Veteran rapper Tobechukwu Ejiofor, better known as Illbliss, has expressed regret over the departure of music stars Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy from the hip-hop scene to Afrobeats.
In an interview with Radio Now 95.3 FM, Illbliss reflected on the vibrant hip-hop scene in Nigeria before these artists transitioned to singing. He acknowledged that while hip-hop was thriving, the shift to Afrobeats helped these artists achieve global fame.
“Unfortunately, we (the hip-hop community) lost a lot of our key players; Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido were all originally rappers. They discovered the Afrobeats sound, which launched them to international stardom,” Illbliss said.
He admitted that hip-hop music is less commercially viable in Nigeria, with only a few rappers, including himself, Vector, M.I., Reminisce, Olamide, and Phyno, having found significant success in the genre. “Hip-hop is a tough sell in Nigeria. It’s not easy to achieve the same level of commercial success as in other genres,” he added.
