Music is one of the diverse, creative endeavors available to man. It is approached in a plethora of ways, individually or as a group. While most people tend to take the individualistic route, others find succor in creating music as a group. Proponents of the latter do so, either as boy/girl bands or a mix of both worlds. The focus of this article rests on the concept of “boy bands”, which are as old as music itself. They exist across genres and geographical borders.
In the US, they had the renowned Boyz II Men group who dominated pop music in the 90s, and N.W.A; who were regarded as one of the prolific groups to grace the hip-hop scene in the late 80s. The Nigerian music industry also had its fair share of boy bands who were the stars of pop culture, and wielded a great deal of influence on their audience.
We took a beautiful walk down memory lane to identify some of these boy bands that have acted as sources of inspiration to present day boy bands, and created indelible moments in the hearts and minds of listeners.
The Remedies
This group was a hip-hop inspired one, made up of three artists; Eedris Abdul Kareem, Tony Tetuila and Eddy Remedy (a.k.a Eddy Montana). They succeeded in creating a perfect blend of rap, indigenous languages and slangs in their music. Remedies gave us nostalgic songs including; Sade, Jealousy and their viral hit song, Shakomo. Although they eventually went separate ways, they made a name for themselves locally and internationally, and the history of afrobeats would be incomplete without them.
Plantashun Boiz
https://youtu.be/wM35Au_IYRM?si=UyLlRjKkCa_89o-_
They were the perfect template for emerging artists in the Nigerian RnB scene. Composed of three amazing vocalists; 2face, Faze and Blackface, this group was the envy of music executives, artists and music professionals.
Plantashun Boiz released their debut album Body And Soul at the turn of the millennium, in 2000, and a sophomore album titled Plan B in 2008. Unfortunately, due to individualistic goals and aspirations, they had to disband.
STYL-Plus
It is almost impossible to find an ardent listener of Nigerian music who hasn’t heard of the musical group Styl-plus. They were the Nigerian “Boyz II Men” – an American RnB quartet, known for their emotional gripping vocals and artistic prowess. STYL PLUS came into afrobeats scene with Shifi Emoefe, Tunde Akinsanmi, Yemi Akinwonmi, and Lanre Faneyi as founding members, who merged the first letters of their first names to form the group’s name, STYL.
Sadly, the demise of a member led to a change of name for the group to its current name, STYL-PLUS. They released several songs which brought them popularity, sold multiple copies and still maintain relevance till date. Some of which include; Olufunmi, Iya Basirat, Imagine That, amongst others. They remain one of the most influential boy bands in afrobeats history.
DRB LASGIDI
Double R ‘Rap Royals’ boys popularly known as DRB Lasgidi, is a music band known for their influence in the Nigerian music industry, especially in the alternative music scene. Composed of Ladi Ladenegan (Fresh L), Teniola Zaccheaus (Teezee) and Bolaji Odojukan (Boj), DRB has created a name for themselves as rappers & vocalists who have worked with some of the biggest artists and emerging artists across genres.
Their debut album as a group titled DRB 10, was well received by listeners at the time of its release in 2018, and had Bez & Shank as featured artists on the project. Two years later, they will go on to release their sophomore album, Pioneers in 2020. The project’s title was their way of laying claims as the drivers and sustainers of the alternative music genre in the Nigerian music industry. Some of the remarkable songs off this album include their hit single Trouble ft Tems, and other songs like Ma pariwo, Softly, Kasala.
L.O.S Music
Made up of Tomi Thomas, Zamir, BrisB & Bridge, L.O.S Music were among the popular boy bands of the 2010s. They were the perfect group for the kind of music they made. Listeners were constantly intrigued by this style of music, because it felt like a subtle swerve from the staple Nigerian music. This was only possible as a result of the varying elements included in its making, such as the beat, vocal coordination, and the general make of the music. Some of their renowned songs include Magic, On fire & Paparampe.
Few years after their formation and the release of some of these critically acclaimed singles, L.O.S Music went on a music hiatus and made a comeback in 2020 with a three-pack project titled Tribe, which had Didn’t know, Language & Emotionz. This was received with excitement from fans who were excited for their comeback project as a group, with hopes of getting an album from the quartet. Unfortunately, this didn’t come to fruition, as four years down the line, there is still no album in sight, leaving listeners to relish past works, while hoping for exciting music news from the band.
Chukwuebuka Mgbemena is a writer focused on the Nigerian & African entertainment industry. He loves fashion, art and is a staunch chess player.
