When Rema made and uploaded that viral freestyle D’Prince’s “Gucci Gang,” track, he might have been expectant of a break into the Nigerian music scene, but possibly not something as groundbreaking as what he’s got now. Rema, whose estimated net worth is about $1 million as of 2023 has taken the world by storm with his radical success as a leading Afrobeats artist, disrupting the status quo as his “Calm Down” record has made a global chart-topping hit. From leading teenage rap group to landing a spot on the summer playlist of Barack Obama, you’ll agree that Rema has gone far and keeps reaching for the sky.
Jeune Afrique
Real Name
Home and abroad, this singer is known by his popular nomenclature, ‘Rema,’ keeping his official name from fans. Rema’s real name is Divine Ikubor.
Early Life and Rema Biography
Born on May 1, 2000, in Benin City, Edo state, Ikubor is a 23-year-old Nigerian songwriter, rap star and son to late Justice Ikubor. His interests in the art of music began during his early teens while still a student at Ighile group of schools where he had his secondary school education. While the “Bounce” singer has his name everywhere now, growing up with his single mother after the death of his father plunged him into a quest for survival. This was as a result of the myriad childhood struggles that he had to face. Forced to snap out of childhood life quite early, Rema has had his share of tumultuous life experience, all of which shaped him and influenced his choice of delving into secular music from being a church singer, as a teenager. This, in no little way, contributed to the success he has attained in the Nigerian and global music industry today.
Income Sources and Assets: How does he make his millions?
From his entry into entertainment, Rema’s unique position as a promising artist was revealed through skillet in both hip hop and alte sounds. For his talent, the singer has clearly been rewarded with good cash, evident in his luxury lifestyle and investments. While Rema definitely has other streams of income, his major source of living and capital provider is through his records, combined with myriad streams of income.
Music Career
While many believe that Rema is signed to Don Jazzy’s record label, the reverse is the case. However, it isn’t very far from the truth, because the Nigerian singer is actually signed to D’Prince’s Jonzing World, which is only a subsidiary of Mavin Records. Following the discovery of his unusual vocal skills in 2018, the budding singer released his first single, “Dumebi,” the very next year, off his debut EP, Rema signaling his big arrival into the Nigerian music industry. The self-titled EP, Rema went on to land the singer a No. 1 on Apple Music Nigeria in 2019. When the music video directed by Ademola Falomo was released, the young singer gained even more popularity as he hit about 60 million views.
Subsequently, he released more non-album singles, including “Bounce,” “Peace of Mind,” “Rainbow,” and “Fame” among others. His album debut, Raves & Roses hit the ground with a blast, certified platinum in Canada as with it the multiple-award-winning global sound, “Calm Down”. This singular song earned the singer his first Billboard Hot 100 appearance at a high No. 3, several nominations and four awards, including a Guiness World Record and Spotify’s One Billion streams with its remix, with Selena Gomez. The album also featured global acts like Chris Brown, 6Lack, and AJTracy. Alongside his song releases, Rema has been able to work with top rated African artists like Tiwa Savage and Fireboy, whom he made a cameo appearance for.
Endorsement Deals
For an artist of Rema’s caliber, endorsement deals come quite naturally. Alongside his colleague, Ayra Starr, the international act as a brand ambassador for multinational drink company, Pepsi. He has also bagged whopping deals with Oppo and Monster Drink, among others. For his influence, these brands sign the artist to endorse their products and in turn increase net income.
Shows
Over time, Rema has become a popular face on global stages, and for these appearances, the rapper is recorded to charge as much as $50,000 per show. However, on national stages, the singer charges much less. Thus, having been on several shows within this short while, Rema has amassed quite a lot to increase his net worth. For a relatively young talent, Divine ‘Rema’ Ikubor is hitting it much more beyond his local music scene. It’s only a matter of time before he starts charging even more.
Cars Collection
What’s a successful musician without his collection of wheels? In this department, Rema definitely doesn’t disappoint. He “Iron Man” singer is said to own a Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG, a Range Rover Evoque, a BMW M3 with a Lexus Rx for his mom.
Personal Life
Despite living an everyday showbiz life and being one of Africa’s most influential artists, not much is known about the renowned singer. From his multiple mentions about his mother, it is quite easy to assume that the singer has a really relationship with her. However, one of the most popular facts about him is his abandonment of his admission at the University of Lagos. Also, the Benin entertainer has been in the news for accusing the Peoples’ Democratic Party, as he was a member of the group before his death.
Awards and Nominations
Rema’s record-breaking career doesn’t just end on music charts, it’s evident in his plaques too. Among several nominations including the Best New International Act at the 2019 BET Awards, the Nigerian musician has received accolades. Some of these include the Digital Artist of the Year Award from Soundcity MVP Awards with the links of Burna Boy. Also, at the 13th edition of the Headies, he took home three plaques. Earlier in 2019, he had been awarded Next Rated artist. In addition to this, Rema is a proud awardee of AFRIMMA, City People Music Awards, and the Future Awards Africa, among others.