Young Nigerian Musicians Are Now Sampling 2010s Afropop Songs

Earlier this year, some attentive listeners might have picked up on a familiar melody in “SHAYLA,” a song by rising Afropop artist scottyolorin. 

The song’s lively synths and drum pattern were reminiscent of “Dami Duro.” Davido’s breakout record was released 15 years ago. However, where exuberance marked Davido’s classic,  scottyolorin’s delivery is more relaxed. Scottyolorin even mentions the owner of the source material in “SHAYLA,” singing “my kele na baddie though, she be burti pikin like dem OBO.” 

This sort of jovial referencing to a not-so-distant past is a characteristic shared among artists of scottyolorin’s ilk, an emerging group who are now turning to sampling Afropop material from the previous decade—and they’re creating a buzz that could grow into a genuine movement. 

“The sampling wave is exciting, and honestly, I think it’s inevitable,” says Semzi, who produced “SHAYLA.” “It’s one of my favorite songs this year. Scotty pulled up on me, we were just vibing and it came about naturally. That was actually the first song we ever made together.” 

What the young artists are doing is not new, but it’s the first time Nigerian artists are turning to their recent forebears, most of whom are still active. It may well say something about how far the music has come, now boasting several component parts that stretch farther than Lagos and any limited definition of Afropop. 

This year alone we’ve had more than a few such interpretations. On “We 2 Fly,” Monochrome brings Wizkid and Olamide’s "Kana" to a younger demographic, switching its lingo to current tastes while retaining the production’s excitement. A similar execution happens on S1orDie’s  “Why Always Me,” which is softened with hums from Kizz Daniel and Sugarboy’s “Raba,” a song whose rainy weather vibe supplies its status as a beloved classic. 

“I think it’s evidence of the impact of the 2010s class,” says music journalist John Eriomala. “It’s easy to quantify it in terms of numbers and social capital but this is also another way that we realize that their music has impacted on subsequent generations.”

The producer Che thinks there’s a natural cause behind this new sampling trend, one less concerned about market parameters. “In my opinion, sampling is an indicator of a sound reaching a stage of high level experimentation where the elements that make up the fundamentals of a genre have been exhausted,” he says. “Creators reach back in time to works that inspired them, and reimagine, recraft, what was into what could be. It’s happened in most other genres; it’s fairly new to Afrobeats cause we’re much earlier in our sonic development.”

Nigerian music has a rich tradition of conscious borrowing, which reached its peak in the 2000s. A new artist like Zaylevelten embedding his distinct flow over Samklef’s sensuous production on “Tease Me,” restores the memory of Banky W making Rihanna’s “Umbrella” beat sound like a fitting soundtrack for singing through Lagos’ streets. There’s also the group Maintain’s humorous flipping of Ludacris’ “Area Codes” on  “Catch Cold,” utilizing a Nigerian pidgin-inflected storytelling instantly recognizable as a signature of the era. 

“Sampling is something that has been going on in music for decades,” says Trill Xoe, who produced Zaylevelten’s “Tease Me.” “Some old Nigerian songs are literally samples from American songs, so I don’t see it as a problem. The only problem is not treating it as an art and just wanting to sample for sample sake. Also, some of these guys are youngins. These are artists they grew up listening to so for sure they’ll love to pay homage by sampling.” 

There’s also concern whether this wave is spurred by genuine artistic appreciation. Previously, new-school acts have been criticised for their seemingly uninspired writing. However, most of their detractors didn’t consider the ever-shifting music landscape and the blurring of a defined center in Afropop. With Mavo’s breakthrough in 2025, it was clear that these artists were leaving an impression on the mainstream. 

Right now, few rappers are as beloved as Zaylevelten, whose rising trajectory as a rap sensation will see him open for British Nigerian superstar Dave later this year. Given these nuances, it’s reasonable to consider how ‘underground’ these artists are, along with the influences behind their music. In time we’ll come to see whether they’re being inspired by genuine reasons or just finding the next hit.

“I would like to see more inventions,” says John, who’s quite skeptical about attending this wave with much fanfare. “Give us deep cuts, sample a song from Davido’s Son of Mercy, or someone samples a Skuki, or one of those artists that were not A-list but still soundtracked the 2010s. Someone samples Maleek Berry for instance, then we know that the producers are really tapped in.” 

What’s being proposed is a deeper immersion with the art, and thankfully, these artists have several streams of inspiration to draw from. Besides the predecessors of the 2000s, music circles from eastern rap to the Lagos mainland-birthed mara sound have utilized sample choices from gospel and Celtic chants respectively, creating a truly cosmopolitan scene with exciting potential. It’s beautiful proof of music’s ability to transcend location. 

“I think it’s impressive what they’re doing; it’s an institutional way to keep the culture alive and find new ways of expression,” says Wale Oloworekende, a music writer and editor. “Obviously, not all [the songs] will end up being great, few will be lazy, still they’re some really important ones that are coming up and we’re seeing happen in real time. Hopefully it’s something that keeps happening and they find intuitive ways to honor the music that has come before them.”