BANGER? Key Takeaways from Rema’s RAVAGE UPRISING ‘PAAARTY!’ at The O2 Arena
Enter Track 2. RAVAGE. “Shey you no dey see say I just drop gbedu, ayy? / Dem talk say no be me be H-I-M, okay na / You go come tell me na who oh, na who,” Rema raves confidently on DND on his latest five-track EP.
And undeniably, the facts and figures speak for themselves. Divine Ikubor is HIM!
From performing his hit song Calm Down at the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, peaking at three in the Top Ten UK Singles Chart, to breaking the Guinness World Record for the first number-one hit on The Official MENA Chart in 2022 with “…she wear yellow,” selling out The O2 Arena would seem like another checklist for the grandiose megastar, methinks.
And you know what’s even more fascinating?!
Rema sold out his RAVAGE UPRISING concert in London at the age of 23.
A Gen Z! Becoming the youngest African act to break this jinx, and with a professional music career spanning less than 5 SOLID years.
Now, you’re welcome to the RAVAGE era.
At this moment, Rema is more like an inventive rock star with tracks such as Smooth Criminal.
Again, Rema reintroduces us only this time, to the same kinda gibberish we hear on his first smashing single Dumebi, chanting things along the line of “…prekete umeche skikidi uh-uh,” on the final track, Red Potion, where he also flatters a female figure, “My favourite chocolaté na your Kitty-Kat.”
He’s in another realm.
As a creative, employee or entrepreneur, I believe sometimes it is crucial to make keen observations on interesting personalities.
How many dues wey the boy don pay?
How many insult I go take, ah?
Address your shit like I’m Jahgo
I’ve been like this straight from the get-go
It’s one of the reasons why we peruse subjects around war heroes, religious figures and mythical creatures, but today, let me tell you a couple of traits you can learn from the self-titled ‘Prince of Afrobeat’ Remy Boy.
#1. Be Dangerously Audacious and Go-Getting
Rema has been known to be a go-getter since he made that Lagos trip. The Afro-Fusion star continuously morphs into new forms to challenge the previous versions of himself.
Yes, himself!
Tho occasionally compared to the likes of Omah Lay and Victony, anyone with active listening skills can confirm that the Divine crooner could as well be is on his OWN team.
For this point? RAVAGE — EP emphasizes it.
No one saw Rema coming with this Punk Spider-Man vibe any time soon plus, it’s reminiscent of his “trapping” days but this is not Trap! It’s a Hard Metal-induced Afro-melodic thingy.
He sounds so aggressive, energetic and mature on the tracks that you’d think he was hungry in faraway Edo state all over again.
On the O2 Arena concert which opened with a single on RAVAGE EP, Rema opts for a captivating Benin-inspired Idia mask and dark cape atop a horse with blazing hoofs — just as it is on the EP cover art!
He meant every statement when he said, “I am the future,” while receiving his award at the Headies.
But just how audacious?
Divine Ikubor continues to challenge himself ignoring comments on his age, symbolism, and other societal nuances.
#2. Take Criticism, Don’t Fold, and Acknowledge Support
Among Gen Z acts of Afrobeats, Rema seems to be the most criticized for his discography.
From the days of Dumebi when he was dissed for “tacky” lyricism, Iron Man when netizens said he sounded Indian, to his teddy-bear-obsessive days as a teen.
And you know what’s making the news round on your favourite Edo artiste?
Oh well, with RAVAGE — EP, folks stay charged spreading controversial info about his dabble in secret societies such as the Illuminati.
They’ve come to this conclusion because of Rema’s intentional use of red variants (lighting, explosives, pyrotechnics, petals, and screens) in art forms and presentations as well as a horse, bats, masks and other subliminal messages.
And for someone who’s an artist, in the singing and painting sense, it is critical to note that he embraces each creative process with a thorough themed perspective.
Now, a mini-lecture. Read disclaimer here.
- The colour RED: Take Omah Lay, who had a phase with purple, he still does. The red IMO represents the theme of this moment RAVAGE, which means “acts of destruction” extensively linked to explosions and the colour. Red is also worn by Edo royalty.
- Horse: The horse imagery was a dominant part of his Extended Play cover. It also carried onto his promotional video for The O2 Arena event and perhaps his team decided to crown it off by having a modelled horse of the same form on stage.
- Bats: Since coming out on an animatronic bat caused a stir, I confirmed from a friend who grew up in Benin, the capital city of Edo state. So yes, like Governor Obaseki applauded, “…personification of the Edo heritage,” bats are commonplace in the city, Rema embodies this.
- Mask: Rema wears a broken glazed mask with ornaments. This mask is a recreation of the Queen Idia mask which was stolen by early colonial masters.
- Other concerns: The incomprehensible mumbling during the stage performance is from a Black Panther soundtrack called Pantera.
In all of this mess and allegations, Divine Ikubor embraces support from colleagues and fans who resonate with his craft. In the developments of his O2 Arena shutdown, he cheerfully thanked Burna Boy via X for an opportunity to perform at the same venue years ago.
“London I want to say you have a big place in my heart. I’m very grateful for you all coming on a workday to see Rema… it’s not easy to spend your hard-earned money to get that money to get that.” Rema comments on attendance.
Again, he appreciated fans who paid to see him rave.
#3. We Rise By Lifting Others: Embodying the Act of Leaving No One Behind
Let me borrow this stance from Grammy-nominated Afrobeats maestro Davido who’s had an eventful 2023 with releases such as UNAVAILABLE.
You May Like: FEEL: Davido’s Music Video Unveiled — A Visual Chronicle Beyond the Beats
“Every aesthetic you see today, I feel they all had an impact in the phase of my life.” Rema on Adesope LIVE.
As a method-artiste, Rema is often keen on working with day-one collaborators and label mates from London (a producer known for his prowess in Soundgasm) to the MAVIN crew musicians — Ayra Starr, Magixx, Crayon, et al.
This again is noticeably applauded by fans as he was joined on stage by the MAVIN dynasty to perform their 2022 viral collabo, Won Da Mo in the presence of over 20,000 Afrobeats aficionados at The O2 Arena.
Furthermore, Crayon and Ayra Starr performed Ngozi off the former’s latest body of work — Trench to Triumph!
And, seeing Ayra Starr on form for her single Rush stage performance, Nigerians are beginning to imagine the sabi girl in similar limelight.
Talk ‘bout a go-getting femme fatale.
So, Are You a Raver?! Yes? No? Umh? Let’s Round-Up
You know, as an Afro-Fusion artiste who got his BIG break after his car freestyle was seen by Jonzing World record label founder, D’Prince, Rema consistently flips his sound and works outside of his comfort zones.
Let me also mention that we have seen these alleged secret society involvement early 2010s in the likes of Rihanna, Beyoncé and Drake unfold.
Whenever fans and spectators serially identify these supposed messages, they DO more. You give them the leverage to DO MORE for checks and balances. The waves are ridden!
Dem say I be trouble maker
I go disturb everybody
Leave me, leave me, leave me, make I do my own, omo no judge me
Make you sef reason
E better say they no call me nobody
I go still pass everybody even though say una use extra sheet
Away from the controversies and unproven claims, it’s important to first sight the artist.
Is there anything intriguing about the character of Divine Ikubor, his select-ambitions, knowing when and how to execute projects to gain the most traction?
You tell.
Thank you for reading my opinion. You can Buy a Coffee here, I need your kind support.
Again, if you’d like to add your lyrics to Genius or need help building your musician profile, kindly drop a message on my WhatsApp.
Originally Published on Friday, November 17, 2023
