Rema (musician)

For his self-titled extended play, see Rema (EP).

Divine Ikubor (born 1 May 2000), known mononymously as Rema, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and rapper. He gained initial recognition with his 2019 song "Dumebi". That same year, he signed with D'Prince's record label, Jonzing World.^[6] He achieved international recognition with his 2022 single "Calm Down", which spawned a remix with American singer Selena Gomez that peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.^[7] The song also led Billboard Afrobeats Songs chart for a record-setting 58 weeks.^[8][9]

Rema
Rema catwalk for UK apparel brand Tokyo James in 2019
Born	Divine Ikubor (2000-05-01) 1 May 2000 (age 24)[1] Benin city, Edo, Nigeria
Other names	Remy Boy[2] Rave Lord[3]
Citizenship	Nigerian
Occupations	Singer rapper songwriter
Years active	2019–present
Works	Discography
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	Afrobeats Afrobeat Afrorave hip hop pop rap trap
Instruments	Vocals Keyboard
Labels	Jonzing[4] Interscope2
YouTube information
Channel	Rema
Years active	2017–present
Genres	Music vlogging
Subscribers	4.5 million[5]
Total views	1.828 billion[5]
Last updated: 1 November 2024
Website	heisrema.com

"Calm Down" emerged from Rema's debut studio album, Rave & Roses (2022), which peaked at number 81 on the Billboard 200.^[10][11] His fourth commercial EP, Ravage, was released in 2023. His second album, Heis (2024), was supported by the single "Benin Boys" (with Shallipopi).^[12]The album received a nomination for Best Global Music Album at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, earning Rema his first career nomination at the Grammys.^[13][14]

Early life

Divine Ikubor was born into a Christian family in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.^[15] He discovered his passion for music during his secondary school days at Ighile Group of Schools in Edo State, where he began singing and rapping.^[16] After losing his father and elder brother, Rema was raised by his mother, who played a significant role in shaping his life.^[1]

Career

2019–2021: Career beginnings and record deals

Rema started his music career performing in churches with his collaborator Alpha P in 2019. He gained recognition after posting a viral freestyle on Instagram to D'Prince's song "Gucci Gang". Impressed by his talent, D'Prince flew him to Lagos and offered him a record deal with Jonzing World, a subsidiary of Mavin Records owned by music executive and producer Don Jazzy.^[17][18] In 2019, Rema released his self-titled debut EP Rema, which topped Apple Music's Nigerian charts.^[19][20] The music video for "Dumebi", a breakout song from the EP, was released on 21 May 2019, featuring a cameo appearance from Diana Eneje and has since gained 75 million views on YouTube.^[21] Later that summer, another popular song from the EP was featured on former United States President Barack Obama's annual summer playlist.^[16] In September 2020, Rema's songs were included on the FIFA 21 official soundtrack.^[22][23] In September 2021, he was unveiled as a brand ambassador for Pepsi, alongside his label mate Ayra Starr.^[24]

Toya Delazy, a South African music producer and artist, originated the genre "Afrorave" in 2019, combining elements of garage, Zulu lyrics, and other African styles.^[25][26] In May 2021, Rema adopted the term "Afrorave" to describe his own music, which blends Afrobeats with Arabian and Indian influences. This distinct sound has resonated with fans, earning him a dedicated fanbase known as Ravers.^[27][28]

2022–23: Rave & Roses and Ravage EP

After releasing three EPs, Rema debuted his first album, Rave & Roses, on 25 March 2022, under Jonzing World.^[29] The album features 16 tracks, including collaborations with 6lack, Chris Brown, AJ Tracey, and Yseult.^[30] It charted 10 songs on the US Billboard Afrobeats Chart in its debut week.^[31] The single "Calm Down" gained international recognition, it reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 after a remix with Selena Gomez, breaking multiple records.^{[32][33][34][35]} Rema received various awards, including the MTV Video Music Award for Best Afrobeats Video and the Billboard Music Award for Top Afrobeats Song and many other awards.^[36][37][38] On 7 November 2022, he was awarded for achieving 1 billion streams worldwide during his London concert.^[39] In February 2023, he won the Digital Artist of the Year award at the Soundcity MVP Awards held at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos.^[40] In April 2023, he released Rave & Roses Ultra, which became the first African album to cross two billion streams on Spotify.^[41] On 26 October 2023, Rema released the Ravage EP,^[42] and on 30 October 2023, he performed at the Ballon d'Or ceremony held Theatre du Châtelet in Paris, France.^[43]

2024: Second Studio Album; HEIS

On the 11th of July 2024, Rema released his second studio album titled HEIS. The title of the album is said to be derived from the greek word for "numeral 1". The album consists of 11 songs and features popular Nigerian artists such as ODUMODUBLVCK on the song 'War Machine' and Shallipopi on the song 'Benin Boys'.^[44]

Personal life

On 28 September 2020, Rema tweeted accusations against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) regarding their involvement in the death of his father, Justice Ikubor, a former chieftain of the party.^[45][46] Although Rema gained admission to study at the University of Lagos in 2022, he was forced to leave the institution in 2023 due to the ongoing ASUU teaching union strike.^[47][48]

Impact

Rolling Stone said "Rema has undoubtedly and proudly become an emblem of Afrobeats global rise."^[49] Writing for Business Day Anthony Udugba remarked Rema has "expanded the horizons" of African musical impact on the global stage.^[50] The Guardian Nigeria opined "As the Afrobeats landscape continues to flourish, Rema’s success sets a high standard, showcasing the global appeal and dominance of Nigerian music on the international stage."^[51] The Native stated "It’s impossible to erase the mark he has left on Afrobeats history."^[52] Victor Okpala said "Rema’s sound has cemented his place as a true musical trailblazer."^[53] Many critics have praised him for breaking barriers and inspiring other African music artists.^[54][55][56]

Discography

Main article: Rema discography

Studio albums

• Rave & Roses (2022)
• Heis (2024)^[57]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominee/Work	Result	Ref
2019	The Headies	Song of the Year	"Dumebi"	Nominated	[58]
		Viewer's Choice	Himself	Nominated
		Next Rated		Won
	City People Music Awards	Most Promising Act of the Year		Nominated	[59][60]
		Revelation of the Year		Won
		Best New Act of the Year		Nominated
2020	BET Awards	Best New International Act		Nominated	[61]
	The Future Awards Africa	Young Person of the Year		Nominated	[62][63]
		Music		Won
	MTV Europe Music Award	Best African Act		Nominated	[64]
2021	MTV Africa Music Awards	Best Male		Pending	[65]
	The Headies	Hip Hop World Revelation of the Year		Nominated	[66]
		Best Pop Single	"Lady"	Nominated
	Net Honours	Most Played Pop Song	"Woman"	Nominated	[67]
	African Entertainment Awards USA	Song of the Year		Nominated	[68]
	Edison Award	Edison Jazz/World – World	Rema Compilation	Nominated	[69]
2022	Odeón Awards 2022 [es]	Best urban song	"44" (with Bad Gyal)	Nominated	[70]
2023	Soundcity MVP Awards	Digital Artist of the Year	Himself	Won	[71]
	The Headies	Best Male Artist	Himself	Won	[72]
		African Artist of the Year		Won
		Digital Artist of the Year		Won
		Album of the Year	"Rave and Roses"	Nominated
		Song of the Year	"Calm Down"	Nominated
	MTV Video Music Awards	Best Afrobeats	"Calm Down (Remix)" (featuring Selena Gomez)	Won	[72][73]
		Best Collaboration		Nominated
		Song of the Year		Nominated
		Best Afrobeats Video		Nominated	[citation needed]
	AFRIMMA	Crossing Boundaries with Music Award	Himself	Won	[74]
		Artist of the Year	Himself	Won
	Trace Awards	Song of the Year	"Calm Down (Remix)" (featuring Selena Gomez)	Won	[75]
		Best Global African Artist	Himself	Won
		Best Male Artist	Himself	Nominated	[citation needed]
	BreakTudo Awards	International Rising Artist	Himself	Pending	[76]
	MTV Europe Music Awards	Best Afrobeats	"Calm Down (Remix)" (featuring Selena Gomez)	Won	[citation needed]
		Best Song		Nominated	[citation needed]
	Billboard Music Awards	Top Afrobeats Song	"Calm Down (Remix)" (featuring Selena Gomez)	Won	[citation needed]
		Top Afrobeats Artist	Himself	Nominated	[citation needed]
		Top Collaboration	"Calm Down (Remix)" (featuring Selena Gomez)	Nominated	[citation needed]
		Top Global 200 Song	"Calm Down (Remix)" (featuring Selena Gomez)	Nominated	[citation needed]
	iHeartRadio Music Awards	Best Music Video	"Calm Down (Remix)" (featuring Selena Gomez)	Nominated
2024	Brit Awards	International Song of The Year	"Calm Down (Remix)" (featuring Selena Gomez)	Nominated
	iHeartRadio Music Awards	Best Collaboration	"Calm Down (Remix)" (featuring Selena Gomez)	Won
		Song of The Year		Nominated
		Pop Song of The Year		Nominated
		Best New Pop Artist	Himself	Nominated
		Afrobeats Artist of The Year

References

1. "Is Rema dead?: Divine Ikubor aka Rema never die, na fake news dey fly upandan - Rema Manager". BBC News Pidgin. 1 February 2020. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
2. BN (1 August 2019). "Rema Call's himself Remi Boy, covers Tush magazine latest issue". BN. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
3. "Rema AKA Rave Lord is Back". Trybe Coterie. 18 June 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
4. Nwafor (23 March 2019). "Don Jazzy signs record deal with D'Prince's Jonzing World". Vanguard News. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
5. "About Rema". YouTube.
6. Nwafor (23 March 2019). "Don Jazzy signs record deal with D'Prince's Jonzing World". Vanguard News. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
7. tolsen (2 January 2013). "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on 25 November 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
8. Anderson, Trevor (19 October 2023). "Tyla's 'Water' Hits No. 1 on U.S. Afrobeats Songs Chart – Stopping the 58-Week Run of Rema & Selena Gomez's 'Calm Down'". Billboard. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
9. Bella, Naija (10 December 2019). "Rema caps off an Amazing Year with Features on Rolling Stone & Pitchfork's Best Songs of 2019 Lists with 'Dumebi'". BellaNaija. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
10. tolsen (2 January 2013). "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on 25 November 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
11. Anderson, Trevor (19 October 2023). "Tyla's 'Water' Hits No. 1 on U.S. Afrobeats Songs Chart – Stopping the 58-Week Run of Rema & Selena Gomez's 'Calm Down'". Billboard. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
12. "Rema Announces Sophomore Album 'HEIS'". Billboard. 9 July 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
13. Blistein, Jon (8 November 2024). "Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar Lead 2025 Grammy Nominees". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
14. Atkinson, Katie (8 November 2024). "Grammy Nominations 2025: See the Complete List". Billboard. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
15. "Meet Rema, The Kid From Benin With The World At His Feet". The Native. 2 May 2019. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
16. Holmes, Charles (15 May 2020). "How Rema Became Afrobeats' New Superhero". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
17. Pierre, Alphonse. "Rema Is Leading the Next Generation of Nigerian Pop Afrobeats chart". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
18. Akindare, Okunola (21 January 2020). "How D'Prince gave Mavin Records a new lease of life". NET. Archived from the original on 21 January 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
19. "Rema – EP by Rema". Archived from the original on 12 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019 – via music.apple.com.
20. "Top 100: Nigeria". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 25 June 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
21. "See the music video for Rema's "Dumebi"". The NATIVE. 21 May 2019. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
22. "FIFA 21 soundtrack: Artists, songs & music on new game, reveal date | Goal.com". goal.com. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
23. "Fireboy, Rema feature on FIFA 21 official soundtracks". Punch Newspapers. 28 September 2020. Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
24. "Pepsi unveils new ambassadors Ayra Starr and Rema #ForTheLoveOfMusic". Vanguard News. 4 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
25. Zeeman, Kyle (9 October 2019). "Toya Delazy is creating her own genre called Afro-rave, and she says it's the future". Times Live. Archived from the original on 9 October 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
26. Coetzee, Nikita (3 August 2020). "How Toya Delazy carved out her own path and created a unique sound". News24. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
27. "My brand of music is 'Afrorave', says Rema". The Nation Newspaper. 22 May 2021. Archived from the original on 22 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
28. Storm, Camille (24 September 2019). "Rema is Nigerian pop's golden child". The FADER. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
29. Kim, Michelle Hyun (18 March 2022). "17 Albums We Can't Wait to Hear This Spring". Vulture. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
30. FOL (22 March 2022). "Rema reveals 'Rave and Roses' album tracklist – FindOutLyrics". Archived from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
31. "Rema". Billboard. Archived from the original on 6 April 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
32. "Rema – Calm Down". Top40-Charts.com. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
33. Zemler, Emily (26 August 2022). "Hear Selena Gomez Join Afrorave Artist Rema on Reworked Single 'Calm Down'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 28 August 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
34. "Selena Gomez – Chart History: The Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
35. "Rema earns first Billboard Hot 100 entry with 'Calm Down' remix". 13 September 2022. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
36. Atkinson, Katie (19 November 2023). "Billboard Music Awards 2023 Winners: Full List". Billboard. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
37. Woerner, Meredith (12 September 2023). "Taylor Swift Wins Big at MTV VMAs, Plus Full List of Winners". Variety. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
38. "Rema's Calm Down sets YouTube record as Afrobeats continues global foray". Music In Africa. 31 January 2023. Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
39. Oyetayo, Bamise. "Watch Rema's Plaque Acceptance For 1 Billion Streams On "Rave & Roses"". notjustok.com. Archived from the original on 12 May 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
40. "Burnaboy, Black Sherif, Win At The Soundcity MVP Awards 2023 (FULL WINNERS LIST)". African Folder. 21 September 2022. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
41. (anonymous) (1 December 2023). "Rema's "Rave & Roses Ultra" Surpasses 2 Billion Spotify Streams". Album Talks. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
42. "Rema Releases New EP Ravage". Pitchfork. 27 October 2023. Archived from the original on 3 November 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
43. Etukudo, Itoro (31 October 2023). "'I'm grateful for this opportunity', Rema says after Ballon d'Or performance". The International Centre for Investigative Reporting. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
44. Augustine-Edet, Aniekan (11 July 2024). "HEIS HERE: Rema Drops Sophomore Album". Mavin. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
45. "PDP must explain what happened to my father – Rema | The Nation". The Nation Newspaper. 28 September 2020. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
46. "Explain how my father died – Rema tells PDP". Daily Post Nigeria. 28 September 2020. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
47. "Rema: Biography, Age, Girlfriend, Education, Songs, and More". 18 May 2022. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
48. "I abandoned UNILAG admission because of ASUU strike – Rema". Vanguard. 17 March 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
49. "The 40 Best Afropop Songs of 2023". Rolling Stone. 26 December 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
50. Udugba, Anthony (8 November 2023). "How Rema became Nigeria's biggest music act of 2023". Business day Ng. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
51. Kareem, Itunu Azeez (20 December 2023). "REMA'S R&R ALBUM IS AFROBEATS MOST STREAMED 2023". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
52. Abimbolu, Debola (22 March 2020). "HOW REMA HAS CHANGED THE AFROPOP GAME IN ONLY ONE YEAR". The Native. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
53. "Rema's hit single, 'Calm Down,' reaches 1bn streams on Spotify". Punch. 10 September 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
54. Acho, Affa (December 2023). "Rema's 'Calm Down' Emerges as Global Shazam Champion of 2023, Breaks Records Worldwide". Leadership News. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
55. "Presidency congratulates Rema on MTV award, says music resonates with audiences worldwide". Vanguard. 15 September 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
56. Morgan, Maybelle (6 December 2023). "Rema brings the heat". GQ. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
57. Jide, Akin (10 July 2024). "Rema Releases New Album Heis". Np Sound. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
58. "Full list of winners at Headies 2019". The Nation Newspaper. 21 October 2019. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
59. "#CPMA2020: Citypeople releases nominations for 2020 Music Awards". City People Magazine. 30 November 2020. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
60. "Winners Emerge @ City People Music Awards". City People Magazine. 5 November 2019. Archived from the original on 25 November 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
61. "Burna Boy wins 2020 BET award, Rema loses". P.M. News. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
62. "Rema, Jemima Osunde, Mr. Macaroni, Odunayo Eweniyi, others make The Future Awards Africa nominees list... all nominees are under the age of 28". The Future Awards Africa. 8 November 2020. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
63. "TFAA 2020 Winners Profile". The Future Awards Africa. 1 December 2020. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
64. "Burna Boy, Rema Clinch 2020 MTV EMA Nominations For Best African Act". The Guardian Nigeria News. 7 October 2020. Archived from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
65. "See the Full List of 2021 #MTVMAMA Nominees including Tems, Omah Lay and Rema!". BellaNaija. 9 December 2020. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
66. "Live Update: All The Winners At The Headies 2020". The Guardian Nigeria News. 21 February 2021. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
67. "Net Honours – The Class of 2021". Nigerian Entertainment Today. Archived from the original on 21 June 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
68. "African Entertainment Awards USA 2021". African Entertainment Awards USA. Archived from the original on 1 November 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
69. "2021". Edison Jazz/World. Archived from the original on 28 June 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
70. "Ganadores 2022 – Premios Odeón" (in Spanish). Odeón Awards. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
71. "Burnaboy, Black Sherif, Win At The Soundcity MVP Awards 2023 (FULL WINNERS LIST)". African Folder. 21 September 2022. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
72. Nosa, Oke-Hortons (12 July 2023). "Headies2023: Wizkid, Portable missing, Davido, Asake dominates, full list trends". Legit.ng - Nigeria news. Archived from the original on 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
73. Curto, Justin (12 September 2023). "Here Are the 2023 VMA Winners". Vulture. Archived from the original on 12 September 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
74. Nosa, Oke-Hortons (12 July 2023). "AFRIMMA2023: Music Davido, Tiwa Savage, Rema, Ayra Starr Honoured at 10th AFRIMMA Awards". Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
75. Nosa, Oke-Hortons (12 July 2023). "Rema & Davido Are Top Winners at 2023 Trace Awards, Celebrating African Music (Full Winners List)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
76. "BreakTudo Awards 2023: Indicados". BreakTudo Awards (in Brazilian Portuguese). 24 August 2023. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.

External links

• Rema at AllMusic