Africa with its diverse cultures, religions, and tribes is a continent with rich music heritage. The second most populous continent in the world that has been renowned for music genres such as Makossa, Juju, Highlife, Fuji, and Afrobeat in the past is fast becoming known for genres such as Hip hop, rock, and Rhythm and blues. In recent times, several African music artists have been making waves by producing amazing music that has been Grammy-worthy.

Burna Boy is the best musician in Africa as he bagged the Grammy award for the Best World Music Album with his Twice as Tall Album which happens to be his fifth studio album at the 63rd Grammy awards in 2021 following his nomination in the previous year. He is closely followed by Wizkid and Diamond Platnumz. 

Top 10 Best Musicians In Africa

1. Burna Boy

Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu popularly known as Burna Boy to his numerous fans, is a Nigerian rapper, singer, and songwriter that is the best musician in Africa and undoubtedly one of the most successful artists in Africa. He was born on the 2nd of July, 1991 to Mr. and Mrs. Ogulu in Port Harcourt.

His musical career started at the age of 10 when he used the FruityLoops software to make music. His hit single ‘Like to Party’ from his debut studio album L.I.F.E brought him to the limelight in 2013 and the album was well accepted as he sold 40,000 copies on the same day that it was released. The Yawa Dey crooner has described his music genre to be Afro-fusion which is a combination of Afrobeats, reggae, dancehall rhythms, American rap, and R&B.

Burna Boy has five studio albums, two mixtapes, two extended plays, and several collaborations to his name. He has been featured in international magazines like GQ Magazine, and Evening Standard Magazine. Burna Boy has been nominated for several awards and has won many awards including the prestigious BET awards and the most coveted Grammy awards in 2020 as the Best Global Music Album with his Twice as Tall Album.

2. Wizkid 

Lagos-born Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun that goes by the stage name ‘Wizkid’, was born on the 16th of July,1990 to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Balogun in Surulere, Lagos. He is a Nigerian singer and songwriter who started his musical career in 2011 at the age of 11. OJB Jezreel recorded his first song and a 7 track album as Lil Prinz.

His hit single ‘Holla at Your Boy’ in 2010 brought him fame and he fast rose to prominence with his debut studio album ‘Superstar’ in 2011. Wizkid has collaborated with international artists like Drake, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Akon, Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Tinie Tempah, Angelique Kidjo, Major Lazer, Trey Songz Calvin Harris, Normani, and a lot of African artists as well as Nigerian artists. His music genre can be described as Afrobeats, Reggae, pop, hip-hop, dancehall, and R&B.

Wizkid’s songs have topped several music charts all over the world. The Jaiye Jaiye crooner has received two Guinness World Records with the ‘One dance’ song with Drake and he is recognized as the artiste that has received the most Headies awards. Wizkid has also signed endorsement deals with popular brands like Pepsi, MTN Nigeria, Guinness, and GLO. He is currently signed with Sony Music and he has four studio albums, an extended play, and several collaborations with several artists.

The Starboy singer has been nominated for several local and international awards and he has bagged a lot of them as well. He is a three times BET award winner, six times MOBO awards winner and he also bagged the much-coveted Grammy awards for the Best Music Video in 2020 as a lead artist on Beyonce’s Brown Skin Girl amongst several awards.

3. Davido

David Adedeji Adeleke is a Nigerian-American singer, songwriter, and producer that has adopted Davido as his stage name. He was born to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Adeleke on the 21st of November, 1992 in Atlanta, Georgia, US. Davido’s musical career started officially in 2011 following the release of his hit single ‘Dami Duro’ and he has since released hit singles like Gobe, Skelewu, Fall, assurance, and so on back to back till today. 

Davido is one of the best musicians in Africa presently. His genre of music comprises Pop, Afrobeats, Afro-pop music, electropop, reggae, dancehall, and R&B and he currently owns his record label Davido Music Worldwide (DMW) but he signed a record deal with Sony’s music Africa. He has collaborated with international acts like Akon, Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, Nas, Lil Baby, Young Thug, Trey Songz, and a host of others.

Davido has had many award nominations and has won several awards including the BET Awards and MTV Europe Awards as the Best International Act and the Best Worldwide Act respectively amongst others. He has also signed endorsement deals with big brands like MTN Nigeria, Guinness Nigeria, Infinix Mobile, 1xBet, and Martell. Davido has three studio albums, an extended play, several singles, and collaborations under his belt.

4. Tiwa Savage 

Lagos-born Tiwatope Savage is a British Nigerian songwriter, singer, and actress who was born on the 5th of February, 1980 in Isale Eko, Nigeria. Following her family’s relocation to the United Kingdom at age 11, she became a vocal backup for notable artists like Mary J. Blige and George Michael. One of her notable performances as a vocal backup was on Whitney Houston’s ‘I look to you’ Album in 2009.

Her musical career started officially in 2012 when she moved back to Nigeria to sign a record deal with Mavin Record and she released her debut album ‘Once Upon a Time in 2013. Her music genre can be described as Soul, Afrobeats, hip hop, pop, and R&B and she is currently signed to Universal Music Group. The Ife Wa Gbona crooner has three studio albums, two extended plays, and several collaborations to her name. She has also featured as supporting casts in ‘For Colored Girls’, Shuga (season 3), and Jenifa’s Diary (season 3).

Tiwa Savage has signed endorsement deals with big brands like MTN Nigeria, Maggi, Pepsi, and Forte Oil. She has also won many notable awards to her credit amongst which are the MTV Europe Music Awards, AFRIMMA, and the Channel O Music Video awards. Furthermore, she is recognized to be the first female to win the Best African Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2018.

5. Yemi Alade

Yemi Eberechi Alade is a Nigerian Afropop songwriter, singer activist, and actress who is popularly known by the stage name ‘Yemi Alade’. She was born on the 13th of March, 1989 to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Alade in Abia state and she started her musical career when she won the Peak Talent Show in 2009, however, she released her hit single ‘Johnny’ and her debut album in 2014 

Her music genre is Afropop, hip hop, pop, highlife, and R&B and she is currently signed under Effyzie music group and Universal Music Africa. She has bagged several endorsements deals with prominent brands like Hollandia Yoghurt, Maybelline, Shell Oil, Luc Bellaire, and Glo Nigeria.

Yemi Alade has five Albums and two extended plays to her credit and she has been nominated for several awards and has won several notable awards like AFRIMMA awards, MTV African Music Awards, and the Soundcity MVP awards amongst others. Yemi Alade has also been invited to perform at the Earthshot Prize ceremony in London alongside international artists like Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendez, KSI, and Cold Play by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2021.

6. Olamide

Olamide is named Olamide Adedeji and was born on the 15th of March of the year 1989. Olamide is popularly ad widely known by his performing or stage name “Olamide” and popularly addressed as Olamide Baddo or BaddoSneh. Olamide is a Nigerian Hip-hop singer, and recording artist, he is known for using his mother tongue dialect “Yoruba” for most of his songs or records. Olamide is also known as a great rapper and is termed one of the best musicians in Nigeria; he has been nominated severally and has won music awards which include Multiple Nigeria Entertainment Awards, the headies awards, and so on.

8. Timaya

Enitimi Alfred Odom popularly and widely known as Timaya was born on the 15th of August 1980, he is a known Nigerian singer and songwriter. Timaya is known as the sole founder of the South-South Hip-hop group “Dem Mama Soldiers”. Timaya started his solo career in the year 2005 with the release of the song titled Dem Mama. Timaya earned further visibility and prominence internationally through the release of his third studio album “De Rebirth” featuring its lead singer “Plaintain Boy” and in partnership with Black body Entertainment. Later on in the year 2012, he upgraded with the hit song “Bum Bum” and he has won four headies awards and one Nigeria Music Award.

9. Phyno

Phyno is a Nigerian singer, rapper, record producer, and songwriter with the real name Chibuzor Nelson Azubike, he was born on the 9th of October of the year 1986. Phyno started his musical career in the year 2013 as a producer. Phyno is widely known for rapping in his mother tongue which is the “Igbo Language”. His first studio album was released in the year 2014 titled “No Guts No Glory” of which he produced serial singles titled “Ghost Mode”, “Parcel”, “O set”.

11. Adekunle Gold

Adekunle Kosoko is popularly known as Adekunle Gold as his stage name, he is a Nigerian singer, Graphic designer, and songwriter. Adekunle gold is in no doubt a great artist. He released a hit single titled “Sade” in the year 2014, however, this single was widely known or heard and massively played on various Nigerian radio stations, and later on, he released other singles titled “Orente” of which this single also went viral. In the year 2015, Adekunle Gold was nominated for the most promising act of the year category at the city people entertainment awards.

12. Kiss Daniel

Oluwatobiloba Daniel Anidugbe who was popularly known as Kiss Daniel is now known as Kizz Daniel, this change took place as of recent precisely May 2018. Kizz Daniel is a Nigerian recording artist, entertainer, and performer best known for his hit single titled Woju and his acclaimed hit song “Yeba”. He was formerly signed into G-Worldwide Entertainment in the year 2013, but later on, in the year 2017 left the record label for his own record label named “Fly Boy Inc”

13. Tekno Miles

Tekno Miles with real name Augustine Miles Kelechi was born on the 17th of December of the year 1992, he is popularly and widely known as Tekno or Alhaji Tekno, he is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, performer, producer, dancer, and instrumentalist. Tekno Miles is from Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

14. Falz

Folarin Falana known by the stage name Falz was born on the 27th of October 1990 in Lagos State, Nigeria. Falz is a Nigerian singer, actor, songwriter, and rapper. He started his career while he was still in secondary school after making up a group called “The School Boys” with some of his friends before he later started his professional music career in the year 2009. He currently owns the record label called “Bahd guys Records.

15. Reekado Banks

Reekado Banks was born on the 6th of December 1993, his real name is Reekado Banks and he is a Nigerian singer, recording artist, and songwriter who is currently signed to one of the biggest Nigerian record label “Mavin Records”.

16. Paul and Peter Okoye

Paul and Peter Okoye were popularly known as p-square not until they were reported to have broken up in the year 2016. The P-square are identical twins and a Nigerian R and B duo with outstanding performance. They have serially produced albums through the square records.

17. Asa

Asa is a female artist given birth to in Paris to her Nigerian parents who were noted to be working and studying cinematography in France. Her family came back to reside in Nigeria when she was at the age of two, and she grew up in Lagos State, Nigeria, 18 years later, Asa returned back to Paris where she began her career as an artist.

18. Mayorkun

Adewale Mayowa Emmanuel known as Mayorkun was born on the 5th of April 1994, he is a famous Nigerian recording musical artist, songwriter, and stage performer which hails from Osun State, Nigeria.

19. Wande Coal

Wande Coal is a Nigerian Musical Artist born and brought up in Lagos State, Nigeria, to the family of Chief Ibukun Olufunto and Omolara Ojosipe. He graduated from the University of Lagos (Unilag) where he studied curriculum studies.

 

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Closing

That’s all about the best musicians in Nigeria presently, NaijaQuest ranking. We would like to know your thoughts and ranking, share them with us in the comment box.

Tag: Best Singers In Nigeria

3 Replies to “Top 20 Best Musicians In Nigeria (2023)”

  2. There is no doubt that Nigeria is full of very wonderful, talented and seasoned musicians to be proud of. More grease to their elbows.

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