Mavo Hints at Huge 2026 Plans After Billboard Crowns Him African Rookie

Mavo is not one to "spill tea." But in his interview with Billboard, he gives hints about the near future. A whole month away, to be exact. The 22-year-old says something huge is in the works next year. "I have a really, really big thing happening during the first quarter of next year," he told Billboard.

“It will be "serious music. What I’m going to do is going to actually blow minds by God’s grace." 

Nigerian sensation Mavo is quickly becoming a global force. He is now Billboard's African Rookie of the Month. This honour solidifies his position as one of Afrobeats' hottest talents globally. Mavo, real name Oseremen Marvin Ukanigbe, is just 22 and leads a truly remarkable double life. A skyrocketing music star and he is also a full-time optometry student. He studies at Afe Babalola University in Ekiti State, Nigeria, and is expected to graduate in July 2026.  His post-graduate career will be "very interesting," he revealed to Billboard. 

Mavo’s birthday celebration this month was electric. He turned 22. The party featured giant LED marquee numbers: "1," "2," and "3."

These were not just for decoration. Mavo had just occupied the top three spots on the Apple Music Nigeria Top Songs chart. This included three massive hits this year. He was in the top spots with “Money Constant” (with DJ Maphorisa, DJ Tunez, and Wizkid), “BODY (danz)” (with CKay), and the "Shakabulizzy (Remix)" (featuring Davido). 

Mavo revealed he was in Cape Town, South Africa, where he’d been recording another song with Davido, whom he now calls a close friend.  "Davido is my friend,” Mavo simply stated. "After I dropped the ‘Shakabulizzy’ remix, we’ve been always talking.” The connections Mavo has already built more than one year into his music career, are incredibly significant.

Mavo has achieved a feat many Afrobeats’ debutants can only aspire to.

He has collaborated with both Wizkid and Davido, two of the biggest names in Afrobeats, in the same year. The story of these features is simple and direct. The features came to him. They were not chased. 

The Wizkid collaboration was a simple transaction.  It was initiated by Wizkid’s team. Mavo knew about the feature a month before it happened. "They came to me," Mavo revealed DJ Tunez, Wizkid’s DJ collaborator, was the messenger.  

“DJ Tunez texted me in September saying, “Wiz and you should do a song. Can you send the chorus?” I’m like, “OK, can you send me the beat?” Then he sent it. I just did my thing.” The result was "MONEY CONSTANT". The track features DJ Maphorisa, DJ Tunez, Wizkid, and Mavo. It instantly hit the charts.

The Davido feature was equally direct. It came straight to his phone as Davido himself reached out. "He just texted me on Instagram," Mavo said. "He’s like, 'Could you send me ‘Shakabulizzy’? I want to do something.'" Mavo sent the track immediately. Davido returned his verse the next day. 

The collaboration was efficient. But Davido’s support went further. He also sent Mavo "a lot of money for the video as well." Mavo calls Davido a "really nice person." These two features showcase Mavo’s organic appeal. The biggest stars are reaching out to him.

Mavo's unique artistry is his secret weapon. He calls his genre "Burbur music." It is an experimental hybrid. It mixes Afrobeats and rap. It is filled with his personal slang. His slang is documented. He created the "Bizzylingua" vocabulary, which includes 80 terms. 

He published them in the Bizzpedia, A Native Bur Bur Dictionary. The project appears to have been released as a physical publication and not a publicly available online link or a downloadable digital file. Mavo says he worked on this project for two years. "Burbur" means "something that’s crazy, something that’s busting out speakers." 

Mavo confessed he was inspired by Wizkid's effortless cool. Wizkid would open songs by saying 'yaga.' Mavo wanted his own unique phrases. He wanted words that sounded cool but were also idiosyncratic. His favourite term is "burti." It means "a great deal of swag and motion." His viral song, “Escaladizzy,” popularised the "izzy" suffix. The remix, "Escaladizzy II," featured Ayra Starr, Shallipopi, Zlatan, and ZerryDL. It confirmed his star power. "I knew that anything was possible," he reflected.

Mavo is serious about optometry. He told Billboard, his mother's past eye issues inspired him. He initially studied medicine, but then he switched. He wanted to specialise in eye care. He found optometry "so fun." Mavo says he knew music was his destiny but he needed "something to inspire my educational side." And the Afrobeats sensation is not slowing down, revealing he has "over 1,500 songs on my laptop." He recorded his early hits, like “Escaladizzy,” in his hostel room. He thought it was better than a big studio. 

But Mavo says he changed his mind with “Shakabulizzy." He realised the "importance of actually going into the studio” as proper engineering was necessary for the next level. Mavo is a master of metaphor. 

His song “BODY (danz)” with CKay, became a massive hit this year. One specific lyric went totally viral on the social networks: “Your body na meatpie”. It became a cultural talking point as netizens debated the meaning behind Mavo’s lyrics. Some listeners found the comparison confusing, wondering why a beautiful body would be compared to a simple pastry. Others saw the humour and even theory in Mavo’s lyrics.

But Mavo appears to have immediately addressed the buzz  surrounding the viral lyric. Defending his unique phrasing, he told Billboard,  "Let’s just say “meat pie” is metaphorical." Mavo aims for literature with his music, a bit ironic for a science student. He saw the immediate social media reaction and knew the lyric was generating heat. 

And his team sought to launch a clever campaign to turn the moment of confusion into marketing gold. Instead of letting the lyric be misunderstood, the singer teased that he has a fun plan for his live show this December. He is going to give out "free meat pies to everybody there.”

This move is particularly brilliant as it’s a direct response to the chatter. The popular pastry has now become a symbol of the song. Fans loved the idea, his team has gracefully seized the opportunity.

Mavo is a determined young talent. He is balancing books and beats while positioning to become a major international star. He is clearly focused on the next phase, starting with a new collaboration "Galorizzy" with Davido, DJ Ecool, Scott Maphuma, Morravey and Iphxne DJ.

The song was released today, November 26, and sounds tailor-made for this year’s Detty December playlist.