Bars over hooks: Dremo’s Man2Man revives Nigerian rap, freestyle battles
By Enitan Abdultawab
When it comes to Nigerian music, Afrobeats dominates the charts and playlists, but the country’s rap scene has quietly struggled to maintain visibility. For years, creative lyricists have had to carve out specialised followings, frequently relying on freestyles and social media to get their voices heard.
Now, Dremo’s latest single, Man2Man, and the viral #Man2Man Challenge are giving the genre a fresh lease of life, offering rappers a platform to shine while reconnecting audiences with rap’s raw, competitive energy.
Unlike many mainstream tracks, Man2Man isn’t designed for radio hooks or viral dance trends. Instead, it emphasises storytelling, wordplay, and presence, creating an arena for rappers to assert themselves and respond to industry dynamics. The challenge has encouraged up-and-coming and underground artistes alike to step forward, experiment with their flow, and engage in digital rap battles that highlight creativity over commercial appeal. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have become mini-cyphers, with each freestyle a demonstration that rap culture in Nigeria is far from extinct.
Beyond the beats and bars, the #Man2Man Challenge signals a cultural reference. It points out the fact that rap has always been a potent medium for musicians to trade jabs, insults, and competitive wordplay, transforming music into an arena where individual talent, humour, and lyrical ingenuity are highlighted.
Rappers confront conflicts, settle scores, or just demonstrate their dominance in the scene with snappy bars and biting references. These verbal sparring sessions are more than just amusement; they serve as a gauge of respect and legitimacy, encouraging performers to hone their skills while maintaining audience interest.
This is exactly what Dremo has opened up so far as a couple of artistes have jumped on the challenge.
Artistes who have jumped on the challenge
Ajebo Hustlers:
Ajebo Hustlers jumped on the #Man2Man Challenge with a clear message of support for Wizkid, paying homage to his legacies, but calling out the excesses of social media influencer VeryDarkMan (VDM) and Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti. Their bars celebrated musical excellence while positioning Wizkid as a leading figure in the current Nigerian music scene.
Dandizzy:
Dandizzy took a bold approach on the #Man2Man Challenge, using his freestyle to call out Mr Eazi, Olamide, and Zanku. He dissed Mr. Eazi for allegedly having issues with him while he previously attempted to sign him, calling out Olamide and Zanku to fulfil their promised collaboration with him. His bars highlighted rap’s traditional role as a space for airing grievances, settling scores, and asserting one’s place in the industry.
Teni de Entertainer:
Teni took a different approach, using her freestyle to advocate for harmony between Seun Kuti and Wizkid. Her performance emphasised reconciliation over rivalry, highlighting the potential of rap as a platform for dialogue and unity.
Oladips:
In a more introspective take, Oladips turned the challenge inward, delivering a freestyle that examined his own journey. He reflected on his successes and mistakes, showing that rap can be as much about personal growth as it is about competition.
Laycon:
Praising himself and teasing an album and another record label signing that he missed out on, Laycon used his #Man2Man freestyle to celebrate his own achievements over the years, including his Big Brother Naija victory in 2020, while announcing an upcoming project. His bars demonstrated confidence and self-assertion, challenging himself and the audience to recognise his artistry.
Skales:
Skales paid homage to VDM while also narrating how Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal’s dance to his popular ‘Shake Your Body’ played a role in revitalising his career. His freestyle blended praise with storytelling, highlighting the ways in which rap can honour influences while charting personal milestones.
The bottom line
In the end, the #Man2Man Challenge has confirmed rap’s place in Nigerian music as a forum for truth, conflict, introspection, and conversation. Rap still gives artistes a voice that is unvarnished, competitive, and culturally relevant, as evidenced by the replies, which include pleas for peace, self-examination, appreciation, and disses.
Dremo has triggered more than a fad – he has revived a conversation Nigerian rap has long needed.
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