27th August, 2024
By Oluwapelumi Oluwayemi
Veteran Nigerian rapper Tobechukwu Ejiofor, popularly known as Illbliss, has expressed his surprise over the departure of several prominent music stars from rap to afrobeats.
In an interview with Radio Now 95.3 FM, Illbliss reminisced about the era when rap music thrived in Nigeria and how artistes like Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy transitioned from rap to become global icons in the afrobeats genre.
Illbliss noted that the Nigerian hip-hop industry was once full of life, with notable rappers making a mark.
However, he pointed out that these stars, including Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido, shifted their focus to afrobeats, a move that greatlly boosted their international profiles.
Despite acknowledging the success of these artistes, Illbliss lamented the challenges faced by hip-hop in Nigeria, noting that the genre remains less commercially viable compared to afrobeats.
He admitted that only a few rappers, himself included, have managed to achieve commercial success in the hip-hop realm.
In his own words, “We (Hip-Hop community) lost a lot of our soldiers; we lost Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido. Three of them were rappers. I guess they found the afrobeats vibe and it made them global stars.”
Illbliss further stressed the difficulties of thriving in the Nigerian hip-hop industry, acknowledging that only a select few artistes, such as Vector, M.I., Reminisce, Olamide, and Phyno, have made a huge impact.
