Nigerian Music in the 2010s

By 2010, the music rooted in Ajegunle and Lagos working-class neighbourhoods had evolved into a recognised genre: Street Pop. Artists like Terry G, Kcee, and later Olamide formalised the sound that had been bubbling underground for a decade.

Olamide's debut announced a new figure who would carry the Ajegunle tradition into the mainstream without compromising its rawness. Rapping primarily in Yoruba Pidgin, Olamide became proof that street language could sell out arenas.

The collaboration between Wizkid's polished Afropop and Olamide's street-rooted rap symbolised the merging of Nigeria's two music worlds. YBNL (Yahoo Boy No Laptop) became a label that consistently blurred that line.

'One Dance' topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks — Drake's first US number-one as lead artist. Wizkid's Afrobeats hook was at the heart of the track. Every street artist who had been told Nigerian music was 'too local' felt this moment.

YBNL's roster — Lil Kesh, Adekunle Gold, Viktoh, Chinko Ekun — represented the full range of what 'street music' could be in the 2010s. Lil Kesh's Shoki dance craze became a global internet phenomenon, the first Ajegunle-rooted dance to go viral worldwide.

Tems released 'Mr Rebel' and began her ascent as a singular talent in an industry that chronically underrepresented women. Her success would later open doors for Ayra Starr, Amaarae, and a new generation of Nigerian female artists.