5th August, 2022
Boomplay, a leading music streaming platform in Africa has announced five winners from the debut of its first-ever rap cypher challenge tagged #PassTheMic.
The competition officially kicked off on Monday, 16th May 2022 and the grand finale was held on Thursday, 4th August 2022.
This initiative was created as part of its mission of connecting music lovers to their favourite songs and impacting the next generation of music talents in Nigeria and the African continent at large.
Pass The Mic is a unique platform to promote the rap genres and young rappers in Nigeria.
The grand finale brings together some of the most talented upcoming artists on stage for a broad mix of musical talents, and through a fusion of music, art, and culture.
Speaking at the Grand Finale held on Thursday, about the Importance of Pass The Mic, Marketing Manager Boomplay Nigeria, Oluwatosin James Afuwape stated: Reviving the culture of rap in Nigeria is a recurrent conversation in the music industry, especially since its arrival in Nigeria in the ’80s has seen the genre rise to more commercial-friendly sounds and lyrical chops delivered in various languages.
The expansive growth of the rap genre has since influenced and birthed some of Nigeria’s most prominent entertainment exports, and it continues to be a platform for aspiring and emerging music talents in the country and beyond.
As a dominant player in Nigeria’s music industry, Boomplay is unwavering in its mission to help unlock the potential of Africa’s music ecosystem, and the debut of this rap initiative is an addition to a stream of opportunities the streamer offers the industry.
The Boomplay #PassTheMic cypher will also see the creative support of veteran and legendary rapper Jude “MI” Abaga under his TASCK initiative, an organization focused on harnessing the power of creativity as a tool for amplifying the right ideas that have the potential to lead a positive change.
The competition was open to all emerging lyricists and music talents in Nigeria. The Top 3 winners will receive cash prizes of One million, five hundred thousand, and two hundred thousand Naira, respectively. In addition, the Top 5 will also have the opportunity to be in an audio and video rap cypher recording with M.I Abaga.
The competition saw the Top 5 winners emerge out of the massive entries received, being hosted in Lagos, the winner for season one is Foster Nnamdi Chima, 1st runner up; Mayowa Ibidapo Amund, 2nd runner up; David Awoudu. Segun Awodu and Barnabas Micheal came in 4th and 5th positions respectively.