Top 7 Nigerian Soundcloud Artistes Of 2016

Forget radio, Soundcloud is the home of your next Nigerian star. With the number of acts in divergent genres growing, and the limited number of slots available for new acts on radio, Nigerian artistes are beginning to grasp the opportunity that Soundcloud offers.

With increased penetration of Internet, Nigerians with access to various platforms have had to be creative in pursuing new platforms to distribute their music. Soundcloud which has constituted a popular outlet for this is growing in significance.

While radio is important for commercial artistes, it is Soundcloud which caters to the niche artistes of Nigeria. Certain artistes who fit the generic description for these such as Simi, Adekunle Gold and Asa have gone pop, but a teeming mass of others still remain. That’s where Soundcloud comes to play. Nigeria is blessed with a variety of talents, and since they all can’t get a spot on radio, they have depended on the online platform for streaming their music to millions of people.

Nigerian music on Souncloud come in all sorts - from avid hobbyists, to popular stars, the platform is filled with Nigerian music. But it is the niche R&B and Hip-hop artistes who still hold us spellbound.

Santi (OzzyB)

The rapper/singer, songwriter and aspiring film director. Born June 3, 1992, Santi grew up with a passion for music starting at an early age, listening to his Dad’s records when he was younger. He started acting at the age of 10, and went into music professionally at the age of 16.

Since July 2011 when he dropped his debut mixtape, he has continued a strong tradition of releases. He was also one of the ambassadors for Nokia in the successful 2012' don’t break the beat' campaign alongside rappers Phenom and Muna.

In 2016, Ozzy B finally and fully embraced Santi in the highly anticipated project "Suzie’s funeral". Santi takes us on a musical journey as he blends and fuses different genres to create his own sound.

Santi is a well-known artist amongst the younger generation of Nigerians and has dropped two projects in the past.

“Suzie’s funeral” shows Santi’s versatility as he fuses his unique sound with different and various genres of music.

The project also maintains its Monster Boy roots as the Monster Boy collective did most of the production, a group consisting of Santi, Bankyondabeatz, GMK and Genio Bambino.

The project features fellow new school artists such as Tomi Thomas, Bris B, Odunsi,Omagz, Bad Bridge and Tay. The project not only gives you a new sound but also allows you hear the different and many talents who came together to create this project.

In a few words Santi describes this project as journey through joy, trials, hard work, sadness and peace which all came together to create “Suzie”. The beauty about this project is the pure fact that it represents a strong statement about the next generation of artist coming from Nigeria.

The visuals to ‘Gangsta Fear’ feat. Odunsi, the 8th track off Suzie, premiered on Trace Nigeria.

Listen to the EP on Soundcloud.

Lady Donli

Zainab Donli, aka Lady Donli is an alternative artiste that fuses the genres of Soul, Jazz, Hip-hop and poetry to create her own unique blend of sound. Greatly influenced by her Nigerian routes, she tries to infuse African elements into her sounds.

In 2016, she held her own first with the release of ‘Free?’, and to end the year, she has a new EP out, titled “Wallflower”.

Featuring her trademark story-telling and personal introspection which deal with issues surrounding vulnerability, struggle and romance, “Wallflower” is a compelling work of art.

The 6 track EP has features from Odunsi, D-Boi & SET with production by  DOZ, Tay Iwar, MvgicSoul and BillieOnia Beats.

Listen on Soundcloud.

Bella Alubo

Born August 9, 1996, in Jos, Nigeria, Bella Alubo is a Nigerian rapper, singer-songwriter, performer and actress. She holds a B.Sc in Microbiology, and she’s just beginning to come into her own as an artiste.

In 2016, Bella who describes herself as “too Ajebutta for the razz kids and too razz for the Ajebutta” hopes to become one of the biggest Nigerian rap acts in the near future as she steps out with her 2 project, after 2015’s self-titled “Bella” EP.

The 'Revolutionary' rapper drops this project having released two impressive warm-up tracks 'Alhaji money', a braggadocious tune and 'Myself' a reflective sober track where she expresses her challenges coming up as a rapper.

Listen up on Soundcloud as Bella lets us once again into her world and shares her skill as a rapper. Plus pay even more attention to her outro. The songs were produced by Syn X and Vicious Klint. This is her 2nd EP and she is gradually becoming a household name.

Odunsi The Engine

Young, talented and ambitious, Odunsi is a neo Afro-Fusion artiste from Nigeria, who is one of the leading members of the growing community of Nigerian singers who have embraced Soundcloud as a base for hosting material.

His listenership numbers are decent, with one track amassing an impressive 25,000 streams. He works as a producer, contributing to a whelming amount of sounds. He also leans towards Ghana, a country fast becoming the new home of progressive music.

After gaining cosigns and praises from a number of industry tastemakers, including popular A&R, Bizzle Osikoya, he puts all of that creative spirit together in 2016, for his first project – “Time Of Our Lives” EP.

Odunsi’s first project is a win for the young man who offers a glimpse into his abilities as a producer and singer. Armed with a versatility, dynamic delivery and progressive sounds, the 19 year old is on to something bigger than digital audiences, and the hope for success. He is the deal.

Odunsi "The Engine" also won heavy this year, as his song 'Situationship' featured in Spotify United States' Top 10 most viral tracks.

Listen on Soundcloud.

Tunji Ige

From last year, Tunji Ige began to penetrate the consciousness of Nigerian music tatstemakers and enthusiasts with an eye for good music.

Philadelphia born, American through and through with Nigerian parents in Pennsylvania, USA. From being exposed to music at a pretty young age, he has grown to be a creator of rap music, which has gained him recognition. According to Fader Magazine’s Carrie Battan, his style consists of “switches between rapping and singing, between aggressive, pitched-down vocal tracks and soft, breezy ones. Any gruffness is hedged by sensitive confessions and strong melodies”.

Tunji released his debut mixtape, “The Love Project”, which he recorded and produced entirely on his own in the basement of his dorm at West Chester University. Even though his equipment was normal—a Rode NTK microphone, an audio interface, and Macbook—he still amassed a collection of noise violations.

In April 2016, he released the “Missed Calls” album. July, which is his 21 birthday month, has him coming through with the “Prince Of July” project.

His best work to date, Tunji delves deeper into his trap-influence from Philly, where he introduces you into his world of sex, interactions with alcohol, flexing, and braggadocio. He never fails to appreciate his come-up at a young age, and all of these open up the mixtape with ‘I suppose’.

Listen on Soundcloud.

Tay Iwar

As a part of the Bantu Collective, Tay comes across as insanely talented and gifted in many ways. The singer, raised in Lagos and Abuja, began creating music at age fourteen. After Co-creating Bantu Collective  in 2013, Tay released his debut compilation, 'Passport', in April 2014. Although it received little promotion and performed poorly upon its release, the album became a sleeper hit and helped Tay garner commercial standing.

It is from that stand, that he makes another entrance into the Nigerian space in 2016, with an EP, which is branded to evoke emotions. “Renascentia”, (Latin for ‘rebirth’) this 8-track project is handled solely by him, with just a few tweaks and touches co-credited to others. Moving away from the unimpressive fortunes of “Passport”, he makes another play at rebirthing his art.

Listen on Soundcloud.

Tomi Thomas

It’s always feast and feast for Tomi Thomas. There’s no famine in the land, neither is creative drought close to the singer. In 2014, Tomi Thomas let fly his well-received “Patience EP”, a decent body of work with some of the slickest melodies that come close to being an EP classic (if only we had awards for EPs).

He returns in 2016, charged with new life, new rules, new vocals, new inspiration, and a new delivery that’s pluralistic in “Black Couch LP”.

On the EP, Tomi Thomas stays true to his spirit and style, maintaining the integrity of his R&B sounds, while chasing diversity on the other hand via Producer Benie Macualay’s efforts at Island sounds. Hip-hop was a nearby neighbour, necessitated by colleagues. Afrobeat and all its elements are lacking in this, more as a function of the concept, and it was not missed. “Black Couch LP” Vol. 1 was not created for a Nigerian pop crowd, rather, it is the acquired sounds that power this to completion.

Listen on Soundcloud.