7 Popular Nigerian Rappers Who Have Successfully Transitioned Into Singers

Considering Fans, what they want and the current trend in the music industry are key factors in determining the kind of songs artistes will release and the genre those songs will fall.
This list takes a look at Artistes who started off a rap career as rappers but have since transitioned into singing, most of them combining rapping and singing together in their career.

1) Reminisce

Reminisce started his career by recording an hardcore rap album at ID cabasa coded tunes studio, which was never released.
Later he showed his lyrical prowess as an English rapper on 9ice’s bachelor and ever since featuring 9ice.
Alaga Ibile is one of the indigenous rappers who ushered himself into the music scene with hardcore rap lines that made us fall in love with him.
But it appears like his peer, Olamide he has also shifted grounds heavily and has gone into commericial singing and we think he’s been quite successful with it.
On a song he featured Olamide and Phyno, Reminisce made it clear that Punchline don’t pay the bills anymore and that street singing is what brings in the cash, a claim that Mode9 chastised heavily and called all three artists on the song jokers in a recent interview.
Reminisce’s rap prowess has been on the low and these days he sings way more than before. Reminisce’s two singles that have been dropped after his ‘Baba Hafusa’ album, Gboriduro and Kpomo further buttress our point that the artist has transitioned.

2) Olamide

Olamide hardly took any singing role in his first album, rhapsodi as he employed the services of the singers and fierced heavily on each track as a full fledged indigenous rapper.
However, going by his next three albums (YBNL, BGEL and street OT), the rapper has since showcased his versatility by joining the singer/rapper camp in the music industry.
The indigenous hardcore rapper has since moved to the commercial side of music, singing and mild rap to remind his fans he still got some lines.
Olamide’s voice has become one of the most loved among some music fans that Olamide gets paid an handsome amount to drop a hook on a song and a few rap lines.
Olamide’s songs released so far this year have been more of him singing than rapping, songs released this year so far include, Bobo, Melo Melo and most recently, Matters Arising.
With Tracks like Eleda mi, badoo love, bobo, melo melo as well as even taking the hooks of songs for other artist, one may be forced to question the genre of music Olamide belongs to, rap or pop??

3) Skales

Call it Frustration, indecision or whatever you call it, Skales decision to switch genres surely paid off.
Starting off at the EME crew as a rapper with singles like heading for the Grammy, ori mi, monster, could not get skales the desired recognition compared to label mate, WizKid.
Following his exit from EME, it enabled his full transition to singing as he released The massive hit shake body followed by Je kan mo, Lo le, Ijo Ayo, Ijo Ayo Remix and countless collabos seeing a turn for good in Skales music career.
We loved Skales as a rapper, but we definitely love him more as a singer, the Nigerian music fans can sure tell you this.

4) Eldee

Eldee the don was one of the members of the defunct trybesmen with fellow rappers.kaboom and freestyle. Soon he went ahead to form trybez records and dropped rap joints like am leaving, we made it, i go yarn and many more
The rapper however gained further prominence with the release of Songs like Bosi Gbangba, Ota mi, One day, Category “Wash-wash”, and most recently his ‘Today Today’ song, a wedding themed song that became a favorite among couples on their wedding day including a highly successful last album “Undeniable” which were all commercial and mostly pop singles.

5) Ice prince

Ice prince proved himself as a rapper on tracks like Nobody test me, oleku, Efimile remix, and other rap joints.
This did not deter Ice prince from showcasing his ability to sing in tracks like More, Juju, Superstar, Boss – Produced By Tekno as well as providing hooks for other artist like mode9 ( I see) and many more establishing him as a rapper and singer in the Nigerian music industry.

6. M.I Abaga

M.I Abaga shouldn’t make this list, but like Ice Prince the Chocolate City Boss has also combined singing with rapping. M.I came out to us as a hardcore rapper who was the next big thing to come out of Nigeria but soon join the commercial bandwagon.
M.I who blew minds with his ‘Crowd Mentality’ single in 2008 hasn’t transitioned fully but he has done quite a number of singing in some songs including Shekpe, End of time, a tribute song for rapper, DaGrin, Forever and Akpata.

7. Vector

Olanrewaju Ogunmefun, better known by his stage name Vector tha Viper, is a Nigerian Hip hop artist who kicked off his career with rap. But along the line, the desperation for commercial success kicked in and he decided to try his hands on commercial singing which turned out to work for him.
His song ‘Shiga’ is a favorite among dancehall music lovers and Kanawan Dabo is another commercial song as well released by the rapper.
Notables:
Jesse Jagz
Dr Sid
D’prince