Popular Nigerian afrobeats star, David Adeleke, or Davido, has found himself at the center of a heated debate after omitting Fireboy DML, Tems, and Omah Lay from his list of the “next big five” Nigerian artists to dominate the music industry.
In a recent interview with Omega, Davido was asked to name the next five big artists from Nigeria, he responded, “I would say like the next big five. I would say Rema; he got the ‘Calm Down’ record, Buju (BNXN), Ayra Starr…I would say Victony. No, no, me I no want jones o. Okay, let’s do it like this. It’s Rema, Buju, Asake; between him and Rema, I would say they are at the top…Ayra Starr, and Ruger.
Davido’s list has caused controversy, and fans of Fireboy, Tems, and Omah Lay have voiced their displeasure on social media.
A fan, MaqOlaoluwa1 tweeted, “Fireboy is a Vulcanizer Abi? Too much talk.” while another fan @Micheal2272na wrote, “I’m 30BG Buh Davido needs to calm it down. He needs training on how to grant interviews.”
Several fans brought up Omah Lay’s name saying, “OMAH LAY!! Tf nobody recognizes this young man”, and others asked, “Tems??? Omg you gotta be kidding.”
Despite the criticisms, Davido believes that the future of afrobeats is bright, stating, “The future of afrobeats, I would say it’s crazy.” He urged fans to support young and upcoming artists who will continuously churn out amazing genres of music.
Only time will tell if Davido’s prediction will come true and whether Fireboy, Tems, and Omah Lay will eventually become part of the “big five” artists in the Nigerian music scene.
