Published by Reynolds Mark
Before the world screamed his name, before stadiums chanted his melodies, before “Calm Down” became a global love language, Divine Ikubor was just a boy in Benin City with a fire he couldn’t explain. His world was small, church walls, dusty streets, a tight-knit family, but his dreams were loud. Music wasn’t just a hobby; it was escape, identity, therapy, rebellion, and destiny compressed into one heartbeat.
He started like many greats, in the church, leading worship with a voice too sharp for his age and performing with a presence too confident for a teenager. But Rema had something else, an instinct that pulled him towards new sounds. While his peers chased regular Afrobeats rhythms, he was blending trap, Indian strings, celestial hums, and futuristic pockets of melody. Then came the freestyles, raw, hungry, magnetic. He recorded short clips on the street, in cars, anywhere inspiration attacked him. One of those clips, a freestyle over D’Prince’s “Gucci Gang,” travelled farther than he expected. It landed in the hands of D’Prince, who saw what the world would soon see, a star with a sound no one could imitate.
In 2019, Rema was signed to Jonzing World/Mavin Records, and immediately, the universe tilted. His debut single, “Dumebi,” didn’t just trend, it erupted. A colourful, playful, otherworldly sound that cut through the noise of the industry. Rema didn’t walk into the mainstream, he invaded it. His voice, his look, his aura, everything felt like he’d arrived from a different timeline.
That same year, he released three EPs back-to-back:
Rema (the introduction),
Freestyle (the flex),
Bad Commando (the declaration).
Each one expanded his mythology. He wasn’t just an Afrobeats artist; he was crafting Afrorave, a hybrid world of sound that fused Afrobeats with trap, Arabian melodies, pop edges, and futuristic mystique. Fans didn’t just listen, they joined a movement. In 2022 came Rave & Roses, the turning point. A body of work that announced Rema not as a rising star, but as a global force. And hidden inside that album was a song destined for history “Calm Down.
What happened next can only be described as a cultural explosion.
“Calm Down” wasn’t just a hit; it became the biggest Afrobeats song of all time, breaking barriers that had stood for decades. The Selena Gomez remix propelled it into the American mainstream, then into India, the Middle East, South America, Europe, everywhere. Within months, the song:
Became the highest-charting African song in Billboard Hot 100 history
Crossed a billion streams
Became the most-viewed Afrobeats music video ever
Won awards across continents
Placed Rema on every major global stage
Suddenly, Afrobeats had a new ambassador, young, bold, experimental, and unafraid to sound “weird.” The world didn’t just accept Rema’s uniqueness; they celebrated it. Rema is a rebel wrapped in calm. He’s the kid who wears devil horns in one video, then thanks God passionately in interviews. He’s the global superstar who still talks like a Benin boy, humble but unstoppable. His fashion, dark, futuristic, slightly gothic has influenced a generation of African youth. His sound has birthed an army of imitators.
He moves like someone who knows the crown belongs to him, but isn’t desperate to prove it.
After Rave & Roses, he dropped Rave & Roses Ultra with hits like “Charm,” “Holiday,” and “Reason You.” All became worldwide anthems, solidifying his ability to dominate charts effortlessly.
He went from performing at local church events to lighting up Coachella, Lollapalooza, Afro Nation, and sold-out arenas across continents. His music now lives everywhere from TikTok trends to Bollywood weddings to American clubs.
With fame came influence. Rema has secured major partnerships with:
Mavin/Jonzing World x Universal Music Group
Global festival organisers
Fashion powerhouses including Louis Vuitton, streetwear brands, and global campaigns
Tech, sports, and lifestyle brands drawn to his futuristic aesthetic
He has become the face of a new African global identity: bold, creative, boundary-breaking. Though still young, Rema’s trophy shelf is heavy:
Headies Next Rated winner
BET Awards
MTV EMA
Billboard plaques
Global certifications in the US, UK, Europe, India, Middle East
Multiple sold-out shows
A song in the Top 10 most streamed globally in 2023
But the real achievement is his impact. Rema didn’t just join the Afrobeats wave he expanded it. He made room for weirdness, experimentation, and cultural fusion. He opened doors in countries where Afrobeats wasn’t previously mainstream. He inspired a new generation to embrace originality, not limitation.
And yet, somehow, he still feels like he’s just getting started.
Article by Walter Okosie
Editor