Rema whose identify is Divine Ikubor, has grow to be a world phenomenon within the Afrobeats scene. His rise to stardom looks like a whirlwind – from singing in a Lagos church choir to collaborating with worldwide artists. However past the infectious tunes and movie star standing lies a younger man with a bag of wealthy experiences which have formed him into the artist he’s right now. Let’s look into ten details about Rema, providing a glimpse into the life that fuels his music.
1. A humble and struggling beginning:
Rema’s musical journey started at a younger age, not in a recording studio, however in a church choir. Rising up in Benin Metropolis, Nigeria, Rema honed his vocal expertise singing gospel hymns. Lengthy earlier than Rema achieved superstardom and have become a distinguished determine within the Afrobeats motion, he endured the hardships related to rising up in a deprived background. He encountered many obstacles on his path to fame. As a toddler, Rema took on numerous odd jobs to assist his household and finance his musical ambitions.At one stage, he resorted to stealing a buddy’s laptop computer, a revelation he later shared in his common track “Vacation.”
2. He dropped out of School
Regardless of being admitted to the College of Lagos in 2022, Rema left the establishment in 2023 due to a strike by the ASUU educating union. His highest stage of training at the moment is Senior Secondary College. Rema attended each main and secondary college in his hometown, Benin Metropolis. He was a well-known pupil identified for his inclination to music and for being a younger expertise whose face was already on tv screens in Edo State even earlier than his rise to main fame.
3. He’s loved and recognised by Barack and Michelle Obama
Rema, a rising star in Nigerian music, has garnered consideration from Barack and Michelle Obama. His monitor “Iron Man” was featured on Barack Obama’s 2019 Summer season Playlist, which the previous US President shared on Twitter. The playlist included 44 songs that he and Michelle loved that summer time, with Rema’s track listed as quantity 42. Obama famous, “With summer time winding down, right here’s a sampling of what Michelle and I’ve been listening to—some new, some previous, some quick, some sluggish. Hope you take pleasure in.”
The playlist additionally featured worldwide artists like Drake, Jay Z, Beyoncé, Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott, Frank Sinatra, Rihanna, DJ Khaled, and Robin Thicke.
4 The mysterious dying of his father
Rema’s father, Justice Ikubor, held a distinguished place throughout the Peoples Democratic Get together (PDP) in Edo State and had beforehand served because the Common Supervisor of the state-owned Ethiope Publishing Firm.
In a purported submit on Twitter, Rema addressed the Peoples Democratic Get together (PDP), demanding a proof concerning the circumstances surrounding his father’s demise in a lodge room. He wrote, saying that PDP might want to clarify what occurred to my father within the lodge room.
Moreover, he allegedly talked about witnessing a bag of cash in 2008 and expressed the hardships he confronted after his father’s passing. The tweet reportedly said, “I noticed the bag of cash, 2008. Life was tough once I misplaced him. After I come to Benin, I’m gonna go to the homes of the names I nonetheless keep in mind, peacefully“.
5. He gained recognition for his freestyle
In 2018, Rema shared a freestyle on Instagram to D’Prince’s track “Gucci Gang,” which went viral. This attracted D’Prince’s consideration, main him to fly Rema to Lagos to supply him a recording contract. In 2019, Rema signed with D’Prince’s Jonzing World, a subsidiary of Mavin Information, owned by producer Don Jazzy.
6. He holds a Guinness world document with ‘Calm Down’
The Nigerian singer has achieved a exceptional milestone, changing into a Guinness World File holder along with his world hit single “Calm Down”. His track “Calm Down” has garnered over 577 million streams on Spotify, whereas the remix that includes US artist Selena Gomez has reached over
1.3 billion streams on the platform.
“Calm Down” made historical past in 2022 when it grew to become the primary track to prime The Official MENA Chart, shortly after the chart’s inception, and this feat was recorded within the Guinness world data official platform. This MENA chart, launched by the Worldwide Federation of the Phonographic Business (IFPI), is a regional platform that tracks the highest streaming tracks throughout 13 MENA international locations, together with Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates. Overlaying a mixed inhabitants of over 300 million individuals, the chart offers a weekly prime 20 checklist of probably the most streamed songs within the area.
Rema’s remix of “Calm Down” that includes Selena Gomez additionally acquired a nomination for Greatest Social Trended Track on the World Awards in 2023. The track’s success and its historic achievement on the MENA chart underscore Rema’s vital affect on the worldwide music scene and his rising affect within the Center East and North Africa area.
7. A Rising Star on the Global Stage
Regardless of his early profession, Rema has made a reputation for himself on the worldwide stage. His expertise has garnered recognition from prestigious platforms like BBC Radio 1Xtra’s “Sizzling for 2020” checklist, Apple Music’s “Up Subsequent” programme, and The New York Instances’ prestigious “The 54 Greatest Songs of 2019” checklist. Moreover, his world hit “Calm Down” has achieved licensed success in the USA.
8. His debut album broke a 40-year previous document
Although his profession remains to be younger, Rema has already established himself as a serious pressure along with his debut studio album, Rave & Roses, launched in 2022, which is the one album he has up to now.
The state’s debut album went on to interrupt a four-decade-old document held by the legendary Nigerian music maestro, King Sunny Ade. The album, “Rave & Roses”, emerged because the longest-charting African album within the America. Rave & Roses peaked at quantity 81 on the Billboard 200 album charts.
9. Rema’s Beginnings in RnA
Earlier than embarking on his profitable solo profession, Rema collaborated with a buddy, Alpha P, in a musical group referred to as RnA. The identify playfully mixed the initials of their names (R for Rema, A for Alpha). Their collaboration resulted in a number of songs, a few of which, like “Starboy,” are nonetheless accessible on platforms like Apple Music.
10. The Kcee Connection: A Spark of Inspiration
Rema’s musical journey wasn’t solely fueled by his personal expertise and drive. An opportunity encounter with Afrobeats legend Kcee performed a major position in motivating the younger artist. In a heartwarming social media change, Rema revealed that assembly Kcee backstage at a live performance three years previous to his personal rise to fame had a profound affect on him. A easy picture with Kcee proved to be a robust supply of inspiration for Rema, solidifying his perception in reaching his personal musical goals.
