Five Fast Rising Collectives From The Buj
From Odumodu to Psycho YP and beyond, the list of famous musicians who call Abuja home is extensive. As a result, Abuja has emerged from obscurity to steal the spotlight from Lagos, the megacity, and establish itself as Nigeria’s creative capital.
So, without further ado, here are the groups who are making their mark in the music industry, in no particular order:
Anti-world gangsters
Rappers like Odumodublvck, known as Big Kala, have recently dominated the Nigerian hip-hop scene with his album “Eziokwu,” elevating Okprokpo rhythms to new heights and winning Best Rap Single and Rookie of The Year at the Headies.
Reeplay has also made a significant impact with his album, and Fatboy E has elevated the stage with his terrific track, “Talk of the Devil.”
Agunna and Shagba have blessed fans with tracks like “Come Thru” and “Money On My MIND.” Their first full-length album, “Gang Business,” released in 2019, is fantastic. The group, founded in 2019, is managed by an anonymous individual known as “Gustavo.”
Apex Village
Artists like Psycho YP, Marv OTM, Azanti, Psychosis (Cindy Ihua), Kuddi is Dead, Laime, and Uloko all call Apex Village their home.
Psycho YP was nominated for Best Rap Single at the 2023 Headies for his song “Bando Diaries” featuring Odumodublvck and Best Rap Album for “YPSZN3.”
Marv OTM, who has been relatively quiet since 2021’s “Big 45,” is preparing for a surprise release.
Kuddi is Dead has also been working on new music since 2021’s “No Promises.”
Azanti, the megastar, released a beautiful deluxe album in July.
Laime has been consistently dropping tracks this year.
Uloko, their recent signee artiste, released the groovy single “Nsogbu.” The group’s “Welcome to the Ville” was excellent and interesting, thanks in large part to the talented Cindy Ihua, the director and executive member of Apex Village.
Kinfxlk
Kinfxlk, a creatively driven collective, has made its mark in town with notable talents like Nathan Shaiyen and Tomi Obanure.
Artists Nvthy, Tomi Obanure, Lobi, Beetrus, KVV, Sowa, Amu, and Array are all part of the collective.
They surprised even themselves with the popularity of their first album, which dropped in June of this year. All tracks on the album became radio staples, but “Kinfxlk party” captured the spirit of the event, as its title suggests.
Tomi has a new album, “Wicked as Ever,” coming out this month, promising to leave listeners speechless.
Nvthy, a video director, who had been absent from the scene since “Miscellaneous Thoughts” in 2020, made a strong comeback on their first album.
Lobi, a debut album contributor, appeared on tracks like “kinfxlk party” and “Dance my pain away.” Lobi’s 2022 EP, “Freemotion,” is stunning, and he’s promised to release a 2-song EP called “Fascinacion” soon.
Beetrus performed a box session and impressed with the song “At This Age,” while Sowa graced playlists with “State of Mind” and “Soro.” KVV contributed to the album and promised to delight his loyal fans with magic.
Array and Infinit Amu, who appeared on the kinfxlk album, have yet to release new material.
DEM (Double Energy Mafia)
Members of the Double Energy Mafia house, including Tochi Uguru, Eeskay, F$rgo, Dayo 1p, Jeffe, and Rookie, are making their presence felt.
Jeffe, as mentioned on the BIG TALK podcast, is responsible for marketing for DEM Rookie, as well as handling some deal hunting and music arrangements for the group.
F$rgo and Eeskay collaborated on the hit “Mental,” and F$rgo was later named the 2023 AFRICAN Nova Scotian Music Association (ANSMA) Emerging Artiste of the Year.
Eeskay, a drill artist, has been on another level this year, releasing blazing singles like “No Excuses,” “See Crazy,” “Recovery,” “Domination,” “PTSD & Compose,” “Wildlife,” and “2 Pac.”
Tochi Uguru, an Indie artist, released the sweet song “Lie 2 Me” this year.
Dayo has released two singles this year, “Ariana” and “Bolt.” Don’t underestimate DEM; they are on the cusp of making a significant impact in the music industry.
DAG (Dead Alive Gang)
DAG is a group consisting of Limes XO, 6keyz, Kima the demi god, Sinachi, HotheadKingston & Feng, Nebbiie, Jo3zy, Obbs The Beast, Invermon, Daviefvr, and StandoutSZN. They are about to release their first album.
Sinachi delighted listeners with every song he released this year, including “Wicked,” “Mikasa,” “Over the Moon,” “Chargie,” “Abansi,” “C’est la Vie,” “Atarodo,” “Mayana” with Jo3zy, and “Pull up.”
Limes XO, as he continues to evolve creatively, has released new singles like “Jaiye,” “Mia Marilyn,” and the 3-song EP “Monster Pill.”
Nebbiie released an EP “A Capsule of Nebbiie” and “Unruly” which are the embodiment of chill vibes and rhythm.
Jo3zy has been prolific this year, releasing three full-length albums and one EP in the pop-indie genre.
6keyz released “Big Energy” last year, a noteworthy track.
Invermon released “Moshpit.” The rumored debut album title is “The Dag Tape,” and their goal is to prove to the world why they deserve recognition as the top alternative band.
