Explosive Revival of Nigerian Classics in Contemporary Pop

“I didn’t release Love Me Jeje for about two years because I tried to market it in New York. I went to major labels, but the problem they told me is that I sound African.” Those were Seyi Sodimu’s words to DJ Abass, a respected entertainment consultant, during Grammy weekend in Los Angeles in 2004, recalling his struggle to introduce his evergreen record, “Love Me Jeje,” to the American music industry two years before he eventually released it in 1997.

By all measures, “Love Me Jeje” possessed the hallmarks of a canonical Nigerian love song – balmy harmonies, affectionate lyricism, an infectious groove, and a seamless fusion of R&B and Afro-Soul. However, at the time of its release, Nigerian Pop music was still in its formative years, straddling traditional influences and contemporary aspirations while existing largely within its own borders. Eventually, the early 2000s would bring a shift, ushered in by the emergence of boy bands like The Remedies, Plantashun Boiz, and Styl-Plus, who helped refine the pop soundscape with polished production, harmonized vocals, and the kind of cross-cultural appeal that hinted at the global ambitions that Nigerian pop music now fully embraces.

It would take another decade before the walls that boxed Nigerian music within the continent began to crack. The same sound once dismissed as “too African” had, by the 2010s, become one of the most influential musical movements in the world. As Afrobeats gained international prominence and finally became a cultural behemoth, sampling and reinterpretation became tools of reinvention, with contemporary Nigerian Pop artistes looking to the music of the past to shape their own sonic identities.

That same trajectory of artistes mining older records for inspiration played out in the journey of Seyi Sodimu’s “Love Me Jeje’s” journey. Two decades after its release, Tems would win Grammy’s Best African Music Performance category for her reimagining of the song at the 67th Grammy Awards – held in the same Los Angeles where he once spoke of its rejection – bringing the song to a full-circle moment. And in an intriguing connection, her version was housed on her debut album, Born in the Wild – a title that, perhaps unintentionally, mirrors Sodimu’s Born in Africa.

For all the ways Nigerian pop has evolved over the decades, Nigerian Pop remains a genre that is deeply tethered to memory. Seyi Sodimu’s story is one of many that highlight how classic Nigerian songs are being rediscovered, sampled, and reinterpreted by contemporary artistes in recent times. Burna Boy’s reimagining of Fela Kuti’s catalog, Ayra Starr’s playful nods to Afro-Pop staples, and Shallipopi’s excavation of Edo musical traditions all point to an industry that, even in its reinvention, never strays too far from its roots and sounds.

Exploring Nigerian Classics Reimagined for Contemporary Pop Audiences

Sampling and reinterpretation have long shaped Nigerian pop music, but the sources of inspiration have evolved significantly over time. In the early 2000s, many of the era’s biggest acts looked outward, heavily borrowing from Western records to craft their own hits. The sultry rhythm on Psquare’s “Temptation” is lifted from Nathan’s “Come Into My Room”, while Remedies’ “Shakomo” reworked MC Lyte’s 1996 song “Keep On, Keepin’ On”, which itself sampled Michael Jackson’s “Liberian Girl”. Similarly, Sauce Kid’s viral hit “Yebariba Samboribobo” took elements from Remy Ma’s “Conceited”, embedding American rap sensibilities into the fabric of Nigerian Hip-Hop.

As the industry matured, however, the soundscape began to shift. Contemporary Nigerian artistes started looking inward, drawing inspiration from the country’s deep musical heritage rather than predominantly Western sources. Burna Boy has been at the forefront of this movement, consistently tapping into Nigerian musical traditions, particularly Afrobeat. His discography is rich with nods to Fela Kuti’s music. Other artistes have also followed suit, finding ways to fuse nostalgia with innovation.

Davido’s intro on his Pon-Pon-inspired track, “Like That” interpolated K1 De Ultimate’s legendary line “Agogo Ko ro/ Agogo Ko ma ro” from his 2010 track “Agogo Koro”, filtering fuji elements through the Pon-Pon sound that dominated the late 2010s. Olamide is not excluded from the operational framework of artists drawing inspiration from within, creating music that offers nostalgic novelty by sampling classic traditional sounds. On “Morowore”, the sixth track off his IKIGAI EP, he creatively reinterprets the 2002 classic Nigerian gospel record “Mo Wa Dupe” by Nigerian singer-songwriter Paul Play Dairo, to a reflective song that sees him acknowledging God’s presence in his life.

Even Shallipopi, known for his eccentricity, has embraced this wave, weaving Edo musical heritage into his sophomore album Shakespopi (2024). His song “Asap” samples the work of another Edo legend, Alhaji Waziri Oshomah and his Traditional Sound Makers whose Afemai music style was a huge draw in the ‘70s. The clever sample of “Ikwekiame Nedumhe” is an inverse of the downstated approach favored on “Obapluto” which spotlight the ageless work of Pa Monday Edo and the Osemwegie Ebohon Theatre International Troupe.

Other prominent acts have also embraced this trend. Seyi Vibez, in 2022, incorporated fúji and apala influences, sampling the guitar riff from Alhaji Fatai Olowonyo’s “Elewure Wole” in “G.O.A.T” and drawing from Orlando Owoh and Haruna Ishola on tracks like “Different Pattern” and “Apala Interlude” respectively. In a similar vein, Asake, who rose to Afropop prominence in 2022 through an ingenious fusion of the past and the future, has remained at the forefront of this alchemy. His 2024 global hit, “Active”, featuring Travis Scott, exemplifies this ethos, seamlessly integrating Adewale Ayuba’s vocals from Jazzman Olofin’s 2004 fuji-hip-hop anthem “Raise Da Roof”  into a propulsive new-age banger.

Even Ayra Starr’s “Sare” from her debut EP nodded to the past by reworking “Orere Elejigbo” by the Lijadu Sisters, infusing the legendary duo’s harmonies into her breezy, forward-facing pop sound. This instinct for mining the past while shaping the future remained evident in her 2024 debut album, “The Year I Turned 21”, as her standout P.prime-produced track, “Jazzy Song” interpolated Wande Coal’s 2008 classic “You Bad”.

Earlier in February, Rema expanded his aural palette with “Baby (Is It A Crime),” a track that filtered the smoky melancholia of Sade Adu’s 1985 record “Is It A Crime” through his signature blend of alté-inflected Afropop. Anchored by elastic melodies and dusky timbres, the song played with cadence and tonality.

Beyond established names, emerging acts are also reaching into the archives of Nigerian music for inspiration. In October 2024, Canadian-Nigerian rapper Kwae Kobain sampled the cadence and rhythm of Sunny Nneji’s “Oruka”, on his Afro-Hip-Hop track, “On Me” injecting the wedding staple with a modern hip-hop sensibility that underscores a continued embrace of indigenous influences among a new generation of artists.

This wave of sampling and reinterpretation has redefined how younger audiences interact with Nigerian classics, ushering in a digital-age renaissance where platforms like TikTok and YouTube act as conduits for rediscovery. Fueled by viral trends and challenge-driven engagement, these older records are finding fresh resonance, sparking cross-generational moments where nostalgia and reinvention collide on dance floors and playlist.

The Legal and Cultural Complexities of Sampling in Nigerian Pop

For all the ways Nigerian pop has embraced reinventing its past, the process of legally and ethically clearing samples remains a thorny issue at the crossroads of artistic homage, commercial interests, and Nigeria’s evolving intellectual property laws. While contemporary artists frequently breathe new life into older records, the business and legal frameworks around sampling are often murky, sparking disputes that expose significant gaps in the country’s copyright landscape.

Gift Johnson (Ivy), a music business enthusiast and law graduate, highlights a key legal hurdle faced by many Nigerian artists: ownership uncertainty. She explains, “One of the legal hurdles when clearing samples, especially older Nigerian records, is ownership. The copyright ownership of some of the older records is unclear as it may be owned by the artist, label, producer, or even an investor. In a case where such a song is to be sampled, with an uncertain owner, it’s about to be a herculean task.”

This lack of clarity is compounded by informal music industry practices in the past, where many songs were never registered with copyright bodies or publishers, making rights tracking difficult. Sampling requires clearing both the sound recording and the musical composition, often owned by different parties, creating further complexity. Ivy adds, “You don’t want to clear with a few and have to deal with someone claiming they have a share of the pie in the future.” Legally, she stresses, samples must be cleared before use and public exploitation to avoid takedowns and lawsuits. Culturally, Nigeria is still balancing between honoring its musical heritage and protecting artists’ rights, which is why entertainment lawyers and music business educators are essential. They help artists secure permissions and safeguard the interests of both new creators and original rights holders.

Olaoluwa Idowu, an entertainment lawyer based in Lagos, provides a legal framework to this discussion, explaining the dual facets of copyright involved in music sampling: “Musical compositions are safeguarded by copyright, in line with the provisions of Nigeria’s Copyright Act of 2022. This safeguarding extends to an exclusive range of rights, including reproduction, distribution, communication, and adaptation of the composition. Additionally, copyright extends to cover sound recordings, granting exclusive rights over reproduction, distribution, broadcasting, and more.” He elaborates that these two facets – the composition (melodies, harmonies, lyrics) and the sound recording (arrangements, instrumentation, production) – are often owned by different rights holders.

These insights from Gift Johnson and Olaoluwa Idowu underscore how Nigeria’s evolving copyright laws intersect with the cultural practice of sampling. These challenges frequently play out in real time, with controversies flaring on social media before they are sometimes resolved or left hanging indefinitely. Take, for example, In 2024, Blaqbonez’s “Loyalty”, which had interpolated Paul Play Dairo’s “Forever” on his Young Preacher album, was removed from digital streaming platforms due to unresolved clearance disputes. In a tweet, Blaqbonez threw a subtle shade at Paul Play, implying that the veteran singer was the one being “greedy” in their negotiations. Paul Play, however, never publicly addressed the matter, leaving fans to speculate about the nature of the disagreement and whether it stemmed from business negotiations gone awry or broader concerns about artistic control.

If Blaqbonez’s situation hinted at underlying tensions between generations, Darkoo’s experience with Mr. P of P-Square in January 2025 revealed how the politics of sampling can be tangled with personal dynamics. The UK-based rapper found herself in a public standoff after her track “Focus On Me” – which sampled P-Square’s “Gimme Dat” – was allegedly blocked from release. Darkoo claimed that despite securing a 50% split of the rights, Mr. P withdrew his approval out of spite because she declined to feature him on the song. Beyond the legalese, the dispute raised an age-old question: where does business end and ego begin in sample negotiations? In an industry where informal agreements are often the norm, was this a case of artistic control being exercised or a cautionary tale about how personal interests can override contractual obligations? Shallipopi also found himself at the center of a sampling dispute in 2023 when he was hit with a ₦200 million lawsuit for allegedly using “Ogbaisi”, a song by Edo music legend Pa Monday Edo Igbinidu, without authorization. However, any lingering tensions were seemingly put to rest when Shallipopi released the song’s music video, which featured Pa Monday Edo Igbinidu himself.

Even decade-old releases are not immune from controversy. Igbo gospel singer Agnes Iroh accused Olamide of using her 1992 song “Follow The Ladder” without permission for his 2014 track “Our Lord Jesus”. According to Iroh, she had been ill and unable to pursue the matter earlier, but with renewed strength, she was now seeking proper compensation. This highlights how issues of copyright can resurface long after a song’s initial release, especially as platforms like TikTok and YouTube breathe new life into older tracks.

For some observers, these disputes reflect the growing pains of an industry still figuring out how to handle sampling. Music journalist Adeayo Adebiyi argues that, when done right, sampling is a way to honor musical heritage while fostering intergenerational connections. “I hope the OGs understand this and not stand in the way of building a sampling culture in Nigerian music. All generations must work together with mutual respect,” he shared on social media.

Joey Akan, music journalist and Afrobeats Intelligence podcast host, shared this sentiment when Zinoleesky sampled Asa’s “Be My Man” on his amapiano-infused “Loving You.” “Sampling locally across generations means we are honoring our rich music history, preserving our creative DNA, and finding new ways to milk nostalgia for value. We all ought to encourage and embrace it.” But while the cultural benefits of sampling are clear, the absence of legal clarity continues to complicate its practice.

In theory, the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) exists to protect artistes and ensure that sampled works generate royalties for their creators. However, enforcement remains inconsistent, and many disputes are settled informally or escalate into drawn-out conflicts. Unlike in the U.S., where structured sample clearance mechanisms exist and unapproved samples can lead to major legal consequences, Nigeria’s music industry often operates on a handshake economy where personal relationships, leverage, and industry hierarchy dictate who gets permission to sample and who faces resistance.

Ultimately, the sampling culture of Nigerian pop sits at a crossroads: on one hand, it has the potential to be a vital tool for preserving and evolving the country’s rich musical traditions; on the other, the absence of clear-cut legal protections means that both young and old artistes are left navigating an unpredictable terrain, where inspiration and innovation are too often overshadowed by disputes over rights and recognition.

The Future of Sampling Nigerian Classics

The explosive revival of sampling and reinterpretation suggests that Nigerian pop is entering a new archival phase, where artistes increasingly draw from past records for inspiration. More remakes and reimagining are likely to emerge, solidifying the role of classic Nigerian sounds in contemporary music. But with this rise comes the urgent need for structure. For decades, Nigerian artistes have sampled and interpolated older records, often without formal clearance or the knowledge of the original creators. Without a standardized framework for licensing and negotiations, these sonic borrowings sometimes devolve into disputes from the old musicians who feel sidelined. If Nigerian pop is to build a sustainable tradition of reimagining its past, the industry must create a more transparent and efficient sample clearance system.

A significant step in this direction would be for COSON, Nigeria’s primary collective management organization, to establish a comprehensive database cataloging past hits, their rights holders, and the necessary protocols for sampling them. This would not only streamline negotiations but also eliminate the guesswork that often leads to informal, and sometimes legally dubious, sample use. Beyond legality, though, there needs to be a cultural shift in how sampling is perceived. Rather than being viewed as mere replication, it should be seen as collaboration – an exchange that benefits both parties. Older artistes, often wary of having their work exploited without credit or compensation, should be assured of both financial and creative recognition. This means proper credits on DSPs, equitable royalty agreements, and perhaps, more direct involvement in the reimagining of their music.

Across global pop histories, sampling has been a way to keep traditions alive. Hip-hop, for instance, built entire subgenres out of flipping soul, jazz, and funk records, turning forgotten deep cuts into the foundations of new sonic movements. Nigerian pop is now at a similar crossroads. As it expands its global footprint, it has the opportunity to use sampling as a deliberate act of cultural reinforcement—one that bridges eras and reintroduces foundational sounds to new listeners.

In 2024, producer and Coded Tunes CEO, ID Cabasa, took a decisive step in this direction with a series of high-profile reinterpretations of Nigerian classics. His initiative kicked off with a new take on “Photocopy,” a deep cut from 9ice’s Gongo Aso album, featuring rapper Vector. The follow-up, “Olufunmi Reimagined”, reworked Styl-Plus’ seminal 2002 love ballad, enlisting Fireboy DML, Joeboy, BOJ, and Odumodublvck to breathe new life into the timeless track. Most recently, Cabasa revived “Bere Mi” – originally by 9ice and 2Phat – with fresh contributions from Zlatan and T.I Blaze. These reinterpretations serve a dual purpose: they extend the lifespan of beloved records while forging a direct connection between younger audiences and the music that shaped Nigeria’s pop history.

At its best, sampling is a way of ensuring that past sounds actively shape contemporary music landscapes. The dialogue between generations, when done right, enriches both the old and the new. If Nigerian pop is to embrace this tradition fully, then its industry players must step up in facilitating smoother licensing processes and fostering a culture where sampling is celebrated as a creative continuum rather than a battlefield of rights and recognition.