Nigeria's number 1 music blog, notjustok.com has
compiled what it termed 'The 10 Hottest Artists
2014'. I don't know the criteria used in selecting but
here's what they termed "The List" ..Check them out
and tell us if you agree..
1. Davido
Davido has practically won every award he’s been
nominated in. Where do I start? Okay let me see
how many I can list.
“Best Male” and “Artist of the Year” at MTV #MAMA
2014, “Best Male (West Africa)” and “Artist of the
Year” at AFRIMMA 2014, “Best African Act” at BET
Awards 2014, “Hottest Single of the Year” and “Male
Artist of the Year” at NEA 2014, “Artiste of the Year”
at City People Awards 2014, “African Artiste of the
Year” at Ghana Music Awards 2014, “Artiste of the
Year” nominee at the upcoming Kora Awards 2014,
5 nominations at the Upcoming Channel O Music
Video Awards 2014, and most recently, “Best
African Act” at the upcoming “MTV Europe Music
Awards 2014″.
All these awards stem from the simple fact that
Davido has made the biggest hits in the last 12-18
months. “Skelewu” dominated the last quarter of
2013/early 2014, then he followed it up with “ AYE”
which is arguably the biggest song in Africa this
year. Let’s not forget monster hit collaborations like
“Gallardo” with Runtown, “Nek-Unek” with MC
Galaxy, “Number One” with Diamond Platnumz,
“Daddy” with Reminisce, “Sexy Ladies” with
Oritsefemi, “Shoki Remix” with Lil Kesh & Olamide,
“Tchelete” with Mafikizolo , and the list goes on and
on and on.
As for shows, Davido pulled a record number of
crowds in almost every city he toured in the U.S and
Canada. He’s been filling up Stadiums across Africa,
and is currently headlining the Africa Unplugged
concert in the U.K.
Endorsements? Let’s not even go into that. This
young man has done it all.
2. Phyno
Igbo-speaking rapper, Phyno started making his
mark in Nigerian Hip-Hop back in late 2012/ early
2013 with hit songs like “GhostMode “. From then
on, his stock has been rising steadily, culminating in
the release of his debut album “No Guts No Glory” in
March, 2014. The album received rave reviews from
fans, while pushing madd units among local
distributors in Alaba market, Lagos, the Eastern
region and beyond. At that point, Phyno‘s status
elevated from being one of the best Nigerian rappers
to being one of the hottest musicians in the game:
Period!
“Alobam” is arguably the Indigenous Song of the
Year; be it Hip-Hop or mainstream. He’s currently
one of the most featured acts, appearing on several
collaborations with the cream of the crop in the
industry and he always has a way of outshining
them. Throw in his Guinness deal, among others,
along with the increasing number of Shows and
nationwide tours with multinational corporations,
and we have a winner here!
3. Olamide
When it comes to consistency over the last 12-18
months, no one in Nigerian music is touching
Olamide. This dude eats, sleeps and breathes in the
studio. And the result? A steady stream of quality
content almost on a monthly basis.
Olamide’s most recent album “Baddest Guy Ever
Liveth” – his 3rd in 3 years – was well received by
the fans after it dropped 10 months ago. He has
since put out more singles and videos. He also
recently became the first-ever Nigerian artist to
become a Ciroc Ultra Premium Vodka ambassador.
As for shows, there’s no shortage home and abroad.
The “creation” of a new star in YBNL’s Lil Kesh
might be Olamide‘s greatest achievement yet. Today,
everyone’s jamming “Shoki” and the dance move
has gone viral. Let’s not forget the #GunManPose
which went viral on Social Media.
Simply put, Olamide is a Trendsetter who deserves to
be in any “Top 3″ position on The 10 Hottest Artists
In Nigeria 2014.
4. Tiwa Savage
It’s the Doro-Diva, Tiwa Savage! The First Lady of
Mavin Records is cleaning out the closet in majority
of the female categories of Award shows this year,
most notably winning “Female Artiste of the Year”
and “Best Pop/R&B Artist of the Year” at the NEA
2014, “Best Female (West Africa)” at AFRIMMA
2014, and “Best Female” at the MTV #MAMA 2014.
She’s also in the running for “Most Gifted Female”
and “Most Gifted Video of the Year” at the upcoming
Channel O #CHOMVA 2014, a Wildcard Nominee in
the “Best African Act” category of the MTV EMA
2014, and a shoo-in for the Headies 2014 when the
nominations are revealed in the coming weeks.
As for endorsements, I don’t even know where to
start. I may have to go on one of these gossip blogs
to draw out a very long list, which includes the likes
of MTN and Pepsi. Shows? Infact, she’s currently on
tour in the U.K at the time of this post. Controversy?
You simply need to watch her “Wanted” video, read
the comments here on NJO and take into account the
buzz it created all over the web. Hits? Look no
further than her late 2013 single, “Eminado” and the
Mavin Records’ monster hit record “Dorobucci” .
All these accolades are down to one thing: Tiwa
Savage is red-hot!
5. Wizkid
Hate him or love him, Wizkid has shown a level of
consistency only a few can match, if any. Since he
broke through the ranks as a teenage sensation some
years back, the lad has totally lived up to
expectations, winning several awards and even
spearheading his own label, Starboy Music, in the
process.
The past 12-18 months has been all about working
on his soon-to-be-released sophomore album “Ayo
(Joy)” while building important affiliations in the
U.S/U.K, and still going on tour at home and
abroad. Wizkid has also succeeded in projecting
Starboy Crew members, particularly L.A.X, who
now has two hit singles to his name (Caro and
Ginger).
In this same period, Wizkid became the first
Nigerian/Afrobeats/Afropop musician to hit 1
million followers on Twitter, and he currently tops
the InstaGram count as well. Simply put, he’s the
King of Social Media.
I expect opinions to be divided on Wizkid being #5,
but I know for a fact that after his new album
drops, he’s sure to be higher up The 10 Hottest Artists
In Nigeria List come 2015.
6. Oritsefemi
He may not have the highest number of followers on
twitter, or the most likes on Instagram, but when
you have the kind of street credibility Oritsefemi
has, online buzz becomes negligible.
Few would argue that “Double Wahala” has been the
biggest street/indigenous hit of 2014. From the
roadside seller, bus conductor, beer parlour, to the
upper-scale clubs, radio, and everything in between,
Naija has rocked “Double Wahala” .
What makes OritseFemi‘s rise to the top even more
remarkable is the fact that his style of music (Konto/
Street) has suffered a huge slump in recent years,
with the more Westernized “new school” sound
taking over. However, the Ajegunle/Waffi singer
maintained his local sound, and it’s surely paying
dividends. Today, he’s one of the most featured
artists in the industry.
“The Musical Taliban” certainly deserves his #6 spot
on The 10 Hottest Artists in Nigeria 2014.
7. Yemi Alade
Yemi Alade is seen by many as the new “darling
diva” among Naija music listeners. Her energy,
talent and hardwork is there for all to see, and she’s
been able to feed into her Yoruba and Igbo roots to
become a well-rounded “Afropop/Highlife” or – in
her own words – “Afropolitan” artiste.
For those who have followed Naija music very
closely in the last few years, you’d know that Yemi
Alade has been in the game for quite some time;
winning the Peak Talent Show in 2009, and then
making her NJO debut as far back as 2010 with “Fi
Mi Sile” featuring eLDee.
For the casual music listener, “Bamboo” brought
Yemi Alade closer to the door, and for the rest of
Nigeria, “Johnny” unlocked the door and officially
made the Effyzzie Entertainment act a household
name. The shows – local and international – are
flying in thick & fast, and the ambassadorship/
endorsements are rolling in.
For these reasons, you have to agree that Yemi Alade
thoroughly deserves her #7 spot on The 10 Hottest
Artists in Nigeria 2014. Look out for her new singles
and debut album “King of Queens” dropping soon.
8. Patoranking
From his early days with producer K-Solo, to his
successful stint with his mentor Timaya, and now
with Foston Musik, Patoranking‘s stock has risen
exponentially. The Reggae/Dance-Hall act got his big
break sometime in 2013 with Alubarika (featuring
Timaya), and then appeared on WizzyPro’s hit
collaboration “Emergency” alongside other next-
rated acts, Runtown and Skales.
Patoranking solidified his status as one of the
revelations of the year 2014 with “Girlie O” and the
remix featuring Tiwa Savage, before blessing what
has turned out to be one of the most enjoyable
tracks of 2014: “Murda” by Seyi Shay. It’s been such
a massive year for the lad, some may even argue he
should be higher up the list of The 10 Hottest Artists
in Nigeria 2014.
9. Kcee
Kcee‘s rise to the top is one of the most remarkable
comeback stories of the last 18-24 months or
thereabout. The former member of the defunct
group, KC Presh, had been working very hard to
make it as a solo artiste in recent years, but he
didn’t get the breakthrough he desperately needed
till “Limpopo” dropped early 2013. At that point, a
lot of people felt he wouldn’t be able to follow up the
success of that monster hit. But guess what… “PULL
OVER” happened. The rest, they say, is history.
With loads of shows, U.S and European tours,
several top collaborations and videos, in addition to
a successful release of the “Take Over” album,
there’s no doubt in my mind – and the rest of the
notjustOk Team – that Kcee deserves his spot at #9
on The 10 Hottest Artists In Nigeria 2014.
10. Iyanya
The “Kukere” master has surprised many by staying
relevant and putting out solid tunes in the past year.
Songs like “Away” and “Lekwa Ukwu” turned out to
be fan favourites, shows came in left, right and
centre, including another successful U.S Tour along
with his short stint in the U.K and other parts of
Europe.
With these in mind, it’s clear Iyanya deserves his
place in the #10 position on The 10 Hottest Artists in
Nigeria 2014 list.
