The Rise of The Uzamas: How Shallipopi Paved the Way for His Brothers
It is not often that you find three brothers excelling as musicians in Afrobeats’ highly competitive space. Yet, this very rare feat is what the Uzama brothers—Shallipopi, Zerry DL, and Famous Pluto—have managed to achieve.
The magnitude of this accomplishment is not lost on the oldest Uzama, Shallipopi, who recently celebrated his brothers’ success in a post on X and took credit for paving the way. The rapper also dared others to replicate this feat while embracing the tag their fans bestowed upon them: “The Migwos.”
Meet The Uzama AKA The Migwos
American hip-hop had the famous rap trio The Migos. That group’s name inspired Nigerian music fans to tag the Uzama brothers “The Migwos,” a local derivation inspired by the Urhobo language of South-South Nigeria.
What was meant to be a funny description, and to some extent a pejorative one, Shallipopi is now embracing, even as he operates at the summit of the Nigerian music industry while his brothers follow closely behind.
Shallipopi: The Pluto Presido and Pacesetter
When the 25-year-old Shallipopi rocketed to mainstream success in 2023 with the release of his hit-filled debut EP, ‘Planet Pluto,’ under Dapper Music, he introduced listeners to an exciting blend of era-defining Amapiano fusion with his Benin City-inspired street flows.
His hit songs, ‘Obapluto,’ ‘Elon Musk,’ ‘Ex-Convict,’ and ‘Shapiru,’ are rich with the street lingo with which he paints pictures of everyday life in the streets of Benin. The stories he shared were relatable to inner-city listeners of the South-South, whose flag he flew, and even the South-West, who connected with his message of hustle and the good life.
Urban listeners warmed up to the party-starting production and the inventiveness of his flow, which carried a speech-like similarity and the defiant counter-culture message of era-shaping rapper Naira Marley.
With a fresh sound and a hunger for success, Shallipopi was relentless. He released his debut album, Presido La Pluto, in November 2023 and scored the viral hit ‘Cast’ featuring Odumodublvck. Five months later, he released another nine-track project, ‘Shakespopi,’ with the track ‘Billions’ serving as a spotlight moment for his protegees.
From the streets of Lagos to the corners of Benin, from the clubs of Abuja to the stages of Afronation, Shallipopi’s music turned fans into staunch adherents. He was unapologetically street and loudly embraced his Benin heritage. This brought him success and paved the way for his brothers and others to join him.
Plutomania Records: Enters, Zerrydl
First, Shallipopi crafted and popularised the sound that would bring him success. Then he created the platform and held out the door for his brothers to join him at the top.
In October 2023, just months after his debut EP, he announced his imprint, Plutomania Records, under Dapper Music, intending to support emerging artists from his region. The first set of signees he unveiled included his brother Zerrydl and rapper Tega Boi DC.
Zerrydl hit the ground running when he linked up with his older brother for the explosive hit record ‘Puff Puff Pass’ before releasing his debut EP, ‘Danger Zee,’ in December 2023.
The younger Uzama consolidated his mainstream rise with the release of his second EP, ‘Wara Wara SZN,’ six months later. Zerry DL scored one of the hottest hits of 2024 when he laid fiery verses on Kvng Vinci’s ‘Hausapiano.’ The result was further commercial success that helped him clinch the Rookie of the Year prize at the 17th Headies Awards.
Famous Pluto: Uzama The Third
What is better than two hit-making brothers? Three.
Although the youngest Uzama, Famous Pluto, had a cameo on Outsyd DJ’s ‘Feel The Mood’ released in October 2024, it was five months later, in March 2025, that he made his grand entrance into the Nigerian mainstream with his thundering debut, ‘Na Scra.’
When he released his debut EP, ‘Uzama The Third,’ Famous Pluto proved that lightning can strike twice. His sound holds the same essence as that of his brothers.
