I wrapped up my weekend festivities on Sunday night with a sold-out show at the Fillmore for Afrobeat sensation Rema on his “Rave & Roses” Tour.
Anyone who knows me certainly knows that I love hard and heavy music. Anyone that really knows me knows I love pretty much every kind of music, as long as it’s catchy. That’s exactly what I got from Rema.
Rema, whose real name is Divine Ikubor, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and rapper. He was born in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
He grew up singing and rapping while he was in secondary school and churches. D’Prince, Fellow Nigerian Afropop artist and CEO of Jonzing World Records, discovered him from viral Instagram videos.
Rema rose to stardom after releasing the song “Dumebi” in 2019. The song became a huge hit in Nigeria, and it helped launch his career. It has close to 70 million views on YouTube.
He has since released several other successful singles, including “Soundgasm,” “44,” and his biggest hit to date, “Calm Down.”
You can find most of these songs on his debut album Rave & Roses, which was released back in March 2022.
Listeners know Rema for his unique sound, which fuses Afrobeats, rap, and other genres. His energetic live performances, which I was able to witness live Sunday night here in Philly, have also helped his popularity.
One of the things that especially stood out for me at the show was the fact that Rema had a backing band with him. Not just a DJ and/or piped-in music as he rapped and sung over it.
He had your standard guitar, bass & drums along with a DJ and a hype-man. Rema’s band was additionally fantastic at mixing Afrobeats, pop, hip-hop, and rock all in an incredible fashion. The band’s drummer was a force back there on the kit!
Rema is one of the most popular and talented young musicians in Nigeria. He is sure to continue to be a major force in the music industry for many years to come.
Check out his several extended plays (EPs) and a compilation album in addition to his debut full-length album.
Sunday night at the Fillmore in Philadelphia was only the second stop on his “Rave & Roses” North American Tour, with dates scheduled through the end of August.
Rema will also play some legendary venues on this trek including Atlanta’s Tabernacle, the Fillmore in San Francisco, the Wiltern in Los Angeles, and a slot on this year’s Lollapalooza in Chicago.
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