# Rema

> Rema, born Divine Ikubor in Benin City, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and rapper whose viral 2018 freestyle led to a record deal and a rapid reinvention of African pop. His 2019 breakthrough "Dumebi" introduced his elastic melodies; "Calm Down" became a global chart record-breaker; and the harder, percussion-led HEIS earned his first Grammy nomination. He calls his fluid, border-crossing approach Afrorave and treats sound, artwork and staging as parts of one authored world.

- **Role:** Recording artist at Mavin Records, Jonzing World and Interscope Records
- **Organizations:** Mavin Records, Jonzing World, Interscope Records
- **From:** Benin City, Nigeria
- **Nationality:** Nigerian
- **Education:** Creative Arts coursework; enrollment was reported on hold in 2022, University of Lagos
- **Known for:** "Calm Down" with Selena Gomez peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100., "Calm Down" spent a record 58 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart., The song became the first track led by an African artist to reach one billion Spotify streams.

## Career timeline

- **2018** — An Instagram freestyle over D'Prince's "Gucci Gang" went viral; D'Prince invited him to Lagos and offered him a deal through Jonzing World.
- **2019** — Signed within the Mavin/Jonzing structure and released his self-titled EP, led by the breakout song "Dumebi."
- **2020** — Released "Peace of Mind" and appeared on the FIFA 21 soundtrack; his first three EPs were collected as Rema Compilation.
- **2022** — Released debut album Rave & Roses and "Calm Down"; the Selena Gomez remix expanded the song's global reach.
- **2023** — "Calm Down" peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and Rema and Gomez won the MTV VMA for Best Afrobeats.
- **2023** — Released the RAVAGE EP and staged the Ravage Uprising concert at London's O2 Arena.
- **2024** — Released second album HEIS, including "Benin Boys" with Shallipopi, "Hehehe," "Yayo" and "Ozeba."
- **2025** — HEIS received a Grammy nomination for Best Global Music Album; the HEIS World Tour crossed North America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
- **2025** — Released "Baby (Is It a Crime)," "Bout U," "Kelebu" and "Fun."
- **2026** — Appeared with LISA and Anitta on "Goals" from the FIFA World Cup 2026 official album, then released the solo single "TEA" in August and "Oh No" in September.

## Achievements

- "Calm Down" with Selena Gomez peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- "Calm Down" spent a record 58 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart.
- The song became the first track led by an African artist to reach one billion Spotify streams.
- Rema and Selena Gomez won Best Afrobeats at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards.
- HEIS earned a 2025 Grammy nomination for Best Global Music Album, Rema's first Grammy nomination.
- Rave & Roses became the first album by an African artist to exceed two billion Spotify streams, according to his label.
- HEIS set what Mavin described as the then-biggest first-day Spotify streaming total for a Nigerian album.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Released the single "Oh No."
- **2026-08** — Released "TEA," produced by Mustard with additional production by longtime collaborator London.
- **2026-05** — Joined LISA and Anitta on "Goals," part of the official FIFA World Cup 2026 album.
- **2025-09** — Released the single "Fun" after "Kelebu."
- **2025-08** — Released "Kelebu," a percussion-forward dance record, and invited dancers to create a signature routine.
- **2025-07** — Completed the Asian leg of the HEIS World Tour with arena and festival dates in Japan.

## Links

- Website: https://www.heisrema.com/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/heisrema
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHGF6zfD2gwLuke95X3CKFQ
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heisrema/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heisrema/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@badboyrema

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/rema
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-21