Hip-hop turned 50 in August 2023, and it is a milestone that is worth celebrating in Nigeria. While it is a genre that originated many hours away from here, no imported sound has influenced the Nigerian soundscape like Hip-hop.
Over the years, we have seen a long list of great Nigerian rappers who have pushed the boundaries of hip-hop, blending it with local elements and crafting truly remarkable music that we can call authentic Nigerian hip-hop.
In celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, we have put together a list of the top 10 greatest Nigerian rappers of all time. The criteria for ranking are skills, discography, cultural impact, critical acclaim, and longevity.
10. Falz:
Falz has been one of the nation’s most consistent rappers since breaking out in 2014. While he is more popular for hits like ‘Soft Work’ and ‘Bop Daddy’, he has never shied away from lending his voice to social causes. His era-defining 2019 album ‘Moral Instruction’ is a timeless body of work that touches on the nation’s socio-political issues. He is one of the few rappers who have been able to achieve both commercial success and critical acclaim.
9. Phyno:
Phyno is to the Igbo rap scene what Olamide is to the Yoruba rap scene. He took the industry by storm in 2012 with Ghost Mode, a collaborative effort with Olamide that birthed the most formidable duo in Nigerian hip-hop. His debut album ‘No Guts No Glory’ is a Nigerian classic that had an undeniable cultural impact on Nigerian pop culture by birthing slang like ‘Alobam’ and ‘Obago’.
8. Naeto C:
‘The only MC with an MSc’ was the kind of fly talk that could only be heard on a Naeto C track back in the day. The US returnee brought his Western swagger to the Nigerian hip-hop scene in the 2000s. Donning clean-cut suits with an impeccable command of words, he made it cool to be “cool”, going in a different direction from the tough guy persona that most rappers embodied. His debut and sophomore albums, ‘U Know My P’ and ‘Super C Season’ are celebrated Nigerian classics, producing hit songs like ‘Kini Big Deal’ ‘10 Over 10’ and ‘Ako Mi Ti Poju’. His impact on Nigerian pop culture is also well documented, as he popularised slang like ‘Yes Boss’ and ‘Kini Big Deal’, as well as the streetwear style of matching Northern caps with regular tees.
7. Vector:
Vector burst onto the scene in 2009, with a memorable verse on Bigiano’s ‘Shayo’, catching attention for his cadence that drew comparison to Jay-Z. Since then, he has gone on to become one of Nigeria’s most celebrated rappers. He is known for his profound lyricism and witty wordplay. He is also arguably the best freestyle rapper that the industry has seen. His infamous beef with M.I Abaga in 2019 was one of the most exciting moments for Hiphop fans in Nigeria in recent times, producing diss songs that shook the country.
6. Ice Prince:
Ice Prince Zamani boasts one of the highest peaks for a Nigerian rapper ever. He is the first Nigerian rapper to win The Headies Song of the Year award for ‘Oleku’ in 2011. In 2013, he became the first African rapper to win the prestigious BET award. From ‘Oleku’ to ‘Superstar’ to ‘Aboki’, he had a knack for churning out hits rivaling the pop stars of his generation. His debut album ‘Everybody Loves Ice Prince’ is a Nigerian classic.
5. Jesse Jagz:
Jesse Jagz’s brand of Hip-hop, which fuses Reggae and Dancehall elements, makes him one of the unique voices in African hip-hop. In 2014, he won the Lyricist on the Roll award for ‘God On Mic’. In Jagz Nation Vol. 1: Thy Nation Come and Jagz Nation Vol. 2: The Royal Niger Company, Jesse Jagz has two of the most acclaimed Nigerian rap albums. Apart from being one of the country’s most talented rappers, Jesse Jagz is also an accomplished hip-hop producer. He is the man behind Ice Prince’s Oleku and Superstar, two of Africa’s most successful rap songs of all time.
4. Eldee:
Eldee is one of the most important players in the growth of Nigerian hip-hop and Afrobeats. Alongside Freestyle and KB, Eldee formed The Trybesmen in 1998, a rap boyband that revolutionized hip-hop in Nigeria by fusing it with local genres like Afrobeat and Highlife. The band would go on to metamorphose into a supergroup called Da Trybe, which launched the careers of Sasha P, 2Shotz, Dr. Sid, Blaise, and Niyola. As a solo act, Eldee released five studio albums before retiring in 2012.
3. Olamide:
Olamide is the most successful indigenous rapper that the country has seen. He is also hands down Nigeria’s most influential rapper in the past two decades. He inspired a generation of Yoruba rappers from Naira Marley, Oladips, to Lil Kesh, laying down a footprint for most to follow. Olamide is the most decorated Nigerian rapper at the Headies Awards winning the Album of the Year award three times in a row.
2. Mode 9:
Mode 9 is arguably the most gifted Nigerian rapper in history. Captivating storytelling, immaculate rhyme schemes, and hard-hitting punchlines, Mode 9 can do it all. His lyrical prowess was unmatched in his prime, as he won the coveted Headies’ Lyricist on the Roll award six consecutive times from 2006 to 2011, before adding a seventh in 2017.
M.I Abaga:
When M.I Abaga made a claim to be Africa’s Rapper Number 1 on the Flavour-assisted Number 1, it was a foretelling of what was to come, as he has gone on to build a solid discography that can rival any rapper on the continent. M.I Abaga has released six studio albums, two EPs, and three mixtapes with multiple hit songs in an illustrious career that spans about 15 years. He has won the Headies Award for Best Rap Single twice and the Rap Album of the Year award for Talk About It (2007) and The Chairman (2013).