Very few rap artists in Nigeria can claim to have played a more important role in bolstering hip-hop reputation in the country than Ladipoe has over the last half-decade. From his indie days to becoming the first rapper to join Mavin Records, Ladipoe has truly owned his Leader of the Revival moniker thanks to his spastic flow and witty lyricism that has dovetailed with many pop stars and rap icons on a series of hits over the last three years.
In true Leader of the Revival fashion, Ladipoe continued to provide his listeners with lifelines in 2023. His first drop of the year was the Bella Shmurda-featuring “Guy Man” which merged the grit of street-pop with Ladipoe’s natural graces and suaveness to thrilling effect. A series of Ladipoe guest verses scattered across the year has also reminded listeners of his technical prowess time and time over but the real landmark of Ladipoe’s year came with the release of a new single in October. The year in rap is incomplete without a Ladipoe song to spark conversations on the state of the genre and where the rapper’s head is at. On “Shut It Down,” his October release, Ladipoe served notice of his position at the top of the rap game while heightening expectations for his sophomore album.
