Shallipopi’s ‘Laho’ Reflects the Power of TikTok and Personal Ambition

Friday, December 5th, was a special day for Shallipopi as he released his highly anticipated LP, ‘Auracle,’ which marks his fourth album in under three years since he broke into the mainstream.

The Benin-born star was in Johannesburg, where the South African division of Sony Music held a listening party for the rapper. Pulse Nigeria was present at the event, where the rapper gave insight into his new album and reflected on his success so far.

Auracle - The Next Chapter in Shallipopi’s Intergallactic Exploration

Throughout 2025, Pluto Presido has been preparing listeners for the arrival of his new project.

This year has seen a steep rise in profile for the rapper, who brought mainstream attention to his Benin heritage, demonstrated through releases like his year-defining hit ‘Laho,’ which he remixed with Grammy winner Burna Boy, the party starter ‘Naso,’ and the chest-thumping record ‘HIM’ featuring Gunna.

Speaking on the new album, Shallipopi shared that it was inspired by his desire to keep aspiring for greatness.

“In this game, you can’t get comfortable. I can’t just sit back at home taking it all in. I have to keep pushing myself,” he tells a full room at The Flute in Sandton, Johannesburg.

The twenty-two-track album features guest appearances from Gunna, Swae Lee, Wizkid, Ruger, Young Jonn, Pa Salieu, KeBlack, Burna Boy, and Rauw Alejandro—a clear display of ambition to interact with different markets.

On how he managed to recruit such a star-studded supporting cast, Shallipopi said he prioritises connection rather than chasing big names. “I look out for the connection. For most of the collaborations, we met in the studio and created magic.”

Having an album with twenty-two tracks suggests there was a long list of songs to consider. Shallipopi confirmed this at his listening party, where he revealed he recorded over fifty songs and had a difficult job narrowing them down.

“I have a lot of songs. I am always recording. I think we had over fifty songs, so we selected the ones that fit into this album.”

“The title is a description of me. ‘Auracle’ is who I am and how I feel,” Shallipopi says on how his album title reflects his personality and state of mind. The title is a play on words, similar to his last project, ‘Shakespopi,’ which combines his stage name with that of the famous British writer Shakespeare.

‘Laho’ - When TikTok’s Powerful Reach Meets Ambition

At the event, Sony Music South Africa’s team presented Shallipopi with a 3X Platinum plaque for his hit single ‘Laho,’ which is one of the biggest Afrobeats hits of 2025.

“It’s always amazing when my song travels beyond Nigerian borders to other countries,” Shallipopi said on the success of his hit single in South Africa.

Like other Afrobeats hits that have reached a massive international audience, Shallipopi’s ‘Laho’ is aided by its TikTok virality. ‘Laho’ reflects the rapper’s desire to use his catchy, street-defined rap style to reach greater heights, and TikTok provided a platform to propel his ambition.

When Shallipopi performed the song to wrap up his listening party in Johannesburg, the reception explained why it is one of the tracks nominated for Song of the Year in the TikTok Awards Sub-Saharan Africa 2025.

Should Shallipopi win the prize, it will be a crowning moment for an anthem that has tracked the year's trends.

READ ALSO: The Rise of The Uzamas: How Shallipopi Paved the Way for His Brothers