Rema

Divine Ikubor (born May 1, 2000), popularly known by his stage name Rema, is a highly influential Nigerian singer, rapper, and songwriter. He is recognized as a key figure in the modern Afrobeats movement, pioneering a sub-genre he terms "Afro-rave," which blends Afrobeats with global influences, including Arabian and Indian sounds.Early Life and Education Rema was born on May 1, 2000, in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. He hails from Igbanke in the Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo state. Raised in a Christian family, Rema discovered his passion for music during his secondary school days at Ighile Group of Schools in Edo State, where he began singing and rapping. Following the loss of his father and elder brother, Rema was raised by his mother. He briefly gained admission to the University of Lagos in 2022 but was forced to leave the institution in 2023 due to an ASUU teaching union strike.Career Progression and Breakthrough Rema's breakthrough came in 2018 after he posted a freestyle video to D'Prince's track "Gucci Gang" on social media. This caught the attention of D'Prince, who subsequently signed him to Jonzing World, a subsidiary of Mavin Records, in 2019. His debut and critically acclaimed EPs, which included songs like "Iron Man" and "Spiderman," quickly established him in the Nigerian music scene.Major Achievements and Notable Works Rema's international recognition surged with the release of his 2022 single "Calm Down." The track gained massive global success, especially after a remix featuring American singer Selena Gomez. The remix peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and held the top spot on the Billboard Afrobeats Songs chart for a record-setting 58 weeks. In 2022, he released his debut studio album, *Rave & Roses*, which peaked at number 81 on the Billboard 200. Following this success, he released *Rave & Roses Ultra* in April 2023, which became the first African album to surpass two billion streams on Spotify. In October 2023, he released the *Ravage EP* and performed at the prestigious Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris, France.Current Status Rema continues to cement his position as one of Afrobeats' most dominant global forces. His dedicated fanbase is known as the "Ravers." In recent years, he has won multiple high-profile awards, including Artiste of the Year at the AFRIMA awards, beating established artists like Davido and Burna Boy. In July 2024, he released his second studio album, *HEIS*, which is derived from the Greek word for "numeral 1" and represents him owning the title "Prince of Afrobeats." The album earned him his first Grammy Award nomination for Best Global Music Album at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.