Over the year, a new wave of artists have been steadily making their way into the mainstream, and one thing they might have in common is their relationship with the Afrobeats classics they grew up listening to.
From sampling familiar classics and vocals to flipping entire sections of older songs, these artists are taking music from another generation and reimagining it for their own. The result is a meeting point between two eras: the sounds that shaped their childhoods and the music they are creating for a younger audience today.
Sampling itself is nothing new. For decades, musicians have used it to pay homage to artists and sounds that came before them, while giving those sounds a new context.
What feels particularly interesting now is seeing this happen within Nigeria’s growing underground scene, where young artists are pulling from the music they grew up with and interpreting it through their own experiences, influences, and styles.
We’ve compiled a few of the songs where emerging artists are doing exactly that.
Monochrome – We2Fly
Monochrome teams up with S1orDie on “We2Fly,” a 2026 release that draws from Olamide and Wizkid’s “Kana,” reworking a familiar Afropop reference through a more contemporary, DIY lens.
Zaylevelten – Tease Me
Zaylevelten has built a prominent identity in the underground scene, with his self-produced songs and distinctive mix of Nigerian slang and trap rhythms. On “Tease Me,” he sampled and interpolated Wizkid’s 2011 “Tease Me/Bad Guys,” reimagining the timeless track through experimental production.
Luwa.Mp4 – ataKO
Luwa.Mp4 describes his sound as “cyberpunk,” blending Nigerian influences with hip-hop, punk, and futuristic textures. Inspired by “Fimile” by Kas, “ataKO” leans into his Yoruba identity and Afro-Punk, combining traditional percussion with distorted guitar.
Solana – Unreleased
Solana’s music fuses Yoruba language and cultural storytelling with Afropop and electronic textures to make sound now described as YoruPop. She samples Lagbaja’s “Konko Below” in an unreleased snippet, “Kokobilo” reworking the 26-year-old track through her distinctly modern sound.
Scottyolorin – Unreleased
Scottyolorin’s sound blends melodic rap and alternative rap, with his debut mixtape “OLORIN PACK” marking a major step in that progression. In an unreleased snippet, he samples Wizkid and Mut4y’s “Manya,” itself a record built around a sample of VVIP’s “Ahomka Wemu,” creating a new link in the song’s sampling lineage.
S1orDie – Why Always Me
S1orDie switches between trap, melodic passages, and R&B performances. On “Why Always Me,” he samples DJ Shabsy’s 2015 “Raba,” featuring Kizz Daniel and Sugarboy, weaving a familiar hit into his unique sound.
Danpapa GTA – Window Shopping
Danpapa GTA’s music blends Afropop, street music and experimental sounds with a distinctly video-game-inspired aesthetic. Known for tracks like “Ikeja (No Go Thief)”, he samples Burna Boy’s “Soke” on “Window Shopping”, reworking it within his own playful, left-field production.
Suono Sai – Kongaso
Suono Sai makes music that gives off a futuristic aesthetic yet maintains an indigenous trap sound. His unreleased track “Kongaso” samples Wizkid’s Azonto, adding to his growing catalogue of experimental releases.
