10 artists shaping Nigeria’s underground music scene right now

A producer and recording artist, Danpapa GTA has an intuitive ear for melodies that pull from diverse eras of Nigerian music. Born Akinlemibola Daniel Omotoyosi, he first turned heads in 2025 with "Balenciaga kuti,” a dance-inspired project that gives an amped-up 21st-century update to the afrobeat of celebrated iconoclast, Fela Kuti, with street-inspired lyricism and inventive instrumentals.

“I listen to the old generation and appreciate the culture, storytelling, melodies, and depth they brought into music,” he says. “At the same time, I am also inspired by the new generation and the way they are creating fresh sounds and pushing the culture forward.”

His approach to fusing old and new techniques is visible on 2025’s Genz kuti (Deluxe), which housed memorable anthems like “Window shopping” and “Dijo (red-light).” 2026 has brought more success for the singer thanks to the release of “Ikeja (No Go Thief),” a screeching street-pop record that warns against stealing in Ikeja, the capital of Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos. Another release from August, “Dance With Me,” features King Dr. Saheed Osupa, one of Fuji’s most iconic acts, and sees Danpapa GTA continue to push the boundary of his sound.

In a little over two years, scottyolorin has transitioned from graphic designer to one of Nigeria’s fastest-rising up-and-coming acts. “I’ve always been a lover of music, and I’ve always loved to sing and to listen to music all my life,” he says. “I was in the school orchestra and church orchestra. My friends and I formed a group, and we used to rap back in the day. I’ve just always loved this p.”

Things have moved at breakneck speed for the singer over the last 12 months thanks to a steady stream of releases —“TRABAYE,” “LIKE ASHERKINE,” and “DEELA” — establishing him as one of the underground’s most dependable stars. “I approach making music with a free mind,” he says of his process. “I like to make music that makes people happy and feel good.” His debut mixtape, OLORIN PACK, released in March 2026, collected some of his viral moments into a single body of work, but more success has followed the singer since then. “GLACIER GIRL,” a sticky-sweet collaboration with fellow rising stars DaveTheOracle and Kobilou, has quickly become the definitive song from the scene in 2026, placing scottyolorin at its very centre.

Benin native Egertton holds some of the Southern Nigerian city’s rage in him, translating it into a style he calls incantation music. Take his March 2024 release “DAWN,” a no-holds-barred fusion of punk and hip-hop with traditional elements from his childhood. A little over a year later, he released his debut project, KARNAGE, offering an extended glimpse into the worldview that continues to shape his artistic approach, leading to a co-sign from Alté icon, Cruel Santino. He doubled down on his maximal sound for his self-titled 2026 mixtape, insisting that he’ll continue to show up as himself no matter where he heads next.

“EGERTTON is me saying I am unapologetic about myself, and I’m very aware of who I am and my purpose in this world,” he tells The FADER. “I go about my music the same way I approach playing games and sports: I just do it.” Highlights like “OBOKHIAN, “GANGSTER,” and “MY SKELLY” with Paxslim confirm that the rising rapper and singer is still in tune with the abrasive soundscape that has paved his rise to renown, while melodic turns on “ISSOKAYY” and “MIDNIGHT” prove that he has several tricks up his sleeve.

As a final-year student of dentistry at Afe Babalola University in Nigeria, Kobilou moonlights as a fast-rising singer and songwriter. It helps that a huge spotlight has recently been beamed on Afe Babalola University thanks to the success of fellow schoolmate and colleague, Mavo, with whom he collaborated on 2024’s extended play, Kobilou Kilobizzy. “There are 24 hours a day. If I’m not having exams, the time should be enough to fit in schoolwork and music,” Kobilou says. “You just need to have a plan, be focused and stick to it.”

In 2025, Kobilou put out Pretty Girls Love Lou, his debut solo project with songs like “Abj City Vibrations” and “Lagos Love” that dissected the realities of life as a young man in two of Nigeria’s biggest cities. His biggest moment so far, still, has to be his scene-stealing verse on “GLACIER GIRL” with scottyolorin and DaveTheOracle. For Kobilou, the attention is validation for all the sacrifices he’s made so far: “What started as random freestyles in high school turned into my career and life.”

Born and raised in Ibadan, Luwa.Mp4’s music springs forth from a lifetime of railing against conservative norms of his home city. His Cyber-Phunk sound draws influences from punk, hyperpop, and trap music without sacrificing its African essence. Yet, it was a more unlikely source that pushed him to make music: “I think growing up watching Disney and seeing those stars inspired me to make music,” he says. “My approach to making music is very cinematic. I'm always thinking about the scene I’m making when I’m creating the music.”

Across projects like Bq*, Twin Flame: Luv, and TRIAL & ERROR, he perfected the riotous blend that would set him apart and allow his debut album, punkstA*, to take up space. A wondrous obfuscation of Afropop, the sound still manages to trace its origin to some of the most groundbreaking youth-led music that emerged from late 2000s to early 2010s Nigeria. “When it comes to why I blend punk with afropop, I just think about early Mo’Hits, and I listen to a lot of Lil Uzi Vert and Playboi Carti,” he says. His latest project, PS Specimen, expands his world some more, burrowing into his Yoruba heritage on songs like “SPECimen” and “YORUbrat.”

Like most of the other members of Nigeria's current underground scene, Indi’s built a clear-cut sonic identity in little time. Her smoky vocals glide smoothly over glistening hyperpop instrumentals as she dissects the angsty realities of life as a young adult. Having been interested in music since she was a child, she exudes a confidence that makes songs like “D.T.M.M.B” and “Over” feel like immersive visits into an aural world.

“I've always felt most like myself when I’m doing anything music-related, from singing and playing the piano to producing,” she tells The FADER. “Being around people who approached music through new lenses also really inspires me.” She’s already proven to be an equally adept collaborator, bringing her unique gifts to Luwa.Mp4’s “2” and “MIDNIGHT” with Egertton, notably. Her latest three-pack, krystal fever, reflects a sense of forbearance that she says is becoming an integral part of her creative process: “Recently, I’ve been approaching music from a place of patience, and I'm allowing my excitement to lead the way.”

Originally a DJ and producer, SSSoundGawd has developed a synergy with 2025 breakthrough act, Mavo. Now a rapper, SSSoundGawd tints his bars with variants of the luminous dance subgenres being popularized by South African acts, as heard on his 2025 release “YA STRATA.” His breakthrough would come one year later on “Aura Salad,” a collaboration with Mavo that launched him to the top of charts across Nigeria, his snappy delivery style contrasting Mavo’s warped flow.

His experience as a producer and DJ continues to guide his new arc as a recording artist. “Everything is cohesive,” he says. “When making a beat, as soon as I find the right melody, I start mumbling some vibes, which eventually get processed into actual words, which advances to becoming an actual song.” Another collaboration with Mavo, “BB Lifestyle,” has added more strings to his bow and set him up nicely for his latest single, “MAMACITA.” “It means a lot to me to have grown so much this year,” he says. “This is proof that hard work and authenticity pay off.”

No one quite knows what to expect when you press play on an onoola-sama song, thanks to the singer’s gift for switching between hip-hop, R&B, and Fuji references with a fluidity that feels almost preternatural. That genre-agnosticism is an unmistakable part of what makes the singer a rising star. “I like to regurgitate the feeling I get from a beat: a moment, an experience, or even someone,” she says. “I never really go into it with a plan; I just go with the flow and realise at the end, there’s a system to it.”

Although she started releasing music in 2021, her breakthrough moment didn’t come until three years later with the DEELA-assisted “fêteRock*,” a Bouyon-inspired highlight off her 2024 extended play, fujiBouyon*. She has continued to be a creative lodestar for the underground scene, blurring lines between genres into abstraction while situating her artistic guile in the feeling of understanding her place in a rapidly evolving city on songs like “i seen you yesterday at norma” and “#00BB!.”

Operating out of Abuja, Monochrome wears his omnivorous musical sensibility with pride, melding trap, amapiano, and R&B while highlighting his fascination with high fashion, material success, and women. In a little over two years, he’s made an impression on a national audience while maintaining a prolific release streak. It’s all in service of creating a world where fans are in tune with his every step.

“I want Monochrome to stand as that artist that's going to stay in your mind,” he says. “I want to be that artist you can listen to anytime. For every mood, I want people to have a song I’ve made for them.”

In addition to his excellent solo work on tracks like “COMPUTER,” “NEW SWAGGA,” “Baby Nepo,” and “Chemistry,” Monochrome has established a reputation as one of the UG scene’s friendliest collaborators, orchestrating a hit with S1orDie on “We 2 Fly” and adding a distinctive texture to NO11’s “HOW FAR,” a runaway Abuja underground anthem that’s become one of the biggest songs to emerge from Nigeria in 2026.

BLNDE has a bite-sized catalogue but the singer is building out her career with the sort of intentionality that one would expect from a wizened popstar. “Going full-time into music sort of happened to me,” she tells The FADER. “I was putting out the music as another outlet, and very quickly it went from just friends and family to label calls and live shows. It got very serious quite early on, and my other practices had to pause.”

The sheer force of her January 2025 hit “Omo To Sexy” announced BLNDE as a voice to pay attention to, ultimately leading to a remix with Tiwa Savage. Her debut project, BLNDE 4 PRESIDENT, released in September, sees the singer building out her career after a drip-fed approach so far. “People are going to get to see a lot more of me,” she explains.