The Nigerian music industry is currently one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing music industries. There are hundreds of musicians in the country both famous and upcoming artists, each one with a unique talent and style. This fact is what makes answering a question like Who Is The Best Musician In Lagos, Nigeria? Hard.
The music scene in Lagos features a rich blend of sounds and styles and has for long played a significant role in the global music scene. From the rowdy street of Lagos, it has transcended boundaries to rich African pop, skillfully fusing traditional rhythms with modern elements.
This musical prowess has given way to an array of diverse talents who have shaped and redefined the music landscape, not just in Africa but around the globe.
As we travel through a captivating world, we’ll find the best Nigerian singers this industry has ever seen. Note, that this list contains only artists that are still making music.
7 Best Musicians In Lagos, Nigeria
1. Wizkid
2. Davido
3. Rema
4. Burna Boy
5. Asake
6. Victony
7. Omah Lay
Best Musicians In Lagos, Nigeria
The Nigerian music industry has a lot of competition, and picking a musician who is considered to be the best is extremely difficult because they’re all good. After several findings, this is our list of the best musicians in Lagos, Nigeria.
1. Big Wiz
Wizkid also known as Big Wiz is the best musician in Lagos, Nigeria, and one of the brightest stars to grace the music industry here and abroad. Wiz started his musical journey at the age of 11. His distinct fusion of Afrobeats and R&B not only captivated audiences in Nigeria but has also gotten him fame internationally.
Wiz has collaborated with world-renowned artists like Drake, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Tems, Beyonce, H.E.R, and lots more, which results in the production of Platinum hits such as ‘Come Closer’, ‘Smile’, ‘Essence’, etc. This further reinforced his stance as a leading artist in the music industry.
Over the years, Big Wiz’s dedication and passion for his craft have earned him multiple accolades. Including the coveted Grammy Award for Best Music Video, which was “Brown Skin Girl” with Beyonce.
2. Davido
Davido is a famous Nigerian singer, born in Atlanta, United States, and bred in Nigeria. OBO made his debut in the music industry over a decade ago and has been going up since then.
OBO is the first African artist with more than a million hashtagged posts on Facebook, he was featured on a FIFA World Cup soundtrack and later performed in the Qatar-held closing ceremony of the tournament.
Davido has dropped many hit singles and chart-topping albums, which gave him the chance to win several Awards both in Nigeria and on the International stage.
3. Rema
Rema is another best musician in Lagos, Nigeria, and has the most listeners of any Nigerian artists on Spotify. The numbers read twice as many as second position Burna Boy and ranks 61st globally. His “Rave & Roses” is the first debut album by an African talent to get a billion plays across all digital streaming platforms, making him one of the best in the country.
His megahit “Calm Down ft. Selena Gomez” surpassed Ckay’s Love Nwantinti Remix as the country’s most-viewed music video on YouTube. Besides Burna Boy, Rema is the only African artist with a gold-certified album in France. ‘Calm Down’ with Selena was the most-played Nigerian song on Spotify in 2022 and won him his first entry into the Billboard Hot 100 charts.
Rema was selected as one of three performers for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game halftime performance. He also performed at the recently concluded 2023 Ballon d’Or festival.
4. Burna Boy
Burna Boy is a Nigerian musician famed for his back-to-back singles and chart-topping albums in Nigeria and globally. After dropping Ye, Burna was well on his way to winning a Grammy Award.
Burna is the first African act to get a gold-certified record in France and sell out the 21,000-capacity State Farm Arena in Atlanta, USA. He is the first African artist to get RIAA certifications for songs from three different albums.
The African Giant sold out the 13,000-capacity 3 Arena in Dublin, Ireland, twice. 15,000-capacity Hallenstadion in Zurich, Switzerland, including 16,000-capacity Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
5. Asake
Asake, another best musician in Lagos, Nigeria, started making waves in the music industry in 2017 and quickly rose to prominence with his distinct sound. His breakout was in 2020 with the release of his song “Lady”, an upbeat track with a brisk beat that oozed good-time vibes. This feat earned him a contract with YBNL Nation and Empire, which gave him a platform to reach a broader audience.
To recognize his talent and efforts, BET tagged Asake their Amplified Artist for August 2023. Today, he continues to push boundaries with his sound, creating music that strikes a chord with listeners around the world.
6. Victony
Victony broke into the Nigerian music scene with songs like ‘Pray’, ‘Rosemary’ featuring Savage, and ‘Holy Father’ featuring Asake which was the country’s sixth most streamed in 2022. The ‘Apollo’ crooner got his first entry into the US Apple Music Top Songs with ‘Different Sizes’ (by Burna Boy) that same year.
His song Soweto was one of the most popular Afrobeat sounds on TikTok, and he went on to make two more remixes with Rema and Don Toliver, and Omah Lay. Victony was publicly endorsed by Ed Sheeran during Fireboy DML’s November 2022 OVO Arena Wembley show.
7. Omah Lay
Omah Lay is one of the best musicians in Lagos, Nigeria. He took his place among the best in the country when he broke into the scene in 2020. His song “Bad Influence” became the most streamed song on Apple Music Nigeria. Both “Bad Influence” and “Godly”, are in the top seven of Africa’s most streamed songs on Audiomack, putting them in the same category as Kizz Daniel, the only artistes with multiple entries. He is also the fifth most streamed artist on BoomPlay.
Lay’s album ‘Boy Alone’ achieved the fifth most first-day album listens on Spotify Nigeria in 2022, making him the ninth-best musician in Nigeria. ‘Attention’ his song with Justin Bieber, is also the first single by a Nigerian artist to beat a million Spotify streams on the day of its release. ‘Boy Alone’ is also the first debut album to have all songs chart on the YouTube NG Top Songs Chart in its first week of release.
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