How Rema Inspired Me, Other Young Benin Artistes – Shallipopi
Popular singer Crown Uzama, aka Shallipopi, has given his colleague Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema credit for inspiring him and other young artists from Edo State to believe in their talents.
In a recent interview, the Benin-born singer expressed how Rema, the ‘Calm Down’ crooner, served as a beacon of hope for artists in Benin.
Shallipopi stated that before Rema’s emergence, there was a lack of confidence among artists in Benin, with many believing that musical stardom was only achievable for those in Lagos and Abuja.
He stated, “Benin as a place, none of us get hope to blow. We just leave am for the squad wey dey do am, the Lagos and Abuja people. We dey see everything, but we no get that hope to say we go dey that spotlight.
“Na when Rema come, wey D’Pince pick Rema, an when we come sey hope dey. If Rema cross over, we go fit cross over.”
“We go cross over, Rema go Lagos, we dey watch am, we be day one fans. Before e blow, all of us dey watch am, we don be one number one fans since. we dey watch Rema wey dey do freestyle before he drop EP”.
“Na Rema give us hope sey, we for Benin, we go actually make am and dem fit pick us from freestyle.”
Shallipopi, born Crown Uzama, is a Nigerian rapper, singer, and songwriter who first gained recognition with the debut of “Obapluto” released in 2023.