Afrobeats star, Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, has said poverty and the plight of his mum motivated him to become a professional musician.

Rema recalled that his mum couldn’t afford transport fares as she went about her daily business, so he was determined to succeed.

“I was tired of my mum trekking every day; she didn’t even have money for transport to use a bus or bike. So I had to take it to the next level ASAP. The moment I made money, I got her a car ASAP. We went for dinner, then I gave her that car.
“A lot of boys would go for their own cars first but I was still trekking, but I had to get a car for my mum first. She’s a great mum. She’s the reason I’m successful. Her prayers. She’s really proud of me.”
Rema

This heartfelt revelation showcases Rema’s humility and dedication to his family, making his music success even more inspiring.

The Nigerian superstar is one of the artists leading the global exportation of Nigerian music through his hit records and sold-out concerts.

In another milestone, Rema’s ‘HEIS’ has become the project with the biggest opening week streams on Spotify Nigeria after it garnered 12.3 million streams.

Rema’s sophomore album surpasses Olamide’s ‘Ikigai’ which tallied 7.92 million streams on Spotify Nigeria in its opening week.

The album released on July 10, 2024, becomes the second album with the most opening week streams on Spotify Nigeria only behind Davido’s record-breaking album ‘Timeless’ which totaled 14.4 million streams.

Before releasing his new album, Rema released the single ‘Benin Boys’ featuring Shallipopi which set a new record for most first-day streams for a song on Spotify Nigeria.

Before breaking the record for the opening week streams on Spotify Nigeria in 2024, Rema’s ‘HEIS’ broke the record for opening day streams while recording an impressive 1.99 million second day streams.

Rema’s feat with ‘HEIS’ is a testament to his status as a global superstar who scored Afrobeats’ first song to surpass 1 billion Spotify streams with his smash hit single ‘Calm Down’.

Rema’s debut album has been met with mixed reactions with some listeners considering it a bold experimentation while others differed on the output quality.

While speaking at the London listening party of his new album, Rema described it as an effort to take Afrobeats back to its roots, especially as the sound is being dumbed down for foreigners to imitate.

Ayra Starr Reveals Admiration For Rema

Singer, Ayra Starr revealed a surprisingly close bond with fellow artist Rema, hailing him as her “Greatest of All Time” and closest friend in the industry.

She gushed about Rema’s inspirational influence on her music and life, crediting him as a mentor and brother.

The two artists signed to Mavin Records, have seemingly forged an unbreakable bond, with Ayra Starr looking up to Rema as a guiding light in the cutthroat music industry.

“Out of all the famous people I know, who would I say is my closest friend? I would say somebody that keeps inspiring me. And he’s such a good friend of mine and a brother.
“I wouldn’t say mentor but he’s somebody that’s doing the same thing I’m doing but at the same time, he has been here before me. And he knows how to move and he keeps inspiring me. It’s Rema.”
Ayra Starr

“Shoutout to Rema. That’s my GOAT. That’s my guy. That’s my friend,” she added.

In other news, Nigerian singer Cynthia Morgan issued a stern warning to Mavin Records over the supposed misdemeanor of their artists.

Cynthia Morgan on her official page on the photo and video sharing platform, Instagram raised alarm over Rema’s smoking habit and chastised Ayra Starr over her outfit while meeting with American actor, Will Smith.

On her Instagram story, the controversial dancehall artiste criticized Ayra Starr’s usual skimpy outfit during the link-up. She informed her that there’s more to life than music and stage performances.

Cynthia Morgan further threatened to track Mavin Records office if anything happened to Rema over his smoking habit.