Rema delivered a captivating performance at Jordan Brand’s The One Finals, held at Le Trianon et L’Élysée Montmartre in Paris, France. This exclusive event marked the conclusion of the ‘Our Turn’ 1v1 global basketball tournament, crowning the best 1v1 player in the world.
Special guests, including Fat Joe and Lola Brooke, were in attendance, celebrating the fusion of fashion, music, culture, and sport. Rema’s performance followed the release of his latest sophomore studio album, HEIS, adding to the night’s excitement.
The tournament and concert brought together notable figures from various industries to honor The One Finals winners at Jordan Brand’s newly transformed home court. The evening was a testament to the brand’s commitment to elevating the next generation of talent and creating unforgettable cultural moments.
The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.
Heis is not the direction many expected Rema to go for his second album, frankly because it’s such a sharp turn away from his debut Rave & Roses. The 2022 album was a massive success that brought Rema worldwide recognition and helped to place him at the pinnacle of modern-day afrobeats. It’s also home to “Calm Down,” the highest-charting afrobeats song in Billboard Hot 100 history.
These are the accomplishments that make the dramatic shift in sound that is Heis even more impressive. There’s no joy in playing it safe and with Heis, Rema proves that he has no interest in being conventional. An album like Heis is a risky move, as mixed reviews have proven it to be, but truthfully, it’s just the polarizing jolt that afrobeats needs.
While Rave & Roses is feel-good and bright, promoting good times and soundtracking what feels like a summer party, Heis is sinister, rebellious, and mischievous. It soundtracks all forms of chaos – from the exciting highs of a party to the stressful lows of a fight – to perfection. Think of the most thrilling scene from your favorite action movie; there’s a song on Heis that can replace it and capture the same energy.
Heis opens in an aggressive sprint with “March Am” as he emphatically chants “I dey march am” – a Nigerian Pidgin phrase that essentially means pressing forward and putting your foot on the gas. It closes with waning violin strums before steering into “Azaman,” a lavish account of riches and the pursuit of more. “Benin Boys” recruits fellow Nigerian artist Shallipopi for a tough-talking warning to enemies and a gritty reminder to the industry. “Ozeba,” an early fan-favorite from Heis, is an erratic and fast-paced declaration from Rema that promises to wreak havoc on the game on his way to the top. As one of one afrobeats’ top artists, this approach is necessary for the sake of keeping diversity and continued life in the genre.
What makes Heis so special is how deeply-rooted it is in the African sound and culture. Though the globalization of afrobeats has brought well-deserved attention to the genre, it has also led to its dilution as well. Rema spoke about this in a recent interview on Apple Music. “Everyone is chasing something that the whole world can enjoy,” he said. “I feel like with the success that has come, I feel like we’re listening to the voices of the world too much and we gotta listen to the voices back home to just keep our roots.” He continued, “This project is helping me bring back that essence, bring back that energy, and place a reminder not just for the fans, but for the creators.”
That reminder is necessary because the globalization of afrobeats happened without compromising for the sake of success. The genre in its purest form is good enough, exciting enough, and entertaining enough to reach opposite ends of the world. Afrobeats is at its best when the home continent, its culture, and its natural sounds are at the forefront of the creative process. This approach is also important as the genre becomes more and more of a mainstream entity. It’s up to the artists within afrobeats to preserve the authenticity of the genre as new listeners arrive to explore the sound and learn its values. The lessons learned will stick with these listeners, who may even become the new artists of the next generation. At the very least, a standard will be kept and upheld for any artist that enters the genre. It’s the preferable approach compared to others who said afrobeats has “no substance to it” because artists have “no real-life experiences” while promoting an album that diluted the afrobeats sound in favor of one that catered to the Western appetite.
Rema’s Heis is the talk of afrobeats right now, and it’s for all the best reasons. With “Benin Boys,” “Ozeba,” “Hehehe,” and other tracks leading the way, the intentionality that Rema put forth absolutely paid off. The hope is that other artists in the genre – from top artists like Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Asake, Tems, and Ayra Starr to other emerging stars – take the baton from Rema to run off with his message and apply it to their own music. Asake seems to be doing this as he brought British rapper Central Cee to Nigeria for their “Wave” collaboration while Burna, Davido, and Wizkid can showcase this on their upcoming albums. The beauty of afrobeats must be preserved and it’s artists like Rema who will make sure that happens. The genre is perfect as is and so much success has been attained in its natural state. Heis, regardless of what it achieves in the world’s eyes in the short-term, should and will be remembered as one of the most important albums in afrobeats’ current era.
Heis is out now via Mavins Global Holdings Ltd/Jonzing World Entertainment/Interscope Records. Find out more information here.
The Afrobeats genre has lately been taking on more of a mellow and sensual vibe. However, Rema is bringing a thunderstorm-like jolt of energy into it with his sophomore album, HEIS. Overall, the “Calm Down” star has continuously been dubbing himself as the next face of his respective lane and he honestly may have a strong case with this project. This all killer and no filler 11-song tracklist rarely allows to take a moment to breathe. From the blistering pace of the opener, “MARCH AM”, to probably “EGUNGUN”, Rema will make the listener dance till they drop. Displaying this much energy on any album is challenge, but when the instrumentals are so diverse, it makes it even more difficult. Rema manages to pull it off and then some on HEIS. Show-stopping performances are plentiful even just on 27-minute listen.
Some of our favorites that we are revisiting include “EGUNGUN”, “BENIN BOYS” with Shallipopi, “MARCH AM”, and the title track. Themes on this project include boastfully repping his hometown of Benin City to reminding everyone of his artistic greatness. Perhaps, the reason why Rema was able to succeed perhaps more than ever before on HEIS was due to his changed mindset. According to Rolling Stone, wanted to focus more on what his fans across the globe would get down to, rather than what he deemed as sufficient. That might sound like a mistake to some, but the results would prove otherwise, Rema seemed like he had a blast making this. “We’re not just making what the people at home would enjoy. We’re also making what we hope the world would also enjoy. I got rid of that mentality getting in the studio, like, ‘I’ll start with what I love’”.
“Monday morning talking about me while I’m making money,” Rema says to open “HEHEHE,” his newest single. And it might be the most literal lyric he’ll ever write. On Monday morning, July 8, Rema dropped “HEHEHE” and announced HEIS, his forthcoming album, so, yes, people are talking about him on a Monday morning while he presumably is always making money.
The 113-second vibe of a song hinges upon Rema melodically cackling at his haters and promising he has zero intention to ease up. “The drum patterns and cadence distinctly showcase his heritage, continuing his mission to connect listeners with his origins,” a press release additionally relayed.
HEIS will be released on Thursday, July 11. Rema last full-length release was March 2022’s Rave & Roses. The Afrobeats sensation added six songs for Rave & Roses (Ultra) in April 2023, including the “Calm Down” featuring Selena Gomez, which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Radio Songs, Pop Airplay, and Rhythmic Airplay charts. It also enjoyed a No. 3 peak on the Billboard Hot 100.
Most recently, Rema teamed with Shallipopi for “Benin Boys,” an overwhelmingly positive single dripping in hometown pride.
Rema has pretty quickly become a mainstay in the Afropop/Afrobeats space, but also just in general. Ever since exploding with his viral radio hit, “Calm Down”, as well as its even more popular remix featuring Selena Gomez, he has managed to keep up the momentum. While his last few releases, including the RAVAGE EP are not on that same level, there is still tons of quality to be had. However, this new Rema/Shallipopi collaboration “BENIN BOYS” has a chance to reach a similar mark.
This is the Benin City native’s first record of 2024, and it seems to be starting the rollout for his sophomore album, HE IS. There is no drop date for the project yet, but we feel pretty good about it will coming out sometime later this summer or early fall. Hopefully, that happens, because “BENIN BOYS” is a rollercoaster ride that continues to twist and turn with every passing second. Both Rema and Shallipopi bring some uncontrollable energy to the already dramatic and thrilling instrumental. From the rhythmic drums to the hard-hitting keys, this track has it all. It makes sense why Rema and Shallipopi are giving this one their all, as this single is about showing love to their “hoods”, the lead artist explains to Rolling Stone. There are plenty of cultural nods in the music video as well, so be sure to check that out too with the link below.
Touchdown Benin boys, gen-gen-gen Money yapa, money repete (Confirm) Remy Ekehuan road, Shalli Sapele (Ayy) Santa Monica touchdown, shekens (Clear road) They dey like to dey dance the legbeegbe (Eh?) Na we dey bully, na we dey pepper (Say)
Nigerian stars Rema and Shalipoppi put on for their hometown with an opulent video for their new single “Benin Boys.” Shot at various local landmarks — including Rema’s old school — the video puts Benin (and the boys’ love it) on display, with scenes shot at a local club, closeups of historical artifacts, and shots of the Benin sky as bats, a local fixture, fly overhead. The two stars flash money, drink expensive shots, and board a private jet, making the most of their recent successes.
Rema, who concluded 2023 with the Ice Spice collaboration “Pretty Girl,” has an even bigger 2024 in the offing, with headlining performances planned for Afro Nation’s festivals in Detroit and Portugal coming up. Although Rema has not announced a new album yet, the release of “Benin Boys” suggests that a new one could be on the way imminently.
The time is certainly right for a follow-up to Rema’s 2022 debut album, Rave & Roses, which featured the breakout hit “Calm Down” and “FYN.” It reached No. 2 on the US Billboard World Albums chart, and hit No. 81 on the Billboard 200. Shallipopi, meanwhile, just released his third album, Shakespopi, in April, supported by singles “ASAP,” “Cast,” and “Wet On Me.”
Watch Rema’s “Benin Boys” video with Shalipoppi below.
Dreamville Fest was poised to be a hip-hop highlight of 2024. The lineup for the festival was stacked with musical stars from around the world, and organizer J. Cole was in the midst of a widely-discussed feud with Kendrick Lamar. It did not go according to plan, however. Nigerian superstar Rema claimed that he was not given as much respect as the Americans on the bill. He also claimed that he was one of several African artists who suffered from poor sound quality onstage, which led to his set ending prematurely.
Rema performed during the second day of the festival. At least, that was the plan. The “Calm Down” singer had his set disrupted by technical issues, and they went on so long that he voiced his frustration to the crowd. “These sound issues is messing up my whole performance,” he noted. “I’m seriously not feeling this s**t at all. I’m representing Africa. This is too messed up.” Rema pointed to a double standard regarding the sound that effectively silenced the crowd. “So the sound cannot be perfect for every artist that gets on this stage and Africa is in the house and y’all messing s**t up?,” he asked.
The technical difficulties continued throughout Rema’s set. The singer tried to perform his most popular single, “Calm Down“, only to discover that his voice wasn’t coming through on the microphone. He tried his best to keep the energy up, but ultimately decided to cut his set short. His frustration was evident as he walked offstage. “Too many sound issues, my people,” he reluctantly informed the crowd. “I love you all my people.”
It was an unfortunate showcase for Dreamville’s technical team. It was not, however, the only time that an artist prompted an awkward moment onstage during the festival. J. Cole performed the same night as Rema, and chose to make a public apology to Kendrick Lamar following the release of his diss track “7 Minute Drill.” He claimed the diss was the “lamest, goofiest s**t” he recorded in years. He also told the stunned crowd that the track would be taken down from streaming platforms. The rapper has not yet addressed Rema’s performance, however, or the accusations of prioritizing American over African artists.
Afro Nation is returning to Detroit this summer. Over the course of two days (August 17 and 18), the festival’s second iteration is bringing some of the biggest names in Afrofusion, R&B, and hip-hop to the city.
“Bringing Afro Nation back to Detroit, the home of Motown and Techno music was an easy decision,” said Smade, Co-Founder of Afro Nation, in a statement. “Detroit embodies culture, creativity, and pride. The energy here is electric, echoing the heartbeat of Afro Nation’s spirit. In Detroit, we found a community that welcomed us with open arms, sharing our passion for unity and celebration, giving us a home away from home. Afro Nation Detroit 2024 will be even bigger than last year, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you.”
Tickets for Afro Nation will be available for purchase here beginning April 3 at 9 a.m. EST.
According to the poster, this is only the first round of artists, and more performers will be announced at a later date.
But in the meantime, you can see the first wave of artists below.
Afro Nation
Some of the artists mentioned here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Afro Nation has announced the lineup for its 2024 festival in Portugal, with adding Nicki Minaj to a group of headliners including Rema, Asake, and J Hus. The young festival (which was initially launched back in 2019) has expanded its offerings in the years since its debut, but Portimão, Portugal remains its homebase — which is why it makes sense they’ve booked one of the biggest names in hip-hop to join some of the top Afrobeats-influenced musicians of the past year. The festival is billed for June 26-28 at The Algarve, moving from its usual base at Praia da Rocha.
The Full Afro Nation 2024 Lineup
In addition to the above headliners, the full lineup includes (newly added names are noted with an *):
Afro Nation, the biggest Afrobeats festival in the world, is returning to Portugal in 2024 with a stacked lineup featuring some of the biggest names in African music. The first wave of announced performers include Rema, Asake, J Hus, Ninho, Tyla, Omah Lay, Flavour, and more. As usual, a second stage will highlight some of Amapiano’s hottest DJs, including Uncle Waffles and Major League DJz. The festival takes place at the Algarve in Portimão on June 26-28, 2024. Tickets go on sale on November 23; you can find more information at afronation.com.
The 2024 performers include some of the genre’s biggest rising stars. Rema enjoyed increased public standing in 2023, performing for the NBA’s 2023 All-Star Game, on The Tonight Show, and at Broccoli City Fest. He also teamed up with hip-hop’s fastest-rising star, Ice Spice, for “Pretty Girl,” which the duo teamed up to perform on SNL.
Meanwhile, Tyla became the first South African musician to chart on the Billboard 200 in fifty years thanks to her hit song “Water” going viral on TikTok. She too made her US television debut recently, in addition to being nominated for the 2024 Grammy Awards. Asake and J Hus both dropped new albums, as well, establishing themselves as forces in the Afrobeats scene.
More performers will likely be announced as March nears, so stay tuned.
