Nigerian music sensation, Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, has made history as the first African artist to feature on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.
The American magazine, known for its coverage of music, politics, and pop culture, unveiled Rema as the cover star for its April edition. In its feature, Rolling Stone noted Rema’s impact on the global music industry, highlighting his influence in taking Afrobeats to new heights.
Mavin Records, the label to which Rema is signed, celebrated the achievement on Instagram, writing: “Rave Lordé Rema the Afrobeats Visionary, makes history as @Rollingstone USA First African Cover Star!”
To mark the occasion, the ‘Heis’ crooner delivered an electrifying performance at the Rolling Stone concert, thrilling the audience with hits like Dumebi, Woman, and Calm Down.
This latest recognition further solidifies Rema’s status as a trailblazer in the African music industry. It follows his recent feature on the cover of Dazed Magazine, another major international publication.
Born in 2000 in Benin City, Rema rose to fame in 2019 after signing with Mavin Records. Since then, he has become one of the biggest names in Afrobeats, bringing African music to the global stage.
His song Calm Down, featuring Selena Gomez, made history as the most-streamed Afrobeats track ever. The song surpassed one billion streams on Spotify, earning multiple platinum certifications and topping international charts.
It also became the first African-led track to dominate the official chart in the Middle East and North Africa, earning Rema a Guinness World Record.
Beyond streaming success, Rema has also made history with live performances. In 2023, he became the first African artist to perform at the prestigious Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, where he entertained football’s biggest stars.
