Naira Marley

Walking the line between Afrobeats and hip-hop while dropping a slew of hit records, Naira Marley is one of Nigeria’s biggest stars. ∙ Naira Marley, whose artist name was inspired by Nigeria’s official currency (naira) and reggae legend Bob Marley, burst onto the scene in 2014 with the cheekily titled “Marry Juana.” ∙ His 2017 single “Issa Goal” spawned a viral dance craze and became the unofficial theme song of Nigeria’s national soccer team during the run-up to the 2018 World Cup. ∙ Marley’s passionate fans—known as Marlians—have garnered headlines for their adherence to unorthodox “rules,” such as not wearing belts or celebrating Valentine’s Day. ∙ Although 2019’s controversial “Am I a Yahoo Boy” attracted the ire of the Nigerian government, the track landed him on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart for the first time. ∙ An ode to self-pleasure inspired by his own brief incarceration, his 2019 hit single “Soapy” gave rise to another viral dance trend. ∙ In 2020, he picked up four nominations for The Headies (Nigeria’s biggest music awards show), including a Song of the Year nod for “Mafo,” his collaborative 2019 single with Young John.