by Adaora Nwangwu
Memes have become a significant part of our everyday interaction on social media. Nowadays, it’s rare to see a viral social media post without a picture, video, or gif embedded. These attachments often accurately capture expressions words can’t, thus taking your messages from drab to interesting. With tons of viral visual content posted online daily, anyone can become a meme.
Nigerian artistes are famous for their music, exhilarating performances and unique personalities. Some of their viral musical and casual content have given us hilarious and relatable memes we use on Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. From Wizkid to Davido to Burnaboy to Asake, here are 15 times Nigerian artistes gave us memes.
Don Jazzy’s poker face
In 2015, Don Jazzy posted a picture of himself from P-Square’s Collabo video on his Instagram page, telling his followers to creatively make a meme off the image. Afterwards, some fans attached texts describing different scenarios to his picture. Most of the captions captured the feeling of shock, disappointment, or regret, which was somewhat accurate because of Don Jazzy’s poker face.
Egungun Be Careful – Obesere
Obesere’s 2001 song Egungun Be Careful became a popular meme in 2020 after a Twitter user posted a clip from the music video to illustrate the ban on motorcycles and tricycles. The lyrics, which read, “Egungun be careful, na express you dey go. Motor don jam you. E don happen, I don talk am. Motor don jam am, I don talk am,” was supposed to advise motorcyclists to be cautious when riding on the road. The video became a meme to notify people of unforeseen circumstances.
Teni’s look when you’re lying
Most times you come across a video or picture of Teni on your timeline, she looks zestful and vibrant. So seeing Teni on this list should not be a surprise. In 2019, she posted a video twitching her lips continuously on Twitter with the caption, “When someone is telling lies!! Me in my mind!!”. Many Nigerians memed her video because it accurately captures their reactions to a lie.
Peter Okoye sitting beside Aliko Dangote
In 2016, Peter Okoye of the musical duo P-Square posted a picture of him sitting close to business mogul Aliko Dangote on his Instagram page. His sitting posture received tons of reactions from some Nigerians, with many associating him with women. This picture evolved into a meme that describes a person, usually a woman trying to persuade or entice a more influential figure to satisfy their financial need.
Fireboy looks disgusted
In 2020, Fireboy became a meme after a video of him being encouraged to ingest fatty meat hit the internet. In the clip, the singer seemed hesitant to eat fatty meat but did it anyway after his friend egged him on. Immediately after gobbling the piece, he looked disgusted and disappointed. Now internet creators use this shot to express disgust or dislike for something.
GoodGirl LA’s DIY flamethrower
In 2020, Good Girl LA remade a viral video of a girl cackling while lighting up a spray to make a DIY flamethrower. Like the viral video became a meme, so did the Nigerian singer subsequently become one. Her picture is not just used in the Nigerian Twitter community; it has spawned into American Twitter. The meme represents “violence” or excitement.
Flavour is the Emperor, the Conqueror, the Champion, and the Lion
If you are looking for words to praise or announce the presence of a highly-respected or influential figure, try singing, “The emperor, the conqueror, the champion, the lion is here.” This line from Flavour’s 2022 hit single Game Changer (Dike) went viral on Twitter and became a popular sound on TikTok, reserved for notable people who had just arrived at a place.
Flavour in Levels
When it comes to creating bossy and braggadocious tunes, count Flavour in. The highlife singer knows how to feel himself while dishing a sweet-sounding number. After releasing the visuals for his 2021 hit song, Levels, a scene with Yul Edochie alongside Flavour, businessman Obi Cubana, and producer Larry Gaga with the accompanying lyrics “na we dey, na we dey, na we dey here,” became a meme to show dominance or resilience.
“I dey enter your eye. Close am” – Burnaboy
In 2021, a video of Burnaboy in a Cowboy outfit fascinated many Nigerians, but what he said made the clip more interesting. In the video, the camera panned from Burnaboy’s designer shoes, and upon reaching his head, he said, “You are seeing Odogwu, you are spying Odogwu. Odogwu dey ever your eye. Close am”. The video became a meme to tease people who are in awe of someone’s appearance.
Burnaboy’s strut on stage
Burnaboy knows how to give us a thrilling show, but this video of him at his concert in Madison Square Garden, New York, left Nigerians in stitches. During his One Night In Space performance last year, as soon as Dj Tarico’s Yaba Buluku came on, Burnaboy strode dramatically across the stage with his shoulders and chest high. The video went viral on TikTok, with many internet creators attaching various relatable captions to the clip.
Burnaboy’s Another Story
Similarly, this video was taken from another Burnaboy show at Madison Square Garden in New York last year while he was performing the African Giant track, Another Story. This bit which also went viral on TikTok, is a perfect response to someone who doesn’t keep their promise or is known for giving excuses or lying.
“God abeg o… who go help o” – Portable
Thanks to Portable’s outspoken, free-spirited, and amusing disposition, Nigerians have memed some of his clips. Fast-rising artiste Portable often trends on social media for his encounters with people or calling out someone who offends him. Of all his videos on Twitter, the clip of him creating his 2022 single Money Before You Love is his most popular meme yet. The lyric “God abeg o, who go help o” accurately captures troubled Nigerians turning to God for help.
“Ah Recovery” – Davido
“Ah, Recovery!” Davido utters as he hurriedly devours a plate of what seems to be a tasty jollof rice and chicken. Davido posted this video on his TikTok page in 2021, and since then, the clip has become the go-to video for people when they eat after a long stressful day. The word “recovery” is now cemented in the Nigerian meme community.
Davido in the Fall video
Davido’s most popular meme yet. This list is not complete without this picture from the video for his 2017 hit song, Fall. In the video, Davido looked sad watching a ballerina dancing alone through a glass door. The shot is now being used to describe someone who is missing out on a fun activity or feeling regret.
Wizkid Tries to Lift Tems
Another moment Wizkid trended for being really close to another Nigerian female artiste but this time, many were not pleased. At his Live in London show at the O2 Arena in 2021, Wizkid attempted to lift Tems while performing his hit song Essence. A combination of Tems’ reaction and her history of appearing modest led many to assume she was uncomfortable with his actions and accuse Wizkid of harassment. Amid the chaos, others made a meme out of the moment to encapsulate their sexual desires.
“Them never see me coming” – Asake
Last year, Asake was dominating our airwaves, and one of the most memorable moments in his career is the meme that came out of it. The release of the Bandana video, a collaborative single with label mate, Fireboy, received massive hype. But, a picture of Asake erratically blinking his eyes as he sang, “dem never see me coming, hmm, coming, mo gbe wan ni “is coming” in the church started making the rounds. Many people found the clip funny and made it a meme illustrating an unexpected appearance or ambush.
