The new age of Nigerian electronic music

Nigerian MCs and dancehall specialists skating across Baile funk beats? Asake, Fuji extraordinaire and Street Pop rebel, sampling Louisiana bounce? Young Jonn, resident Afropop loverboy, crooning over the ceaseless pulse of 3-step? Anyone who has paid any sort of mind to Nigerian music over the past five years might find the dominance of electronic sounds in the country’s music landscape somewhat unsurprising. Marked by the entrance of South Africa’s amapiano into the nation’s mainstream around 2020, the ascension of electronic music in Nigeria has seen the sugary melodies of Afrobeats turn bolder and faster in attempts to keep pace with its newly-adopted log drums and shakers. But with more and more brazen innovations across the electronic spectrum with each passing day, the Nigerian music scene has begun to feel somewhat unrecognisable. It begs the question: just how did Nigeria arrive at this wildly electronic moment, in a nation whose mass market has long been defined by the supremacy of Afropop?

Here, most fingers will point to the pandemic. COVID and its corresponding lockdown, leaving us with few mediums of exchange beyond the digital realm, produced a cultural pressure cooker that saw previously regional sounds globalise through social media at unprecedented speeds. One such sound was amapiano, which, while spreading its influence far and wide, grasped onto Nigerian necks and failed to let go.

“During lockdown, social media, streaming services, and virtual events became spaces for music discovery, and amapiano, with its infectious beats and accompanying dances, was the perfect elixir,” explains Temi Adeniji, MD of Warner Music Africa, where she works across both South African and Nigerian music markets, among others. “The genre’s dance moves, especially the signature ‘Amapiano shuffle’, gained significant attention on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Cross-cultural collaborations such as Kabza De Small’s ‘Sponono,’ featuring Wizkid, Burna Boy, Cassper Nyovest, and Madumane, and Focalistic’s ‘Ke Star (Remix)’ featuring Davido, were also helpful in introducing the sound to a wider audience, especially in Nigeria.”

While Nigerian and South African music have intersected at different moments in history - from Miriam Makeba performing at Lagos’ FESTAC festival in 1977, to explosive collaborations with the likes of Mafikizolo and Nasty C in the 2010s - this time was different. The introduction of amapiano marked a new era of music in Nigeria, where the boom of log drums and the lull of shakers quickly became an industry standard that penetrated every charting hit.

2020 releases like Mayorkun’s 'Of Lagos', Rema’s 'Woman', Rexxie’s 'KPK', and Phyno’s 'High Way' served as early indicators of this oncoming pivot. By 2021, when the amapiano-laced 'Monalisa' by Sarz & Lojay and 'Bloody Civilian' by Ayra Starr gained vast global prominence, it became clear that the genre would remain a key inspiration in the Afrobeats soundscape for the foreseeable future.

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“Sonically speaking, amapiano and Nigerian music – specifically Afrobeats – have certain stylistic similarities, particularly in their rhythm-driven, danceable nature,” Temi begins, further dissecting the genre’s resonance in Nigeria. “The fusion of house, jazz, and kwaito present in amapiano aligns with elements of Afrobeats’ rhythmic structures, making amapiano an easy genre with which Nigerian audiences could connect. Most importantly, Nigerian DJs really solidified the indoctrination of amapiano into the musical ecosystem. Sets became more and more amapiano centric, ensuring that the sound became a dominant force in the nightlife for years.”

By now, practically every artist across the Afrobeats spectrum has dipped their toes into amapiano’s waters - whether it’s through Tems’ R&B-infused explorations, Bloody Civilian’s lusciously dark production, or Flavour’s Igbo-spoken anthems. Instead of introducing Nigeria to electronica, amapiano moreso reminded us that electronic music existed in an African context and could play an active role in popular music. It was at this point that it became apparent that Nigeria already had dance music, and lots of it, but that our sounds did not fit neatly within a dance music pantheon defined by more “overtly” electronic sounds like Afro house.

The most evident example is Nigerian Street Pop and the plethora of sounds that it encompasses, championed throughout the years by the likes of DaGrin, Olamide, Lil Kesh, and Zlatan. Moreover, the era of tracks like Davido’s 'Dami Duro', Wizkid’s 'Azonto', and P Square’s 'Alingo', in line with Western pop music of the 2010s, produced an unending list of songs that would fit comfortably within any dance music rave. And if we thoroughly retrace our steps, we will find the synthesizer-rich rock stylings of William Onyeabor and the 'Disco Hi-Life' of Orlando Julius further betraying a Nigerian electronic tradition.

Beyond inviting us to commune with our electronic past, the introduction of amapiano to the Nigerian market made us greedy. The genre introduced a novel sonic world that was distinctly different from the Afrobeats of old, and once we got a proper (and rather indulgent) taste, we could never go back. Furthermore, in a world of sped-up singles, content, and releases, all constantly available at our fingertips, it was natural for consumers to feel entitled to new soundscapes.

But while Nigerian artists - in pursuit of commercial success - rushed to incorporate amapiano production into every other release, their widespread usage of the sound eventually produced sameness and stagnance throughout the scene. As each charting hit began to feel indistinguishable from its neighbour, artists and consumers alike began to clamour for new sound, for innovation, and for risk-taking. And in desperate pursuit of brave new soundscapes, Nigerians began to look within.

At the helm of the Nigerian dance music landscape, without contest, is Street Pop. It has long provided the soundtrack and choreography to Nigerian popular culture, serving as an outlet for the emotional and cultural expression of Lagos’ inner-city communities. This culture has a rich lineage preceding the 21st century, encompassing everything from the reggae-driven galala music of Ajegunle, to the Bariga-born wobe sound and its adjoining shoki dance, to the eventual rise of shaku shaku, Zanku, and the multiverse of legwork.

In the era of amapiano, Street Pop has taken on a different form. While the rhythms and themes remain somewhat similar, the productive elements that envelope these rhythms have been replaced. “Producers start by creating a foundation with traditional Afro beat drum patterns,” explains Niphkeys, the Street Pop producer behind mapiano-laced hits like 'Kilofeshe' and 'Feel Good'. “Then they layer amapiano-inspired elements on top, such as percussive synths, heavy basslines, shakers, and log drums, especially when making the beat.”

It is here that we witness the emergence of Asake, Seyi Vibez, and Shallipopi, mavericks whose work sees them blend Street Pop, amapiano production, and local Nigerian sounds like Fuji, Apala, and Benin Highlife. While technically preceded by artists like Qdot, who blended Fuji with African dance sounds like gqom, their impact still feels as novel as ever. Their unique delivery, as well as their fusion ethic, have penetrated the very fibre of the scene, influencing everything from flows to lyricism amongst rising artists looking to replicate their shine. The newest generation of Street Pop, defined by artists like Balloranking, Kashcoming, Ayo Maff, and TML Vibez, ensures that amapiano-influenced interactions of the genre are here to stay, while putting Street music in conversation with other exciting electronic sounds.

Behind every boundary-pushing vocalist is an equally brazen producer, and in the case of the aforementioned three, the producer masterminds in question are Magicsticks, Sarz, Modra, Dibs Tunes, Busy Pluto, and X, amongst others. Sarz, in particular, has been known for fostering radical electronic fusion long before the rise of artists like Asake. From his groundbreaking dance music with Niniola, to his enticing Street rhythms, to his modern innovations alongside producers like Skrillex, Sarz is certainly “no one’s mate” where Afro dance music is concerned.

The work of Sarz and his peers is emblematic of the localisation of amapiano, a phenomenon that is as Nigerian as it is continental. In line with the emergence of Tanzania’s 'Bongopiano' - a confluence Bongo Flava and amapiano - Nigerians have breathed life into 'Hausapiano' and 'Ojapiano', tracks that mesh the South African township sound with indigenous music from the north and east of the nation, respectively.

The downside of this fusion is that it has somehow taken Street Pop away from its dance-centered roots. Established Street acts, unlike their predecessors, do not necessarily make music with the intention that it is danceable anymore. This shift is responsible for the relative lull in mainstream Nigerian dance culture since the heydays of Zanku and legwork. Thankfully however, this void is being filled by a more radical branch of Street music disruptors: those pushing Cruise and Mara Beats. Cruise Beats follow a more traditionally electronic route, filled with frenetic production, scanty lyrics, and riotous dancing. Drawing its name - “cruise,” meaning banter - from its content, cruise is voiced by everything from viral skits to warbly WhatsApp voice notes, driven through backroad streaming sites and TikTok, and moved by the fervent footwork of the Lagos streets. Founded by DJ YK Mule, the sound has been propelled across the nation by the likes of DJ CORA, DJ 4Kerty, and DJ Tobzy, as well as MCs like Toby Shang and Poco Lee. This irresistible sound has crossed over to the mainstream through hits like 'Warisi', 'Shedi Bala Bala', 'Zazu', and quite recently, DJ YK’s 'Oblee'.

Mara Beats, on the other hand, take a more transcendental approach to Street music. “Mara Beats are different from Cruise Beats because they contain emotional sounds,” says DJ Khalipha, the 25-year-old innovator of this “house-y” iteration of Street. “Either happy, sad, uplifting, or motivational, blending with danceable kick and snare arrangements. On the other hand, Cruise Beats contain funny voice notes or voice overs blended with danceable beats.”

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These “emotional” sounds can be everything from celestial hymns to heartfelt love ballads. Similarly propelled through TikTok dance videos, the Mara movement has produced infectious tracks like DJ Khalipha’s 'Mara Pass Mara Beat' and 'Mara Feelings'. With a solid set of heavyweights behind Mara releasing crazed anthems practically every other day, the genre has grown to a point that it has greatly influenced dominant Nigerian sound. “It’s creating a new wave of music and culture that’s different from the regular style,” Khalipha says. “It’s been influencing some top Nigerian music releases, like the album Rema dropped recently 'HEIS' has a Mara feel and influence in it.”

Indeed, 'HEIS', which many Nigerians have knighted 2024’s album of the year and a cultural reset to boot, is heavily driven by the tongue-in-cheek MCing of Cruise culture and the frantic pacing of Mara Beats.

Alté, a subculture and sound championing alternative expression in a generally conservative Nigerian mainstream, has a history of deviating from the conventional production approaches of Afrobeats. This culture of deviance has produced tracks such as Odunsi the Engines’s 'star signs' and 'wanted you', which feature the innovative usage of synthesisers and reveal the early presence of dance music elements in the Alté scene.

In today’s world, where sounds like Jersey club and dance-pop dominate Western popular music, the subversive sounds of Alté have found new resonance. Alté sensibilities have meshed with these contemporary music crazes to create high-energy electronic dance music, revealing a shared kinship with Street Pop. Filled with off-kilter rhythms, tracks like Cruel Santino’s 'showmetheway !!' and 'FTR' with S-Smart, Teni’s 'No Day Off', and DEELA’s 'Patience Ozokwor' offer an avant-garde representation of electronic music.

“I’m always listening and looking for new sounds, trying to find ways to push boundaries,” begins Genio Bambino, Alté producer icon and the mastermind behind 'No Days Off' and 'Patience Ozokwor'. “Around 2022, I noticed the resurgence of Jersey club, and it got me thinking about how it could be fused with Afrobeats and Fuji elements to create something fresh. Jersey club has a raw, percussive energy, and when you blend that with the rolling drum patterns and call-and-response nature of Fuji, plus the groove of Afrobeats, you get this high-energy, rhythmic dance sound that still feels very rooted in where we’re from. The goal was to make something that hits hard in a club or a festival setting but still carries the essence of the Alté sound—experimental, forward-thinking, and deeply personal.”

This spirit of experimentation has birthed acts like brazy, whose brand of Alté-electronica features a blend of Street-influenced lamba - meaning clever, infectious wordplay - with sexy, cutting-edge expressions of dance music. Her breakout track 'attends' saw her whine her waist over rolling drum kicks, while 'Daddy' layers log drums over a sample of Skales’ iconic dance track 'Shake Body'. On her biggest hit to date, 'Take Your Vibes and Go', she seamlessly blends Chinese and Pidgin English over Afro-inspired percussion, with collaborators Kito, Baauer, and Kah-Lo in tow. brazy is one of the many women - such as the aforementioned DEELA, Deto Black, and Blnde - presenting a distinctly feminised brand of electronic music, using boundless beats to embody the boundless confidence they aim to reflect through their music.

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“That openness to fusion is what makes our approach different,” Genio says, describing Alté’s footprint on Nigeria’s electronic landscape. “Whether it’s mixing Jersey club with Fuji, adding electronic textures to Afrobeats, or even bringing in elements from house and techno, the Alté community is constantly experimenting. We might not be the main drivers of Nigeria’s electronic music renaissance, but we’ve definitely helped make it feel limitless.”

The vast impact of these alternative acts speaks to the wider influence of the diaspora in Nigeria’s current electronic wave, as almost all the aforementioned Alté artists have strong ties to the UK. Along with them, the newest generation of British Nigerian diasporans are keeping this spirit of subversive fusion alive. The likes of Jim Legxacy are digitising Afrobeats and fusing it with Louisiana bounce, while Len, an emblem of the new wave of British rap, experiments with dark trap, Jersey club, and African rhythms.

On the other side of the globe, Canada’s onoola-sama is embracing daring sonics, blending Dominica’s riotous Bouyon music with Afro-influenced lyricism and sound, evidenced by her track 'fujiBouyon*'.” To cite the Nuyorican scholar Juan Flores, who theorised about culture flows from diaspora to homeland, these electronic innovations are slowly travelling back to Nigeria in the form of “cultural remittances”, ultimately informing the future of music production on ground. Indeed, Cruel Santino and Len have already joined forces in the forms of '4ever' and 'DRGDLRS', while DEELA has offered an electric second verse on onoola’s cult hit 'feteRock*'.

Beyond the new-age amapiano fanatics and the more recent proponents of fusion, there are a number of critical actors in the Nigerian music scene who have long embraced electronic music and dance in its purest form. The most notorious example of this is Niniola, Nigeria’s famed “Queen of Afro House.” Since her 2014 debut single 'Ibadi', which encouraged impassioned backside-shaking over a Sarz-made dance beat, Niniola has long been a national ambassador for Afro dance. The global resonance of her sound is undeniable, as her 2017 hit 'Maradona' captivated the entirety of South Africa, topping national charts and snagging her a nomination at the 2018 BET and South African Music Awards. Her latest album 'Press Play', which sees her call on everyone from Nigeria’s Magicsticks and Kah-Lo to South Africa’s Caltonic SA and Oskido, proves her continued dedication to pushing dance sonics to Nigeria’s cultural fore.

Other actors promoting unfiltered electronic sound in the new age are Smeez & D3an, an amapiano duo presenting the genre authentically in a landscape that typically tweaks the sound to accommodate Nigeria’s pop-centric market. Their insistence on producing pure ‘piano has seen them work with DJ Tunez – most famously on their joint track 'Kokoka' – as well as with South African DJ-producers Tyler ICU and Major League DJz.

In line with this pair are The Hause, an Instrumentalist-DJ group pushing rich, jazzy interpretations of Afro house and amapiano. When they aren’t busy fostering community in Lagos through their event series The Hause Fellowship, they’re putting out stellar amapiano EPs like 2023’s 'Noisey Neighbors (Vol. 1)', featuring frequent collaborators Jamie Black and Calix.

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Past these groups, the list of locals releasing their own electronic music continues to swell in size. While before, the scene felt scarce, curious listeners can now take their pick between the euphoric Afro house of Ifeme C.S., the club-ready amapiano of Tobi Peter and DJ Six7even, the soulful dance music of Yimeeka and Black Culture, the limitless fusion of NATIVE Sound System, the melodic bass of KEVIN LNDN, or the 3-step of Blak Dave.

The scene is also slowly developing a formidable set of vocalists, evidenced by Oluwadamvic and El-Jay. These Ibadan-based singers have made their name chanting over transcendental Afro house production, most notably in their global tracks 'Ode Ireti' and 'Halele'. Having already collaborated with heavyweights like Zimbabwe’s Nitefreak and France’s Alex Wann, their stellar work highlights the undeniable potency - and indeed, underutilisation - of Yoruba lyricism in Afro house.

Kah-Lo, on the other hand, is a vocalist offering a pop take on electronica, while showcasing her Nigerian heritage through the themes and vocal inflections employed in her music. Since 2016, the singer-songwriter has been putting out irresistible records with her longtime collaborator Riton, and their track 'Rinse & Repeat' from the same year received a nomination for the 2017 GRAMMY Awards. Her clever lyricism and compelling delivery, perfect for the club beats that she typically slides across, have produced incredible hits across the years, most famously 'Fake ID' with Riton, which in 2023 became a mega-viral remix with London’s GEE LEE. Having worked with Nigeria’s Mr Eazi, Davido, and brazy, Kah-Lo’s work seamlessly incorporates Nigerian culture into more conventional electronic music spaces.

Lagos - which, for better or worse, stands as Nigeria’s cultural epicenter - holds deep influence over the popular culture in other states across the country. As such, what happens in Lagos can be understood as somewhat emblematic of key trends in Nigeria’s mainstream.

And in Lagos, the nightlife scene has shifted slightly from club-centrism to embrace community parties and event collectives where niche, diverse sounds can thrive. Over the past three to four years, electronic music events have cropped up to supplement the lacking variety of sound in Nigerian nightlife, and they are enriching the depth of both cultural and social engagement in the country.

Event series such as Element House, Sweat it Out Lagos, Mainland House, Lagos Underground, Raveolution, Activity Fest, and more have carved out spaces for global euphoric sounds. In this terrain, dance music remixes of Afrobeats staples are the name of the game, and it’s not at all rare to find an agbada-clad DJ bumping 3-step, or queer ravers jamming to gqom and d'n'b. These spaces have served as proving grounds for the viability of nonconventional sounds in Nigeria, as they have filled up everywhere from backyards to concert venues and warehouses. With sounds from DJs like ANIKO, FAËM, IMJ, Doghouse TV, Sons of Ubuntu, YOSA, and more, there is a prevailing sense of freedom that dominates these party spaces. You might not know all the words to the songs blaring overhead, but the euphoric feelings communicated through the music transcend the constraints of language. As such, these parties and raves have also played a key role in acclimating Nigerian audiences to more radical forms of electronic music.

“We created a portal – one where rave culture can thrive in its purest form, untouched by the commercial constraints that often dictate nightlife in Nigeria,” says the whimsical Adedoja Durosola, member of the aforementioned Sweat it Out collective and founder of her own event production company Doj & Burn. “Before these events, electronic music in Nigeria was either background noise in upscale lounges or diluted into Afro house and amapiano remixes. But we have disrupted that cycle by centering the underground. We’ve gone from niche gatherings of 200 people to full-blown rave experiences with over 1,000 bodies moving in unison, fully immersed in the music. That's a cultural shift. It signals that Nigeria is not just consuming electronic music; we’re actively participating in its evolution.”

And because subversive sounds tend to attract unconventional audiences, rave spaces have become sites of not only cultural, but also social revolution. In a Nigerian landscape that marginalises queer, trans, and gender non-conforming folks, electronic music spaces have become a home for young LGBTQI+ Nigerians and fashion misfits, offering a level of free expression and safety that conventional Afrobeats spaces typically lack.

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“Raves offer an alternate universe – one where self-expression is the only currency that matters,” Adedoja explains. “Queer folks, gender-fluid bodies, avant-garde individuals, and sonic experimentalists all find refuge here. The dancefloors are a living, breathing expression and archive of radical joy – where movement is protest, fashion is rebellion, and sound is liberation. The electronic music scene here isn’t just about throwing parties – it’s about reimagining what freedom can look like in Nigeria. These raves aren’t just subcultures; they’re countercultures, actively challenging the mainstream by proving that alternative ways of being, of moving, of celebrating, are not just possible – they’re essential.”

With the rising presence of electronic music in mainstream music, however, even dominant event spaces have taken to hosting their own raves and electronic music nights. It’s here that we’ll find collectives like Amapiano District, Vogue Boys, REHASH, and Even in the Day. The latter is particularly popular for bridging gaps between electronic music communities in South Africa and Nigeria, having hosted an inaugural SA edition in Johannesburg last year, and brought South African DJs Tyler ICU and Vigro Deep to Lagos.

“For me, working to grow Nigeria’s dance music scene, it only makes sense to look at South Africa, where dance music has been thriving for years across multiple genres,” says Jemedafe Caleb, the founder of KVLT WRLD, the creative agency behind Even in the Day. “Even here in Nigeria, we already play a lot of South African music like amapiano and Afro house. So I feel like bringing these DJs to Nigeria is not just about the events. It also enhances music consumption and builds relationships amongst talent that in the long run, which could help us shape our own dance music identity. The South African DJs could even come here and be inspired by something – maybe hear local drum patterns or instruments that could spark new creativity. Something that, sonically, carries a Nigerian footprint.”

Electronic music has permanently altered the landscape of Nigerian music, and while it feels inconceivable, the changes of the last few years are only the beginning. Since the year has only just begun, individuals like the unpredictable, sound-bending Sarz – with his upcoming project 'Protect Sarz At All Costs' – will be sure to inform the tide of the scene in 2025. And as audiences continue to demand new sound, we will likely witness even more groundbreaking approaches to electronic music on a local level.

“I definitely think we’ll continue to see a lot more cross pollination in terms of fusing local sounds with dance music,” begins Temi. “Tracks like Asake’s ‘Active’ featuring Travis Scott, which cuts Nola [New Orleans] bounce against an amapiano beat along with a recurring fuji vocal sample from Jazzman Olofin and Adewale Ayuba, shows just how creative producers are likely to get with respect to blending dance genres with local music styles. This trend will extend to a wide array of genres such as apala, Igbo highlife and traditional arewa music.”

Beyond the constraints of Nigerian borders, too, creatives continue to innovate. Kenya’s Sofiya Nzau is bringing EDM and house to the fore, Ivory Coast’s Sarafina the Great is merging Coupé-décalé and trap, while Sudanese-Australian MC Vv Pete is drawing on genres like gqom and Baile funk. As these exciting explorations continue to gain global traction, they will very likely inspire Nigerian creators to both collaborate and incorporate these thrilling sounds into their tool kits.

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While amapiano’s stronghold over Nigerian music may have reached its peak, Nigerians have found a new Mzansi-born fixation in the form of 3-step, an Afro house subgenre spearheaded by DJ-Producer powerhouse Thakzin. Nigeria’s foray into the 3-step-verse has already born vibrant fruit, such as 'Mentally', 'Wahala', 'Many Men', and 'META', which features a cross-continental collaboration between South Africa’s Nomcebo Zikode, Sofiya Nzau, and Nigeria’s Fireboy DML. With recent 3-atep singles like BNXN’s 'No Spoil My Steeze' already setting the tone for the year, anyone keyed into the Afrobeats landscape should be unsurprised to find 3-step’s heartbeat running through major 2025 releases.

“I’m bullish on Afro house and 3-step taking centerstage in terms of genres being introduced into Nigerian electronic music canon,” Temi corroborates. “Gqom could also be a strong contender, as well as Coupé-décalé.”

Electronic music, which might seem incongruous with Nigerian identity in a world that often erases Africa (and Blackness more broadly) in electronic cultural representations, has ironically created a quick pathway for artists to move from the popular to the indigenous, from the local to the diasporic. It has allowed Nigerians to validate our preexisting sounds, reminding us that Afro dance is dance music. And in our hands, electronic music is allowing us to break the barriers of sound, to create new and beautiful things, and to revisit old ones, too. With this unique spirit of innovation allowing us to both borrow from the past and look towards the future, it is inarguable that the Nigerian electronic music landscape has quickly set itself apart as a blazing star within the wider constellation that is global Black electronic music.

Blossom Maduafokwa is a music and culture journalist, follow her on Instagram

Blackout Mixmag is an editorial series dedicated to Black artists, issues and stories, first launched in 2020. Our 2025 features are co-guest edited by Kevin Saunderson and Kwame Safo (AKA Funk Butcher). Read all of the previously published pieces here