Oritse Femi has come a long way in the Nigerian Music Industry and being in the industry for more than a decade has seen him shine and carving his own niche.
Non-hardcore fans would remember Oritse Femi from the days of his hit Music, “Double Wahala” which shot him to the limelight.
Born Oritsefemi Majemite Ekele, the singer hails from Itsekiri in Warri North L.G.A of Delta State.
His music career started off professionally as the lead vocalist of a Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ajegunle, Lagos where he also played the bass guitar.
His greatest artistic opportunity occurred when Jamaican dancehall singers Shaba Ranks, Keppy Ton, and others arrived to Ajegunle to create a Ragga Dub School. They were brought there by the late Johnny Nap.
The music school also boast of breeding future reggae sensations of the 90s like Daddy Showkey, Daddy Fresh, Father U-turn, Baba Fryo and a lot of other stars.
He started out with a duo group called Junglist which included his friend Chibudo with two albums “BOYS DEY BINU and MONEY NA TIME’.
However, after an undisclosed conflict with his partner in 2006, he went solo.
While both artists attempted to launch solo careers, only Oritse Femi was able to get off to a flying start after the release of “Elewon” and “Flog Politician,” which quickly won him over the hearts of Ajegunle youths and music fans, as well as the later release of the classic “Flog Politician” album.
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Double Wahala and its Impact
In 2014, Oritse Femi stormed the industry with “Double Wahala” which blew his career to the mainstream audiences and earned him massive airplays.
The song is a remake of Fela’s iconic 1990 song “Confusion Break Bone.”
While Fela’s version is the usual long music housing the fusion of instruments like drums and saxophone to create his special blend of Afrobeat, Oritse Femi’s version was more of pop sound but with elements of Afrobeat.
The song was the rocket that launched him to a wider audience and was one of 2014’s biggest songs. In that same year, he dropped a remix featuring D’banj on it.
The remix however wasn’t as popular as its original.
While Oritse Femi has been a rep on the street thanks to his earlier songs, he was however a favourite in the Music industry thanks to this song.
To this date, “Double Wahala” is Oritse Femi’s biggest and best work. The song was inspired by his experience in the slums while growing up.
His Sound and street appeal
The streets of Lagos has been a foundation for many of Nigerian greatest stars to date. No matter the style or genre of music an artist does, if it is accepted on the streets, the artist is sure to reach mainstream success in no time.
Oritse Femi grew up in Ajegunle, a locality that has been home to many of Nigeria’s biggest stars at some point.
After his separation from his music partner, Chibudo later known as Chi-Junglist, Oritse Femi found fame with the release of songs like “Elewon” a socially conscious song about the oil pollution affecting Nigeria.
“Elewon” had that distinct fused vibe of Daddy Showkey and African China, two music stars who were also socially conscious singers.
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Another of his song that was a favourite on the streets was his brazen “Flog Politician.” On this song, Oritse Femi is bold about his opinions on how corrupt politicians should be treated.
Advising listeners to flog politicians with Koboko-a popular instrument used to discipline errant people- the singer doesn’t hold back in calling out the leadership of the country for their corrupt ways.
Prior to his song, ‘Double Wahala” becoming popular, Oritse Femi had also dominated streets with the inspiring “Mercies of the Lord”
The song was a hit that he had to feature the late Dagrin and Rhymzo on the remix but it became popular in 2014 when he released it as part of a project.
In 2014, he featured rapper, Vector on the remix of the prayerful and inspiring song, “Better” which was also a hit alongside “Double Wahala”
That same year, he released the Afropop “Sexy ladies” which featured Davido. Unlike his earlier songs, this song was more love-themed proving that Oritse Femi could also be a loverboy when he wants to be.
Another love-themed song that ruled the airwaves was “Igbeyawo” which was popular in wedding events at the time of its release.
That same 2016 was when fans also got to listen to his street anthem, “Awooo Ewaa.”
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Conclusion
Oritse Femi might not have any trending hits as of the moment but he is still a respected figure on the streets. The singer found and carved a niche for him, growing even despite the scandals that have plagued him in recent years.