We’ll never truly reach a consensus on what song deserves a spot in the ranking of best Afrobeats songs to have ever been released in the history of Afrobeats since as far back as the 2000s. Everyone has their opinion, their preference and their yardstick as to why a song should be on the list and why another doesn’t deserve to be on the same list.
We however can all reach a consensus that Afrobeats remains one of the greatest genres to have evolved in the global music scene, and that we’ll never be able to, in the same breath, agree on what should be the greatest Afrobeats songs. We can barely even agree on who is the best Afrobeats artist, much less the music.
Yet again, another valid point we can make is that while there are songs notably and undeniably identified as iconic Afrobeats songs and deserve a spot on the likes of Billboard’s top 50 Afrobeats songs, there also are songs that are just as iconic and for some reasons, much attention isn’t paid to them. Some were very well aware of, others not as much as but what matters from the stables of District234 is that they are iconic pieces that deserve a spotlight.
We hope that it becomes understandable now when having given our list of Afrobeats songs that deserve a spot on the best Afrobeats list, songs that no one really puts on their lists, there should be no clamor of what shouldn’t belong and should belong to this list. After all, what one defines as ‘best’ and ‘iconic’, can be very subjective according to personal preferences.
In no particular order, here are 25 Afrobeats songs that deserve more credits but no one really puts them on their ‘best Afrobeats songs’ list.
- Black Magic ‘Repete’
Everyone has always laid claim as to how slept on Black Magic’s ‘Repete’ is. Yet, we never truly enlist this song as something iconic when gathering a list. ‘Repete’ forms the base of what you can now define as alternative R&B that was something for the books as in the early 2000s. The artist opens over lofty horns and lofi percussions with such hard lyrics when he says, “I love it when you smile at me/you will never have to weep with me/I’ll be the happiness that moves your heart/and when you sleep I’ll find my way into your dreams.” Black Magic stood as part of the representatives that anchored poetic songwriting and ‘Repete’ is a perfect illustration for this.
- Nonso Amadi ft Eugy ‘Kwasia’
As iconic as Nonso Amadi’s ‘Tonight’ is, there’s also an underlay of yet another iconic piece of his, ‘Kwasia.’ Consider this song where he features Ghanaian artist, Eugy as the contrast to what he croons on in ‘Tonight’.
In ‘Kwasia’, Nonso Amadi is utterly distraught at being played on by his supposed lover. Over melancholic beats, Nonso Amadi bleeds his emotion into this song. Kwasia meaning ‘fool’ in Ghana’s twi is an iconic staple from Nonso Amadi’s early career discography. The artist is assisted by Eugy who intertwined twi, pidgin and English for his verse, balancing out the aching rhythm which Nonso Amadi rides ‘Kwasia’ on.
- Bigiano ‘Shayo’
As kids/teens that grew up in the 2000s, Bigiano’s ‘Shayo’ was a definite play at parties. It hardly went unsaid that conversations on great Afrobeats from the 2000s did not include ‘Shayo’. Despite its prominence, it never really seemed as well suited in the Afrobeats hall of fame as it ought to.
Bigiano scored a huge one with his release of ‘Shayo’ and despite not having another single as high heated as this single, ‘Shayo’ is a treasured trove that should be appreciated for its contribution to parties, particularly children’s birthday parties!
- Ayo Jay ‘Your Number’
When Ayo Jay dropped ‘Your Number’ in 2013, produced by Melvitto, no one truly understood how stupendously beautiful this song was until later years in the late 2010s. It’s an even more iconic Afrobeats tune for how it resurfaces in every era and shifts the paradigm of eager music lovers who love to revel in the beauty of discovering Afrobeats gems.
Recently having a TikTok moment as at 2023, Ayo Jay’s ‘Your Number’ is a contributor to forever goated songs that defines the 2010s era of Afrobeats.
While it’s rather popular and defined as a legendary tune, we never truly acknowledge it for its iconism, do we?
- Dice Ailes ‘Otedola’
It’s saddening as to how untapped Dice Ailes’ music career has been, or was. What we now appreciate as musical craft we do not realize was once conceptualized by Dice Ailes. As of mid 2010s, Dice Ailes sufficed for an Afrobeats baby boy and his hit song, ‘Otedola’ is a marker for classic Afrobeats that acts as a predecessor to what new age gen z artists are vastly catching up to.
Dice Ailes’ only mistake was the thought of acclimatizing Nigerians to a futuristic sound we now appreciate in 2026.
‘Otedola’ remains an untapped Afrobeats gem that deserves a spot not because of its undeniable trendiness upon its release but rather, for its musical impact. It’s safe to say that Dice Ailes walked so the likes of Rema could run when they debuted in the Nigerian music scene.
- Niniola ‘Maradona’
Niniola is referenced as the queen of Afro house and she’s well within the rights to clinch that title. ‘Maradona’ was a mind blowing 2017 track that indeed rocked the airwaves. Although, not many understand its cultural impact for the likes of female artists who’d rather boldly embrace the other side of Afrobeats music that is stereotypically alluring.
When Nigerian female artists would rather sing of love and broken hearts, Niniola embraced the boldness of sexual declaration, thus anchoring it in ‘Maradona’ that is a taste of great instrumentalism, courtesy of Sarz.
- Sean Tizzle ‘Sho Lee’
The music industry is a very funny scene within the entertainment industry where different eras produce different artists who manage to hold their own in these eras. Amongst artists who have such elixir to contribute as much as to the various eras in Nigerian Afrobeats, is Sean Tizzle. Thudding his way into fame with ‘Sho Lee’ in 2013, Sean Tizzle’s aura came with an audacious energy. He reveled in his musicality and eventually earned a Next Rated awards despite going head to head with the likes of Burna Boy and Phyno and having to his catalog other sizzling singles as ‘Perfect Gentleman’, ‘Loke Loke’, amongst many others, creating an ideal portfolio for the many different reasons we play Afrobeats at any gathering.
- Burna Boy ‘Tonight’
At the early stage of his career, Burna Boy was so much more than the ideal African hero, the ‘voice’ of the people through his music and ‘Odogwu’ we’ve come to know him to be. There was the alluring raspiness of Burna Boy that was experienced in raw form from his 2013 ‘Tonight.’ In your books, it might not be considered a good quality for best Afrobeats song but ‘Tonight’ encompasses much more than that. It’s a raving song that blasts in parties and the familiarity leads you into gyration. That’s worth something. Why do we never acknowledge this part of Burna Boy’s discography?
- Maleek Berry ‘Been Calling’
Maleek Berry’s music often felt airy and summer-y. ‘Been Calling’ off his 2018 ‘First Daze of Winter’ EP did quite the number with being the summer anthem for the youngins (both male and female). Truly appreciating good music is understanding that ‘Been Calling’ is such an ethereal release from Maleek Berry who as of now, is quite dormant with his music release, thus unable to remind newbies who he is and how prominent his music making skills are.
‘Been Calling’ might not be the typical Afrobeats sample but it’s an Afrobeats staple that rocked upon its release, thus an underrated gem that music lovers tend to appreciate but never really enlist into their list.
- Brymo ‘Ara’
Although sung by vastly different artists, it’s weird that Ice Prince’s ‘Oleku’ is often recognized as part of Afrobeats best and Brymo’s ‘Ara’ is hardly mentioned. ‘Ara’ was a significant indication of what and how far Brymo’s musical dexterity could be. Encompassing his songwriting mastery, the instrumentals feature bass percussions and keys perfectly in sync with Brymo’s vocals. ‘Ara’ is not necessarily slept on, but is rather not in the hall of Afrobeats songs that anchor Afrobeats from the 2010s, thus enlisted as best Afrobeats songs.
- P-Square ‘Do Me’
‘Bizzy Body’ might be a more popular track from P-Square’s portfolio before their tragic separation, but ‘Do Me’ is an equally ideal contender for the same spot and preferably, another spot just because. ‘Do Me’ which features Waje’s vocals and P-Square’s unique vocals is a raving Afrobeats song that’s evergreen and a forever hit song.
With the release of ‘Do Me’, there came the normality of mini flair skirts with an allure for the Y2K crowd, and the popular phrase coined out of the song, “what a man can do, a woman can do,” in the regards of mutual gyration and affection.
- Ycee ft Maleek Berry ‘Juice’
When Ycee dropped ‘Juice’, the paradigm of Afrobeats shifted into something monumental. It’s saddening though that the prowess of this song wasn’t harnessed to the max, as it ought to have been. Ycee introduced the vibe of new cool through ‘Juice’, introducing a fresh wave of trendiness for every young teenager/adult looking to be hooked onto the next new trend. “Too much juice, too much sauce” became the new lingo, thanks to Ycee. And yet again, the song is never really counted as a tune worth gracing Afrobeats best list. If Ycee had dropped this song in the present time, there is the possibility that it would have anchored the year, given how incredible this song was when it was released in 2017.
- Tekno ‘Pana’
Nobody rocked the concept of sweet nonsense as much as Tekno did in his prime. Mavo might be an artist who aura farms on the concept of lyrics that do not necessarily make sense but Tekno, is definitely gracing the walls of forefathers to have anchored this movement. Tekno was a radical artist spewing insane singles within the mid 2010s and late 2010s, ‘Pana’ being one of them. The creative insanity of how brilliant this song was, was further illustrated in the music video with the evergreen opening “Folake give me love oh.” There’s essentially no cultural shift that Tekno’s music might have offered the Nigerian music scene but the undeniability of his contribution should cause him to belong in the ‘Afrobeats best’ hall of fame and this writer believes that ‘Pana’ is such a great song.
- Naeto C ft Ikechukwu ‘Ki Ni Big Deal’
Truth be told, Naeto C defined the coolness of rap music long before rap became a cool genre within the Nigerian music space. Naeto C rapped in smooth diction and went with the flow of a western influence, and ‘Ki Ni Big Deal’ was an attestation to Naeto C’s infinitesimal rap style.
“Ki Ni Big Deal” held and still holds much potential, it’s a shame it’s never enlisted for its peculiar trait and how much it gave definition to not just the 2000s Afrobeats scene, but also the rap scene, thus paving way for artists who desired to juxtapose their rap skills and singing all in one song.
- Mr Eazi ft Efya ‘Skin Tight’
It is evidently well aware that Mr Eazi’s ‘Skin Tight’ is a monument in African R&B, creating a balance between the Ghanaian and Nigerian music culture. While some are smart enough to enlist ‘Skin Tight’ as part of Afrobeats greatest songs, not many are actually aware of how good of a song it is. Over lingering keys and sweet melodies, Mr Eazi delivers the most romantic rendition in the history of African romance enclipped within musical rhythms. Assisted by Efya, ‘Skin Tight’ became the song that launched Mr Eazi into his very prominent music career, earning him the Next Rates award at the Headies upon his first year of fame.
- Yemi Alade ‘Johnny’
At its core, ‘Johnny’ is a high tempo Afrobeats song that takes on narrative storytelling as its key element for its lyrical content. Yemi Alade tells the story of Johnny, played by the delectable Alex Ekubo in the music video who is an apparent playboy. A 2014 release, ‘Johnny’ is an inevitable banger for gatherings. And yet again, it manages to escape the grasp of curators of the list of what some of the best Afrobeats songs should comprise of.
- Patoranking ft Tiwa Savage ‘Girlie O Remix’
Not much difference between the original and its remix but ‘Girlie O’ which features Tiwa Savage’s lilly’s vocals is a much better masterpiece for this context.
Patoranking released ‘Girlie O’ in 2014 and was shot to Nigerian stardom with his reggaeton gesture through his music. Much later that year in May, he dropped the remix with ‘Tiwa Savage’ and somehow, the remix was even better than the original.
Following its exceptional reception by music lovers, ‘Girlie O’ is an evident proof of Afrobeats in its dynamic range, where Pataronking exemplified sheer creativity with his music making skills.
- Starboy ft Wizkid & Duncan Mighty ‘Fake Love’
In the conversation of legendary artists who happen to enjoy widespread fame twice in their musical lifetime, Duncan Mighty holds a higher place in this regard. Having rocked the 2000s with his Port-Harcourt infused hits such as ‘Port Harcourt Son’ and ‘Dance For Me’, the artist made a comeback in the mid- 2010s, assisted by newer generation artists. With ‘Fake Love’, Wizkid enlists Duncan Mighty in the 2018 hit track, amplifying his smooth rhythm with the Port-Harcourt bred artist’s signature pitakwa melody. In 2018/2019, you had to be living under a rock to not know this iconic song and even in the present 2026, it is bliss to the ears to hear it all over again.
- Seyi Shay ft Patoranking & Shaydee ‘Murda’
We never really talk about how underrated Seyi Shay’s ‘Murda’ is. When the conversation comes up about Afrobeats but make it sexy, Seyi Shay’s ‘Murda’ deserves a top spot. She enlists the vocals of Patoranking and Shaydee where the former lays the background vocal, in perfect sync with her silky vocals. Shaydee closes the song off with his velvety verse and for what it’s worth, ‘Murda’ doesn’t deserve to be a song that identifies as underground Afrobeats that’s a gem.
- May D ‘Gat Me High’
May D had an incredible peak between 2012 – 2014 following his rise from P-Square’s ‘Chop My Money.’ The artist went on to start his solo career and following the drop of his extremely explicit single ‘Sound Track’, songs such as ‘Gat Me High’ sat well within the ears of Nigerians, appreciating his prowess for lyrical flow.
‘Gat Me High’ is a perfect blend of romance & Afrobeats, all while tempting you to get light on the feet and dance. At least, this writer remembers the gyration this song caused in the early 2010s. It doesn’t ring as much but for its ability to have stayed on top following the influx of hits upon its release, ‘Gat Me High’ ought to stand tall in one of the many lists to exist.
- Duncan Mighty ft Sandazblack ‘Dance For Me’
As far as party bangers are concerned, you’ve never truly experienced a fully fledged party without Duncan Mighty’s ‘Dance For Me’. The artist has had many hit songs enlisted to his catalog and while many would rather render an aforementioned drop of the hits ‘Obianuju’ or ‘Port-Harcourt Son’ before thinking of how great a track ‘Dance For Me’ is, the single is a legendary Afrobeats track worthy of mention in this list.
- Runtown ‘For Life’
‘Mad Over You’ we know, but how many appreciate the fine craft called ‘For Life’? And despite ‘Mad Over You’ being such an iconic 2017 release, many do not still recognize it as an Afrobeats best as they would classify Davido’s ‘Fall’ or Wizkid’s ‘Manya.’
‘For Life’ acts as the shadow to ‘Mad Over You’ and is grossly underrated. While the latter is a much more popular tune that sometimes tend to sound overly replayed, ‘For Life’ is an evergreen Afrobeats romance song, featuring amplified percussive thuds and Runtown’s affirmation of willingly wanting to “craze for the love”
- Reekado Banks ‘Problem’
Shortly after emerging winner of the Next Rated at the Headies 2016, Reekado Banks became a reckoning force in the music scene and that became even more evident when he released ‘Problem’ in 2016. It felt like a huge detour from the typical Reekado Banks we were all familiar with, as though he had to prove a point in how crafty he could be with his music and truly, he achieved that with ‘Problems’, a midtempo song fully fleshed out with percussions and bass instruments that evoked a bold and daring rhythm, succinctly conveying Reekado Banks message in the song on a lady’s behind being a problem.
- Iyanya ft Emma Nyra ‘Ur Waist’
The craze that was performed in the production of ‘Ur Waist’ can hardly be conveyed with words, given how the song opens on what gives off a ‘pangolo’ instrumental vibe. Afrobeats could have never been as sexy as Iyanya made it seem with ‘Ur Waist’, further amplifying its alluringness by featuring Emma Nyra, and causing further controversy when he name drops some of the then hottest actresses in Nigeria/Ghana — Tonto Dikeh & Yvonne Nelson.
It might have not made much cultural sense to the Afrobeats evolution but doesn’t it serve as a worthy mention to the Nigerian music scene? The art of how alluring Afrobeats can be, Iyanya’s ‘Ur Waist’ would most definitely be a prime example.
- Wizkid ft Drake ‘Come Closer’
We round off this list with one of Afrobeats most likable tunes, ‘Come Closer’ by Wizkid and featuring THE western Drake. It’s a far stretch to not enlist this song as one of Afrobeats best given how with this collaboration, there was the sense that the merge between Afrobeats and its global reach was nearer than ever.
‘Come Closer’ intertwines the energy from two superstar artists, where Wizkid pens his emotes and Drake assumes the stance of nonchalance while conveying his words through the pining beats.
It’s highly debatable for someone to not know of the cultural prominence of this song and it is in fact comical to classify this song as an untapped/hidden Afrobeats gem.
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