MI Abaga, Ladipoe, and Show Dem Camp are some of the names that come to mind when Nigerian Rap is mentioned. The Nigerian rap industry is a curious one. With more Nigerians preferring the upbeat, harmonious rhythms of Afropop, hip-hop seems to have taken a back seat in the country.

Some rappers have compromised and abandoned their original genre, while others have adapted and infused Afropop into their rap music. As a result, Nigeria's rap industry is ever-evolving. To fully understand where Nigerian music is today, let's go back to the beginning...

The Evolution of Rap in Nigeria

Nigerians didn't get into rap until the 1980s when DJ Ronnie Ekundayo released what's believed to be the first Nigerian rap album ever. It wasn't exactly rap, but more of funk fused with disco and the artist coming in with some rhythmic rhyme schemes. This wasn't rap as many of us know it.

That came about a decade later with Junior and Pretty. Those two delighted their audiences with clever bars mixing up Queen's English, the local pidgin English, and some indigenous languages. They had rhythm and a message, and Nigerians loved them for it.

This success paved the way for more artists to emerge, but the real Nigerian rap movement started in the late 1990s and early 2000s when American hip-hop music became popular in the country.

This traditional hip-hop inspired several new rap acts with artists like Eedris Abdulkareem, El Dee, Ruggedman, and Mode Nine dominating the rap scene. They all had experimental versions of rap music that weren't exactly hip-hop, but an African adaptation if you like. All that changed with the arrival of MI Abaga.

With his first album called Talk About It, MI Abaga found a way to channel true hip-hop without losing the African flair. He dedicated his hooks and choruses to upbeat and rhythmic sounds but kept his verses hard and smooth. MI brought deep punchlines, clever wordplays, and creative rhyme schemes and before long became the top dog.

A host of rappers followed in his footsteps such as Jesse Jagz, Vector, Yung 6ix, Show Dem Camp, and Ladipoe among many others. Alongside MI, one other rapper has heavily impacted the rap scene in Nigeria. His name was Dagrin.

Dagrin used his rap to express frustration at the government for all the troubles of his day, most notably the terrorist group Boko Haram. He stood out, especially because he rapped not in English or pidgin like others, but in his indigenous language. Dagrin died tragically before he could attain the heights of MI, but his music made a massive impact.

Olamide, Classiq, and Phyno are three successful rappers who followed Dagrin's indigenous language style. Olamide has stuck to Yoruba, Classiq to Hausa, and Phyno to Igbo.

Today, Nigerians have swung towards Afropop. This has forced rappers to experiment with their sound to discover the right balance between substance and commercial value. As veterans like MI and Olamide fade away, a new generation of rappers is keeping the genre alive.

Ladipoe and Show Dem Camp are my favorites, but there's an entire army of them out there. As Afropop thrives, rap must find a way to regain its lost glory, but the signs are promising. Rappers in Nigeria today are more talented and versatile than ever.

My Top 5 Nigerian Rappers

This list might raise some eyebrows, but this is only my opinion. It's a mix of veterans and new acts that have impressed me the most with their music. Let's jump right in…

Show Dem Camp

Let's start with the new boys. Indie rap band, Show Dem Camp, is by no means new to music, but they only blew up a couple of years ago. Their style of rap is different from the hard-hitting hip-hop of veterans like MI, but they offer a new type of flavor without sacrificing the deep punchlines and clever wordplays.

They rap mostly about life and love, with an occasional sprinkle of politics. With only a few years of public acclaim under its belt, Show Dem Camp doesn't look like slowing down anytime soon, and I'm excited to see what they have in store.

Ladipoe

If you enjoy listening to smooth rap with awesome punchlines and wordplays that make you pause and rewind, Ladipoe is your man. He's no newbie but isn't a veteran either. Ladipoe has shown how versatile he can be with his music. Feeling, a song he featured Afropop star Bnxn on, is a prime example.

Another one is the cool romantic tune he made with another Afropop star, Simi, called Know You. Ladipoe is perhaps one of the few rappers who's found a way to stay true to rap while adapting to be commercially viable too. I enjoy listening to him rap, and I'm looking forward to many more years from the young rapper.

Vector

Perhaps the closest rapper to MI in terms of style, Vector is one of the best lyricists in the country. I first heard him on King Kong, a song with an impressive lineup of rappers, and he stood out impeccably. His style of rap can be cool or intense, but it's always intelligent and deep.

Vector and MI recently sparked heavy excitement with a public beef that gave everything it should. Hip-hop is incomplete without exciting diss songs and Vector delivered top quality.

Olamide

Dagrin may have started the indigenous rap trend, but Olamide has grown to be the superstar of the subgenre. His success is quite extraordinary when you consider that only people from one out of Nigeria's four hundred tribes can understand what he's saying.

His charisma and creativity have propelled him to the top of the rap ladder, and he's now turned his attention to raising the next generation of stars. His label, YBNL, is home to stars like Fireboy and Adekunle Gold.

MI Abaga

I close with a rapper who many claim is the greatest African rapper of all time. Since bursting onto the rap stage in 2008, MI has remained at the very top of the industry. He has blown listeners away year after year with his deep bars and creative punchlines.

When Vector brought up a challenge to his undisputed reign as the best rapper on the continent, MI showed exactly why he's the king. Now a veteran, MI has focused more on bringing up new rap talent. Ladipoe, himself an entry on this list, and Blaqbonez are examples of rappers who've come up under the legendary rapper.

Final Thoughts

Nigerian rap music has evolved over the decades and is again going through a critical period. Afropop star Wizkid recently caused some controversy by claiming rap in Nigeria is dead, but he couldn't be further from the truth.

Nigerian rap may be going through a tough period, but it's very much alive, and I have no doubt we'll be rapping along to some new-style rap music sooner than later.