In a recent interview with the Rolling Stones, Nigerian musician Rema discussed his growing popularity and provided clarification on his earlier claim that he was one of the top four artistes in Nigeria. The 24-year-old made it clear that his self-assurance is a result of his diligence and commitment to his art rather than insufficiency. He said that it’s even modest to admit the presence of other greats, so why is it an issue for him to claim to be the best? Rema clarified that he supports the unity of Afrobeats rather than attempting to discredit others, using Kendrick Lamar’s well-known diss statement. “So on ‘Heis’, I was talking a lot of s**t. It is not cocky. It is like what stops you from saying you’re the best?You can say it and stand your ground. It is even humble to say four,” he said. “I didn’t pull down the two, I didn’t pull down the three. I just see myself as one of the greats, and it’s a problem.I’m not saying oh f**k everybody. It is different from what Kendrick said: ‘It’s just big me’. I really vouch for the unity of Afrobeats.” BRema, whose real name is Divine Ikubor, joined D’Prince’s Jonzing World, a division of Mavin Records, in 2019. At the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), his popular song “Calm Down,” which featured Selena Gomez, took home the first “Best Afrobeats” award. He was also acknowledged by Spotify as one of the most exported musicians who topped the sub-Saharan African charts the previous year. In 2024, the record for the most first-week Spotify Nigeria plays was achieved by Rema’s second album, “HeIs.”