There are fewer bonds more potent than the one between an artist and their favorite producer. Over the years, we have been privileged to witness some of the most iconic duos to ever grace the Nigerian music scene, from Don Jazzy & Wande Coal to Asake and Magicsticks, Sarz and Wizkid, Mr Eazi and Jules-the list is endless. In no particular order, here are our top 5 artist-producer dream teams:
1. Ayra Starr and Louddaa
Ayra Starr and Louddaa have been working together since her debut year. In addition to working with her as a producer, he doubles as her sound engineer as well. 3 years and 2 albums later, you’ll be hard pressed to find an Ayra Starr song that doesn’t have Louddaa credits in there somewhere. This duo is a testament to how much fostering a long-term relationship with a particular producer can contribute to the development and refinement of an artist’s sound-especially one that has been making music with them from the beginning.
The strength of Ayra Starr & Louddaa’s artistic chemistry lies in their ability to create beautiful heartbreak songs and ballads like “In Between”, “Away”, “Beggie Beggie”, and the ultimate, “Last Heartbreak Song”. Louddaa’s meticulously crafted instrumentals are the perfect avenue for Ayra Starr to display her immense vocal talent, making every song they create together a dreamy masterpiece.
2. Rema and P.Priime
If there was ever a competition for artist and producer duos who match each other’s freak, these two would win hands down. We first experience Rema and P.Priime’s collective mad genius on “Ravage”, but things get really crazy on HEIS-and we’re talking stark raving mad.
P.Priime has producer credits on 6 out of 11 songs on HEIS. Stand out tracks like “March Am”, “Azaman”, and “Yayo”, all benefit from his golden touch. As Rema’s artistry ascends beyond the boundaries of what is considered orthodox within the scope of contemporary Afrobeats, P.Priime comfortably matches his energy and even adds fuel to the fire, ascending with him instead of attempting to bring him back down to earth. The results, as we already know, have caused a massive upset the industry is yet to recover from.
3. Rema and London
There are not many producer-artist duos more formidable than London and Rema in the Afrobeats scene right now. Time and time again, this duo has displayed an unreal synergy that belies a deep understanding of each other’s artistry.
Their journey together began in 2019, and since then they have gone on to create some of the biggest Afrobeats songs in history. Rema’s debut album “Rave and Roses” is perhaps the best example of the magic that happens when these two get in the studio together. London has producer credits on nearly every song, not just adding to the overall cohesion of the project but also giving color to the dominant themes of the album.
London is Rema’s OG partner in crime and his ability to meet him at any level- whether it is the heated sensuality of “Soundgasm” or the frenzied wildness of “Ozeba”- is what makes this connection truly special.
4. Ayra Starr and London
You can always count on this duo to create a smash hit when they step in a studio together. Ayra Starr’s wit and lyrical dexterity arguably shines through the most on a London beat. Together, they have created evergreen party bangers like “Sabillity” , “Bloody Samaritan” and more recently “Commas”, all endlessly quotable and filled with clever one liners.
Their most recent collaboration, “Pina Colada”, which also features a verse from 6lack, is yet another example of their undeniable chemistry.
5. Andre Vibez and Well….Everyone
Midas himself, our in-house producer Andre Vibez has had a hand in creating some of Mavin’s greatest hits, including the billion earning “Calm Down” and the grammy nominated “Rush”. He also produced “Won Da Mo”, one of the biggest tracks off the Mavin All Star project, Chapter X.
Getting in the studio with this man increases your chances of making a smash hit by at least 90%, and we have the stats to prove it. Rema, Ayra Starr, Ladipoe and Lifesize Teddy-it is no coincidence that each of these artists’ most successful songs to date were either produced or co-produced by Andre Vibez.
Vibez is clearly in a league of his own when it comes to adapting his style to suit the unique talents of each artist he works with, and we are very excited to see that happen again with the upcoming producer-songwriter project in the works at Mavin. If the stellar quality of the first single “Like” is anything to go by, it is sure to be a masterclass in hit-making.
