism behind him does not want him to suffer for being a ghetto prophet. It’d be and is easier for Asake to fight for the top spot with Rema, than it would be for a Seyi Vibez, or a Zinoleesky. They’re all street artists, but there’s a clear difference in representation and branding, and the conversations built around those acts. 

The big three conversation started when Burna Boy had his Ye moment and took his brand and artistry to a whole new level internationally. He became a global superstar so we had to identify with him at home. We couldn’t rank him anywhere less, because he was operating on whatever level our top two were at the time, and probably even higher. We had to have a big three and it was no longer in the hands of the local gatekeepers to decide if it’d happen or not. 

Rema came on to the scene in 2019 as the face of another movement. The Next Gen conversation. The first time we saw a next gen movement was when Reekado Banks, Dija, Lil Kesh, Korede Bello, Kizz Daniel and a few more burst onto the scene at the same time and started churning out hit song after hit song. Four years after that we had another next gen. We didn’t brand it a next gen the first time because of different reasons. 

Rema at the MTV VMAs

Our industry hadn’t developed to the level which it currently has, and we weren’t looking to replace our superstars who were just getting comfortable at the top. Now, change was imminent. Rema brought change, with a lot more things than just hit songs. From his sound to his identity and dressing. His branding to his representation. He was ready. He felt like a lab rat prepared to take over and send the old takers home to an early retirement. In football terms, he felt like Haaland, before Haaland. 

Since his debut, he’s managed to get over 8 billion career streams globally. He’s had two albums, and he’s had the biggest song in the world at a time. He’s won numerous awards and taken the genre to an entirely different level. He’s impacted the sound direction of Afrobeats while doing the same to it’s art direction and also its execution behind the scenes. He’s inspired his colleagues and the fans. The only reason he hasn’t been Grammy nominated is because Calm Down was released before the start of the time period for eligibility that year.  

On his The Breakfast Club interview, Rema asked to be judged by merit. He told the interviewer that the only reason anyone will dispute his claim to a big four is because they have “respect for the OGs” and not because of any other thing. He said he’s done what took many 10 years to do in five, and he’s doing more. Obviously It’d be easier with social media, but everyone else has that tool right now, and no one is doing it on his level. 

Rema believes he deserves a big four position. I do too. I understand the argument of leaving this big three to the OGs and starting a new big three conversation with Rema and his peers, but it won’t be fair. We forced the conversation to a Big 3. Before 2019, it was two. Wiz and David. Burna got there because of his international exploits. Rema is asking for same. He’s asking to be judged by the same parameters we put in place for us. 

What I find interesting? He’s not even asking. He’s taking it all. He’s planting his followers, harvesting them and giving them to himself. He’s unapologetic. And I believe he has a right to be. 

Related Topics

• Afrobeats
• music
• Rema