Mp3bullet.ng presents Nigerian songs turning 20 in 2023.
These Nigerian songs dominated the airwaves in 2003 and 20 years later, still have a place in the hearts of fans who remember them.
In comparison to what it is now, the Nigerian music industry’s environment was very different in 2003. The reality of the situation was that American pop culture and music dominated at the time, with Nigerian entertainment taking a back seat.
Despite this, Nigerian artists continue to put a lot of effort into their songs.
The year 2003 was excellent in terms of sound diversity. Gospel, Hip-hop, and R&B were among the musical genres that Nigerian artists experimented with.
P-Square their debuts that year, but they would not see significant success until much later in their careers. Veteran artists like Tony Tetuila and Sunny Neji released notable hits as well.
It was also a good year for the female force, as Sasha, Nigeria’s first notable female rapper, released her breakthrough track ‘Emi le gan‘ on Da Trybe Records.
The majority-female band KUSH also released “Let us Live Together,” which was their biggest hit. With the release of “Eji Owuro,” Sola Allyson created one of Nigeria’s most well-known love songs. Love/Heartbreak was a theme that frequently appeared in the music that was being released at the time.
Here are the top Nigerian songs that are turning 20 in 2023.
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OLUFUNMI- Styl-plus
One of Nigeria’s best R&B groups, Styl-plus, released their smash hit ballad “OLUFUNMI” in 2003. Following its release, Olufunmi was one of the songs that radio callers most frequently requested.
Because TV stations kept airing the song’s video back-to-back, it became a national anthem for love. The song was about a heartbroken boyfriend who kept proclaiming his love and affection for his girlfriend.
Danfo Driver – Mountain Black, Mad Melon
Following Ajegunle’s domination in Nigerian music, the combo of Mad Melon and Mountain Black created this simple yet popular dedication to commercial bus drivers in Lagos.
Mountain Black and Mad Melon both saw their musical careers take off because of Danfo Driver, which helped make them well-known figures in the Nigerian music scene.
The song Danfo Drivers was so well-liked by listeners that it became the group’s name.
Oruka – Sunny Neji
Oruka by Sunny Neji was one of the top five wedding songs in 2003. It had to be on the playlist of every DJ.
The song was released from the album, “Unchained“. It enjoyed massive airplay and became an anthem at every wedding ceremony and between newlyweds. The song was produced by Sunny Nneji and co-produced by Sammy Odins Odihirin under the O’Jez Music label.
Ehen by Ruggedman feat. Nomoreloss
Nigerian rap music needed a rude awakening, and this song provided it. Ruggedman turned the focus back to excellent rhymes and lyricism. He did not hold back when he took jabs at the biggest rappers of the day. Few people have dared to follow Ruggedman’s example.
Senorita- P-square
“Senorita“, the debut single from P-Square is off their debut album, “Last Nite“, and their elder brother Jude Engees Okoye directed the video.
The song, which featured the duo’s dancing abilities, earned the most airplay of the entire album. The two were inspired to dance as children by Michael Jackson.
Eji Owuro- Sola Allyson
This intriguing soundtrack is taken from her widely acclaimed 2003 project, Eji Owuro, which includes seven astonishing worship euphonies.
The love ballad propelled Sola Allyson to fame because of its romantic elements, which made it a requirement for weddings.
The song was produced by Cohbams Asuquo.
Emi Le Gan- Sasha P
Known as the first lady of rap in Nigeria, this was Sasha P’s debut solo track under Da Trybe records. Saha P earned the deserved title as Nigerian rap First Lady thanks to her beautiful penmanship.
Let’s Live Together- Kush
KUSH was a group made up of three women, (Lara George, TY Bello and Emem Ema) and a man (Dapo Torimiro).
K.U.S.H released their hit song “Let us Live Together” as part of their album The Experience in 2003. The video for this well-liked song featured a combination of black, white, grey, and sepia.
In between shots of TY Bello and Lara George doing their thing, were short clips of wartime scenes. The theme was devastation, death, and destruction, and Kush played it to the greatest effect with everything from a starving child to a woman promising to kill another woman and an image of a dead body on burnt soil.
https://youtu.be/YWWXCgZKmg0
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Raise Da Roof- Jazzman Olofin ft Adewale Ayuba
This was rap meets Fuji as Jazzman Olofin and Adewale Ayuba really raised the roof with this song and had listeners dancing their heart out. The song shot him into limelight during that period.