What’s a rapper’s identity without a name? Not just any name, but that one which builds with him till he becomes a brand?
In the Nigerian music space, there is a list of rappers you might not know started out with different names, however, there’s no need to fret. Mp3bullet has put together a list of Nigerian rappers you didn’t know changed their stage names.
Ladipoe formerly (Poe)
He went by Poe prior to signed with Mavins Records in 2017. However, he adopted the name Ladipoe to circumvent concerns about copyright infringement. This is supported by a tweet from Don Jazzy, the head of Mavin Records, in response to the event involving another artist’s name change.
Olamide formerly (G-dogg)
The famous baddo we all celebrate today has had his own change in identity. He was formerly known as known as “G DOGG”. The name “G DoGG” was changed to Olamide by I.D Cabasa on the day Baddo recorded the street banger of devotion Eni duro.
Sinzu formerly (Sauce Kid)
In 2005, Sinzu debuted with the song “Omoge wa jo,” featuring seasoned musician Mike Okri. He followed up this breakthrough with hit singles including “Carolina” ft. Davido, “Under G,” and “Yebariba.” Sinzu officially dropped the name “Saucekid” on July 17, 2012, as he stated via Twitter.
The rapper disclosed the personalities represented by the names Sinzu and Saucekid in an interview with Hip TV’s Nancy Isime. According to him, Sauce Kid is more violent and a gangster while Sinzu is more approachable and Nigerian.
Show Dem Camp
The journey of this duo go way back to their youthful days. Tec and Ghost were both solo rappers until they ran into each other at a rap battleground and realized they shared the same stage name, “Golden Child.” Immediately after that, they teamed up to establish a rap duo under the ephemeral stage names Loose Cannonz, BlackBoysDown, and Third Eye Renegades before settling on Show Dem Camp. In addition to becoming record label owners, they have changed from being simply rappers.
Cheque formerly Kyle B
Cheque began his career as a musician under the alias Kyle B when he was still a University undergraduate. Gospel hip hop was in particular his musical style. As Kyle B, he contributed to Hennessy Cypher (Part VI), which featured artists including Dark Poet, Kursor, Blaqbonez, Toosleek, and Eclipse.
He also gained prominence in school with the name and released the extended play Super Adventure Crew. On his way to global stardom, he was discovered by Phyno in 2019 and his story became a national sensation.
MI Abaga to The Guy
He wrote, “After over 15 Years as Mister Incredible, I will be retiring the name ‘MI Abaga’ and taking on a new name for a new project because my new project is hard AF and deserves a new name,” he wrote. “My final act as MI will be a performance at The Vibe on the 10th of July, where I will celebrate my legacy as Africa’s Greatest Rapper. See you all on stage.”
Nigerian Rappers You Didn’t Know Changed Stage Names
- Olamide
- Ladipoe
- Sinzu
- Show Dem Camp
- Cheque
- MI Abaga
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