No matter what form art takes, its most important element is always symbolism. Symbolism—as in the meaning behind what shade of red a painter chooses, the way a writer might use numbers to build a motif through a plot, the message behind a particular prologue, effect, or design absorbed into a stage performance (and the crypticity behind how many masquerades appear on a cover art). The entirety of art is how stretchy the artist can get with her representations. And by this premise, Rema has been one of the artiest performers in the Nigerian Afrobeats industry for a while now.  

From the innocent teddy-bear-clutching “Remmy Boy” to the inverted worship house of the “Rave Lorde,” there is always something distinct, unconventional, and strikingly flashy in Rema’s plot. Flashback to his misinterpreted 2023 performance at the O2 Arena that attracted the Illuminati shouts—an infamous indicator of stardom in music—the born-and-bred Benin native incorporated legible and minute details from his culture while performing in London, the destination of most looted artifacts from the ancient Benin Empire. In an X post, Rema explained his very bold move, saying, “My ancestors’ bronzes sit in the museum of this very city, so I remade mine. Hence, Edo is redefined, the map reshaped, your minds awakened, & the mask reborn.”

RAVAGE UPRISING/ My Ancestors bronzes sit in the museum of this very city so I remade mine. Hence, Edo is redefined, the map reshaped, your minds awakened & the mask reborn. Thank you London! 🦇🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/2JF0cGHGdu

— REMA (@heisrema) November 16, 2023

Recently, Rema made a more audacious statement by initiating an unusual linkup between Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy during his performance at Madison Square Garden. He had mannequins of the recognized “Big 3,” seated behind the table on which he performed the self-exalting verse from his “HEHEHE” track: “No more a big three, it’s now a big four,” as to give a visual representation of the message that he didn’t want going over anyone’s head. Self-inducing yourself as the fourth pillar of Afrobeats isn’t a small move, and hence, quick reactions came from music listeners around the world.

 

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His global success had some agreeing with him being the fourth horseman, considering how hard his ‘motion’ has been on international stages in recent years. While others, mostly local fans, considered this move disrespectful and thought that the fourth head-space on the Afrobeats Mount Rushmore was more deserving of a couple of other names before Rema for the reason of their local contributions to music at home. To such, Rema is more of a second-generation “Big 3,” one of the new faces of the genre that are more focused on planting  their Afrobeats’ flag outside of the continent’s borders. 

Regardless of what view you hold, there are supportable arguments to back up both sides that he leans to. The question is now on which hand does the balance beam slant down more? Is Rema’s insatiability pushing him ahead of a throne he could comfortably fill, or was he just late to the party?

“To my generation, I be (HOV)”— To be “HOV” is to be ingenious, an unarguable quality of Rema that he has flaunted over and over, with his ability to make hits like it’s a day job, brilliantly dabble across genres, create new forms of music, and mostly maintain the credibility of listeners across the globe. “Calm Down” is Nigeria’s biggest musical export. The deluxe version of his debut album, Rave & Roses Ultra, is the most streamed African record of all time, and his sophomore album, HEIS, has raked in over 200 million streams across major DSPs and a Grammy nomination. Ingenious is an understatement; Rema is actually “Pioneering,” but to what extent? His generation?

That’s one of the major arguments against Rema’s placement in the Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy conversation. It’s of his age and recency in the industry. That his five-year presence isn’t as lengthy as their 14-plus supreme years, he shouldn’t be a consideration in such conversations. This is fair from the angle of the “Big 3” rankings being within the period of the artist’s peak domination; but the argument of Rema being equally as big shouldn’t be ruled out by a sort of ageist standpoint. He is a brilliant creator, constantly representing, and with a large portion of the music world at his feet. If he feels he is big enough to stake his claim, then let him have at it. There is no age requirement for industry domination, is there?

At the same time, many Nigerian Afrobeats fans would claim that there are other impactful names that could fill up the role as the fourth representative. Olamide, Phyno, Don Jazzy, and any other wildcard that can be thrown in. These names pop up from their contribution to the genre in the last decade: Olamide’s YBNL being the source of the majority of the country’s stars, Phyno single handedly putting the East on the music map, and Don Jazzy serving as godfather to many, including Rema. These acts have served importantly to the industry’s success, but so has Rema. Maybe not as significantly and vividly on the local level, but not many are flying the flag as high on the international level.

Moreover, putting Rema in the “New Big 3” conversation would be more fitting in an industry that is reveling in probably the greatest shift it has seen. Everyone keeps saying it: Afrobeats is getting much bigger than Africa, and for that reason, a new set of stars would be needed to embody the art. In a number of interviews and conversations, he has pointed out the need to represent the genre in this new era. Yet herein lies the contradiction: despite his clear alignment with the future of Afrobeats, he appears intent on rooting himself to a legacy trio that defined a previous chapter, a set that’s past his time. Why be an argued fourth man instead of an undoubted leader of the new generation? Why try to be a prince of an era before your time when you are an already served deity for the new era of Afro musical adoration? That’s the dilemma.

At the end of the day, the rankings and “Big”-whatever placements are nothing but media tactics of streamlining a genre’s success to a particular number of artists that they feel are most suitable to represent it. The Afrobeats system is big enough for whoever wants to fly as far as they are willing, and following up on the quality of Rema’s HEIS album and recent releases like “Bout U,” his wings are the strongest there are today. When speaking to the WMagazine in 2023, he boasted of his certainty of appearing in an Afrobeats bible if one ever existed. That’s how much this man believes in himself and his art.

So, if Rema comes to his next performance with a shirt that says “Biggest of the Four,” as long as he is putting in the work, please, let him be.