Nigerian music artist, Divine Ikubor, known professionally as Rema, emphasized the importance of Nigerian artists preserving Afrobeats culture to maintain the nation’s dominance in the African music industry.

The Nigerian music”industry has experienced a significant influx of South African Amapiano music in recent years.

During a recent interview with Apple Music, Rema acknowledged the significance of Amapiano as a genre. However, he emphasized the importance for Nigerian artists to preserve and strengthen the influence of Afrobeats music on the African continent.

The Mavin Records signee mentioned that his recently launched second album, ‘HeIs,’ drew significant inspiration from renowned afrobeats icons such as Don Jazzy and the Mo’hits crew, 2Baba, Olamide, P-Square, and Timaya.

“I had to go back [while creating my new album]. I took a lot of inspiration from Mo’hits. For the first four seconds, when a Mo’hits’ song comes in, you already know it’s a Mo’hits’ song. Don Jazzy just goes crazy on the beat,” he said.

“The times when Olamide used to drop crazy songs, he still drops crazy songs. At the time when an Olamide song comes on you still know. P-Square, 2Face or Timaya. There used to be times when the beat just…

“Amapiano is great, it is fire but there used to be a time when Afrobeats production used to be so insane that nothing can survive it in the clubs in Africa. I’m not saying we’ve lost that but I’m just saying that we need more of that. I don’t want us to go too far away from that. We need to sustain it.”