According to HENRYSHUSTLE, there has been a notable influx of South African genre amapiano into the Nigerian music industry in recent years.
In an interview with Apple Music, Rema acknowledged amapiano as a significant genre but stressed the necessity for Nigerian artists to uphold afrobeats' influence across the continent. He highlighted that his latest album, 'HeIs,' drew heavy inspiration from afrobeats icons such as Don Jazzy, the Mo'Hits crew, 2Baba, Olamide, P-Square, and Timaya.
"When creating my new album, I revisited the classics. I drew a lot of inspiration from Mo'Hits. The distinct sound of a Mo'Hits song is recognizable within the first four seconds. Don Jazzy's production was just incredible," he commented.
"During the era when Olamide consistently dropped hits, you could instantly recognize an Olamide track. P-Square, 2Face, or Timaya, there was a time when their beats..."
"Amapiano is fantastic, it's hot, but there was a period when afrobeats production was so electrifying that nothing else could match it in African clubs. I'm not saying we've lost that, but we need more of it. I don't want us to stray too far from that essence. We must sustain it," Rema concluded.