Artist Focus: Rema, The Next Big Thing!
Rema is set to take on the world!
Real name:Divine Ikubor Stage name:Rema Date of birth:May 1, 2001 State of Origin:Edo Nationality:Nigerian Genre:Hip Hop, Afrobeat
For some out there, the nameRema may not exactly ring a bell, but that is about to change as the budding artist and model has just captured the attention of the music industry and is set to take his career to the next level.
Remawas born inBenin City,Edo State,Nigeria into a Christian family and grew up singing and rapping in local churches and schools. He completed his primary and secondary education in Edo State.
Rema started pursuing his music career at the age of 11 and was still in school when he created a group with his friendAlpha, calledRnA in 2013. They won the second season of Pikolo’sDream Alive Talent Show and signed a record deal withPeak Entertainment shortly afterward, releasing their debut singleMercy. The song was recorded at Dream Alive Studio in Benin City and the music video was directed byWhyte House Pictures.
RnA gained minor exposure following their performance at theGlo Slide and Bounce Concertseries in Benin andLagos.
Rema was discovered byD’Prince, the current CEO ofJonzing World Recordsand younger brother of famous music producer andMavinBoss,Don Jazzy.
D’Prince was amazed by Rema’s raw talent and said, “When I first heard Rema’s work, I knew this was an artist I wanted the entire world to listen to. His talent and artistry are so far beyond his years”.
Rema was signed with Jonzing World Records, a subsidiary of Mavin Records, and Don Jazzy instantly recognized the potential for greatness in the youngster. In his own words; “Rema is a formidable young artist. With his skill and versatility, he has a unique place in the future of Afrobeat. At the same time, we are excited to launch our first imprint deal with Jonzing World. The model (Rema) will expand the number of ways the Mavin platform can support artists and entrepreneurship inAfrica to grow together at home and internationally”.
The deal with Jonzing World meant that he had become a part of Mavin Records as well, making him the first artist to sign with them after their multi-million-dollar partnership withKupanda Holdings.
In 2018, Rema worked withDJ Tunez,Wizkid, andReekado Banks on the singleTurn Up. He captured the Nigerian music industry with his smash hitDumebi and has since become the reigning sensation, performing in different events and gaining more prominence.
His songIron Man introduced him to the international audience by appearing onBarack Obama’s 2019 summer playlist.
On October 19, 2019, Rema won the Next Rated Award at the 13th edition ofThe Headies and was also nominated in the Viewer’s Choice category. A lot is expected from him now as those who have won the Next Rated Award have become megastars.
Even though he is just getting started, Rema is already ascending the ladder of success and with his modeling career, is already proving his business acumen. Fame is fickle and celebs often fade into oblivion but a few endure through time and Rema seems to fall into the latter category.
Nigeria and even the world may not be ready for the phenomenon known as Rema and his unique sound has got us spellbound already! The next big thing is here! Hear him!