12 Nigerian Artistes Who Went from Stardom to Total Obscurity: What Happened?

The Nigerian music industry has experienced tremendous growth over the years, with new talents emerging daily. Unfortunately, this also means that some artistes who were once on top of their game have slowed down, while others have completely fallen off the radar.

Talents like Davido, Wizkid, and Tiwa Savage have managed to stay relevant and maintain their positions in the industry. However, this hasn’t been the case for everyone.

We take a look at some artistes who generated a buzz in the past but seem to have faded away from the limelight.

Rayce, for example, was the star of Kiss Daniel’s ‘Woju’ in 2016. His verse brought a spark to the song that made him look like the next big thing. However, aside from ‘Like to Party,’ he seemed to have released more misses than hits and struggled to gain back that momentum.

Skuki, composed of two brothers,Peju and Atanda, was another duo that started strong but fizzled out quickly. Their hit song, ‘Peterobali’, got them compared to other talented duos like P-Square. However, they were unable to build on that success.

JJC, popularly known for his hit song, ‘African Skank’, struggled to make a name for himself in the music industry. Although he was married to Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele, the noise was short-lived. He’s now focused more on business than music.

GT the guitarist, was projected by some to become the next Cobhams Asuquo. However, he seems to have abandoned the music scene to focus on his media venture.

Morell, famous for ‘Rora’, is currently studying in the United States. Although it’s good to see him further his studies, Nigerian music fans are still waiting for his return.

From the west, comes South African-born artiste, Da L.E.S. Born as Leslie Jonathan Mampe Jr, his songs like ‘Fire’ and ‘Proper’, though not mainstream hits, amassed him some sort of fame. However, he never reached his full potential as an artiste in Nigeria.

Mr. Koker’s ‘Do Something’ seems to have opened all doors for him but never fulfilled its promises. His exit from MI Abaga’s label has meant his time in mainstream music is coming to an end.

Anthony ‘Blackmagic’ Ejeh is credited with major hits like ‘Tomorrow’ and ‘Confam’. Not much has been heard from him since the release of his critically acclaimed album,Black Friday,

Mr. 2Kay was expected to blow up after the successful release of ‘Busy Body’ and ‘Who No Like Better Thing’. However, after leaving his record label, Grafton’s, fortune seems not to be on his side.

Other artistes who have not been heard from in a while are Chuddy K of ‘Gaga Crazy’ fame; Timilehin Adekhoya, better known as Zona, who boasted of having the biggest street hit: ‘Non Non Non’; ‘Nawti’ crooner, Olu Maintain’s success has crashed to an end; while, Jumabee has not had the limelight in ages.

Ultimately, the truth is the Nigerian music scene is only about what's trending at the moment, as some artistes fail to consistently produce hits that leave a lasting impact on fans.