The music business in Nigeria is open to everyone.
To become well-known, one must have a combination of hard effort, individuality, talent, and innovation.
It makes sense that performers would switch between genres in quest of significance.
Musicians switch from one genre to another in search of fame; this is not unique to Nigeria.
Gospel music, Afrobeat, R&B, or RAP are just a few of the genres that vocalists search for to satisfy the tastes of over 200 million Nigerians.
When there are numerous prospects to profit from Nigeria’s $44 million music industry, no entertainer would want to remain distant.
Like any other industry, the music industry requires that one stay current with trends in order to be relevant.
Nigerian musicians that have switched from one genre to another seeking recognition, particularly from gospel to secular music, were named by DAILY POST.
Wizkid
Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, better known as Wizkid, began recording music in church when he was 11 years old under the alias “Lil Prinz.” During this time, he formed a group with a few of his church friends called the “Glorious Five,” and the group released an album together before disbanding.
In 2006, after making the transition from religious music to secular music, he adopted the stage name “Wizkid.”
Simi
Simisola Ogunleye, better known by her stage as Simi, began her musical career as a gospel singer and choir member in her neighborhood church. When she was ten years old, she composed her first song. In 2008, she published her debut solo album, titled “Ogaju.”
Simi later made the decision to pursue a different career path as a singer of secular music, and among other secular albums, she released the songs “Joromi,” “Selense,” and “Jamb Question” that have contributed to her notoriety and success.
Justice Chinwo
Before becoming a well-known gospel singer, Mercy Chinwo, a popular Nigerian singer and songwriter, performed pop music under the alias “Mecindo.”
Timaya
Inetimi Timaya Odon, better known by his stage name Timaya, is a well-known Bayelsa hip-hop singer. He began his career in the church before working as a backup vocalist for Eedris Abdulkareem for three years before launching his solo music career in 2006 with the release of the single hit song, “Dem Mama.”
Rema
Divine Ikubor, better known by his stage name Rema, is a well-known singer and rapper from Nigeria. He belonged to the 7 Dimension, a group of gospel rappers.
Ekile Chidinma
In 2021, Chidinma Ekile declared her transition from secular to gospel music. Prior to that, she had worked on a couple tracks with Tim Godfrey at Fearless and Frank Edwards. With the debut of her song, Jehovah, the singer was signed by Eezee Tee under the Eezee Concept banner.
Before transitioning to a blend of secular and gospel music, Janet Oluwatoyosi Ajilore Iyun, a Nigerian female pseudo-juju-gospel singer also sang in the Cherubim and Seraphim, C&S Church choir.
Martins, Tosin
Tosin Martins, a gospel singer from Nigeria, transitioned from strictly gospel music to a combination of both genres.
In a post on social media two years ago, Martins defended his brand of mixed music by claiming that people typically have high expectations of artists, necessitating the need for them to perform well, and that “a secular environment presents you with the opportunity to influence other people with the ideals and values of our faith.”
Kelly R
Robert Sylvester Kelly, better known by his stage as R. Kelly, was a former American recording artist who was raised in a musically inclined household and began singing at the age of eight.
The same church where his mother sung and oversaw the choir is where R Kelly received his musical training. Many of the tracks on his second self-titled album have lyrics that were heavily influenced by gospel music.
Perry, Katy
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, an American vocalist, began her musical career as a gospel performer before veering into pop music and becoming famous for her work with producer Dr. Luke on the song “I Kissed A Girl.”
