REMA & The "Calm Down" Phenomenon
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Being 23 years old and labeled as the “pioneer of Afro-rave” is quite an achievement. “I know my music is opening a door to a whole new world, not just for me, but for everything coming out of Africa. That’s what makes me happy because I know that if Afrobeats ever gets a bible, I’m going to be in it” Rema says.
Born Divine Ikubor, Rema grew up in Benin City, a pre-colonial African power. When he was just 8 years old, he lost his father to asthma-related issues in 2008, and later in 2015 his older brother passed away as well. He had to get a job to support his mother, who worked as a trader of wholesale goods.
In 2018, Rema randomly shared a front-seat freestyle to Afropop star D’Prince’s “Gucci Gang” on social media. The post got around, and Rema soon received a DM from D’Prince himself. Fast forward to 2019 - Rema was signed to Nigeria's top record label "Mavin Records", featured in Barack Obama's yearly playlist, and was working with artists such as FKA Twigs, Major Lazer to name a few.
In 2022, Rema released his debut album "Rave and Roses" which featured instant hits like Soundgasm, Time N Affection (Ft. Chris Brown), and even The Weeknd-styled '80s synth pop "Addicted." But out of all his spectacular tracks, the one track that has become an anthem among listeners globally is “Calm Down”. This track solidified Rema's position in the Afro-rave scene.
Rema released a remix of the single, featuring popular American pop star Selena Gomez. Both versions gained immense popularity on social media, accumulating nearly a billion streams on Spotify and approximately 900 million views on YouTube.
Although Rema is known for his unique sound, during the early stages of his career, some critics questioned his originality, accusing him of using elements of Bollywood music. "When the critics started saying I sounded Indian - and I'd never watched an Indian movie or listened to an Indian album - I started paying attention to that and took it as inspiration to empower myself and prove that I could win with my sound," he said.
Rema - Rave & Roses Now Available At The Revolver Club
Also read: Fela Kuti: The Man Who Invented Afro-beat
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