Rising Star oShamo is the “Life of the Party”
Nigerian-born, U.K.-based rising afrobeats star oShamo has shared his first official single of 2024, “Life of the Party,” setting the stage for what promises to be a standout year.
The infectious and aptly-titled track showcases oShamo‘s distinctive bass voice and charismatic personality, over an afropiano (afrobeats x amapiano) rhythm produced by Skeellz Got Beats.
“Life of the Party”has already gained viral popularity on TikTok, where it inspired over 9,000 user-generated videos, accumulating over 4 million views, ahead of its official release on DSPs. Inspired by the 20-year-old artist’s journey from being an introvert to eventually embracing sociality, the track captures the essence of living in the moment and finding joy in the simple pleasures of life.
As the youngest Nigerian artist to make a mark on the U.K. music scene, oShamo embodies the vibrant spirit of modern afrobeats music. He infuses his tracks with a rich tapestry of languages, including Yoruba, English, and Arabic, showcasing his multicultural influences.
Born in Lagos and residing in London, his musical journey began at age 14, inspired by the likes of Wizkid, Mr Eazi, and Burna Boy as well as afrobeat and fuji pioneers like Fela Kuti and Ayinde Barrister. His infectious melodies and captivating hooks, as heard on breakout singles “Into You” and “Why You Lying” have quickly caught the attention of listeners worldwide, propelling oShamo to over eight million streams worldwide, and over 200,000 social media followers.
oShamo is the latest rising star to emerge via Mr Eazi’s emPawa Africa. The Grammy-nominated afropop icon created emPawa in 2018 as a way to give emerging African artists the mix of label support and complete independence he sought in his own career. Since 2018, emPawa has provided publishing, distribution, label and marketing services to independent artists and record labels, launching the careers of over 130 African acts from over a dozen countries, including such notable names as Joeboy (Nigeria), Karun (Kenya) and Major League DJz (South Africa).
“Life of the Party” is out now on all major music streaming platforms. Look out for the “Life of the Party” video, and more new music from oShamo, coming soon via emPawa Africa.