BN Music Friday Top 5: Young Nigeria

Posted on Friday, February 24th, 2012 at 12:45 PM

By Onos O

Hi, my name is Onos O and starting from today, Bella Naija Music promises you a weekly specialized Top 5 countdown. This week’s BNM Friday Top Five is “Young Nigeria”; we picked the top 5 hot tracks from the youngest stars in Nigeria.

I picked “Young Nigeria” for the first edition because, cheesy as this sounds, I believe that the youth are the future and well, I’m pretty young myself so I couldn’t find a reason why not to; charity begins at home anyway.

Speaking of the youth being the future, one of my uncles never agreed with that saying and justly too. His argument was:

“When I was in primary school, my teachers would say, ‘the youth are the future leaders of tomorrow’. Back then, OBJ was president. Years later, when I had gotten married and had kids, OBJ became president of Nigeria again. Now can you please tell me how the youth are the future leaders of tomorrow?”

I could never argue with him though with his facts, but I digress. Out of the multitude of young Nigerian artists out there, we picked the best five so without further ado, here are the top 5 (and their most recent singles):

1. Mo’Cheddah – See Me

It’s not because of common courtesy, “ladies first”, that Modupe Oreoluwa Oyeyemi is number one on this top 5. They may say “what a man can do, a woman can do better” but Mo’Cheddah is just living proof of it. She’s the official first lady of today’s countdown not because I like her or have a crush on her but because amongst this list, she’s the most versatile and all-round well-branded artist with her ability to both rap and sing… well. “See Me” is a super catchy and entertaining song. Its video was directed by Clarence Peters.

2. Wizkid – Pakurumo

Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun is a highly talented artist; he is the one responsible for putting the word, “lowkey” into everyday Nigerian lingo. He is just one of those people who everyone knows once he’s on a track, the song is a hit. “Pakurumo” was most people’s favourite song off his “Superstar” album. Its video was directed by Clarence Peters and Banky W.

3. Davido - Dami Duro

With his hits “Back When” and “Dami Duro” and a few features, David Adedeji Adeleke seems to be taking over this year. Just when non-yorubas were just learning what “manogere” meant, Davido hit us “Dami Duro” and has been touring everywhere that there is land. The “Dami Duro” video was directed by Clarence Peters.

4. Skales – Mukulu

Raoul John Njeng-Njeng had been on hold from the music industry until he finished school. But, as soon as he stepped out, he has been hitting us with freestyles and songs to prove his worth and rightful place at the apex of Nigerian superstars. “Mukulu” has been rocking airwaves since its debut. Its video was directed by Clarence Peters.

5. Yung 6ix – Oh My Gosh

Onome Onokohwomo took his place in the industry seemingly by force. Since his “Oleku” remix that brought him his initial popularity till his signing with Storm 360, Yung6ix has not relented in his efforts to keep churning out songs that we love and proving his Hip-Hop credibility. “Oh My Gosh” is one of those songs that prove the rapper’s prowess with punchlines off his “Green Light Green” mixtape. Its video was directed by Bobby Boulders.

Is it just me or was Clarence Peters like a trending topic in our countdown? Well, there you have it BNM Friday Top Five: Young Nigeria. Here’s a recap:

1. Mo’Cheddah - See Me