Veteran Nigerian rapper, Tobechukwu Ejiofor, better known as Illbliss, recently shared his thoughts on the evolution of some of Nigeria’s biggest music stars. He lamented that artists like Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy, who began their careers in the rap scene, eventually shifted to Afrobeats—a move that propelled them to global stardom.
In an interview with Radio Now 95.3 FM, Illbliss reminisced about the golden days of Nigerian hip-hop, when rap was thriving and these artists were deeply embedded in the genre. However, as Afrobeats began to dominate the music scene, many rappers, including the mentioned trio, transitioned to the more lucrative genre.
“We (Hip-Hop community) lost a lot of our soldiers; we lost Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido. Three of them were rappers. I guess they found the Afrobeats vibe and it made them global stars,” Illbliss reflected.
He acknowledged that while hip-hop is a challenging genre to thrive in within Nigeria, only a handful of rappers, including himself, have managed to achieve significant commercial success.
“Hip-hop is a tough sell in Nigeria. Not everybody has been as fortunate as myself or Vector, M.I., Reminisce, Olamide, and Phyno. It’s not a long list,” he added.
Illbliss’s comments highlight the ongoing conversation about the shifting landscape of Nigerian music and the decisions artists must make to reach wider audiences.
