Divine Ikubor, known professionally as Rema, is a Nigerian singer, rapper, and songwriter whose meteoric rise since 2019 has made him one of Afrobeats’ brightest global stars.
While he is most widely known for his Afrobeats and pop music, he began his career as a gospel rapper and still incorporates rap into his sound, which also includes genres like pop rap and afro-rave. His blend of Afrobeat, Afrorave, trap, and pop has earned him major streaming success, international tours, significant brand partnerships, and a rapidly growing fortune.
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Profile Summary
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Place of Birth |
Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria |
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Origin |
Igbanke, Orhionmwon LGA, Edo State |
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Genres |
Afrobeats, Afrorave, trap, pop, hip hop |
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Years Active |
2019–present |
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Labels |
Jonzing World, Mavin Records, Interscope |
Early Life and Education
Divine Ikubor was born on May 1, 2000, in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, into a Christian family. He is from Igbanke in Orhionmwon LGA of Edo State. Rema was born to Mrs. Ikubor (his mother) and Justice Ikubor (his father), who died in 2008. Rema’s elder brother also died seven years later
Life was hard after his father died, and the family moved to Ghana for a year. Being the only boy, he had to feed his family. In interviews, Rema revealed that he “sold his childhood” to provide for his family after his father died. He even worked jobs in Ghana (e.g., doing beach work) to raise money for his family.
Rema attended Ighile Group of Schools in Benin City for his primary and secondary education. It was during those years that he discovered his passion for music and began to rap in his church’s youth group. He later gained admission to the University of Lagos to study Creative Arts, reportedly in part to fulfill his mother’s wishes. However, he left in 2023 due to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike.
Reflecting on his losses, Rema has spoken about how the deaths of his father and brother forced him to “man up” and become a provider. On social media, he has also criticized the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria, alleging some involvement or wrongdoing related to his father’s death.
Musical Career
His Early Beginning (2019)
Music became his refuge during the hard times. He downloaded beats on a church-gifted smartphone at 14, practicing freestyles that blended his church choir roots with influences from Michael Jackson, 2Face Idibia, and Drake.
In 2013, Rema won Season 2 of Pikolo’s Dream Alive talent show in Benin City, signing briefly with Peak Entertainment and releasing “Mercy,” though it gained little traction. His big break came in 2019 when his freestyle over D’Prince’s Gucci Gang went viral on Instagram.
Impressed, D’Prince signed him to Jonzing World, a Mavin Records imprint. He released his debut EP – Rema (2019), which included hits like Dumebi and Iron Man. Dumebi became a sleeper hit in Nigeria.
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Breakthrough and Growth
His debut EP, Rema, dropped in March 2019, topping Apple Music Nigeria with hits like “Dumebi” (over 84 million YouTube views) and “Iron Man,” the latter landing on Barack Obama’s 2019 summer playlist.
In 2021, he coined his sound “Afrorave,” fusing Afrobeats with Arabian and Indian influences, a term first used by Toya Delazy but adapted by Rema to define his genre-blending style.
In 2022, Rema released his first full-length album, Rave & Roses. His single Calm Down, and particularly the remix with Selena Gomez, significantly boosted his global profile. The song peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and led the US Afrobeats Songs chart for a record 58 weeks until October 2023.
In July 2024, Rema released his second studio album, HEIS, under Mavin, Jonzing, and Interscope. HEIS earned a Grammy nomination for Best Global Music Album.
Records, Awards & Achievements
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Headies: Next Rated Artist, 2019.
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MTV VMA: Best Afrobeats Video for “Calm Down” remix.
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Billboard Music Awards: Top Afrobeats Song.
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HEIS won Album of the Year at the Trace Awards & Festival 2025.
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Over 1 billion streams on “Calm Down” across platforms.
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Rave & Roses Ultra became the first African album to surpass 2 billion Spotify streams.
What Is Rema’s Net worth?
Rema’s net worth in 2025 is estimated quite differently depending on the source, and this reflects both the uncertainty and the rapid growth in his income streams. Taking these different estimates into account, a reasonable net worth range for Rema in 2025 would be around $10 million to $22 million, which translates to approximately ₦15 billion to ₦33 billion.
Career Earnings Summary
Rema’s earnings between 2019 and 2025 come from a combination of streaming royalties, global touring, festival runs, and high-profile performance bookings. Streaming remains the largest pillar of his income. With more than 5.2 billion lifetime streams across Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Boomplay, his catalog has generated significant digital revenue.
Spotify alone pays an average of $0.003–$0.005 per stream, and applying the midpoint rate of $0.004 places his Spotify earnings at about $20.8 million gross. After standard label splits, which often leave artists with 30–40%, Rema’s direct share is estimated at around $7.28 million from Spotify.
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Calm Down & Selena Gomez remix alone generated $3M plus in royalties.
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Concert Tours & Live Performances is about $3 million, which is 25% of his total wealth
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2024–2025 “HEIS Tour” was his highest-grossing tour.
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Madison Square Garden show grossed $794,000.
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European tour: 28 shows across 12 countries, grossing $4.5 million.
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Typical artist net after touring costs (35–45%): $1.8–$2 million from the European leg.
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Cumulative touring profits (2019–2025): $3 million.
Rema also owns 60% of his publishing rights (Mavin Records holds 40%), which means he earns royalties every time his songs are played on radio stations globally, licensed for films, TV shows, and commercials, and covered by other artists. Beyond his own catalog, Rema has writing credits on songs for other Mavin Records artists, creating additional passive income streams that will pay him for decades.
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How Much Does He Charge?
Rema’s performance fees vary significantly based on venue, country, audience size, and event type, but he is firmly in the top-tier bracket of Afrobeats earners. For standard international concerts, his fees fall between $200,000 and $500,000 per show, with festival appearances ranging from $150,000 to $300,000.
In Africa, his booking fees typically sit between $100,000 and $200,000, depending on production expectations and city. Corporate events and private appearances attract much higher rates, often $300,000 and above, with certain premium bookings pushing him into the $1 million category for high-stakes global events.
Car Collection
Rema owns an impressive and growing car collection:
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Lamborghini Urus S – a performance SUV.
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Mercedes-AMG G63 (G-Wagon) – a very high-cost luxury SUV.
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Bentley Bentayga – noted in his 2025 garage.
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BMW 8 Series Convertible – reportedly gifted by BMW Club Nigeria.
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Lexus GX 460 – a more practical and yet premium SUV.
Endorsements and Sponsorships
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Pepsi – one of his high-profile brand deals.
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Puma – fashion-footwear collaboration.
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Tommy Hilfiger – fashion partnership.
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Tecno Mobile – regional ambassador role.
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Scandals
In 2023, Rema faced some backlash after his O2 Arena show in London, where his gothic-themed visuals, including masks, bats, and red lighting, were misinterpreted by some viewers as demonic. He later clarified that the imagery was inspired by the traditional art, masks, and symbolism of Benin City, his hometown, and was meant to celebrate Edo cultural heritage rather than suggest anything occult.
In 2025, Rema became embroiled in a major legal dispute with interior designer Amaka Obasi, who was accused of defrauding him out of ₦287 million. According to Rema’s legal team, Obasi conspired with his former personal assistant to inflate costs, use substandard materials, and deliberately overcharge him while failing to complete renovation work.
Relationships
Rema keeps his personal/romantic life quite private. However, in September 2025, Rema and Arya Starr, his label mate, sparked dating rumors after sharing a brief, unexpected kiss on-stage during the Global Citizen Festival in New York.
Then, in October 2025, a viral video from a Lagos nightclub showed Rema and Ayra dancing very closely, with Rema placing his hand on her waist. While there were speculations on whether they were dating, some argue that their closeness may be more about art than romance, as they recently released a collaborative single, “Who’s Dat Girl”, in October 2025.
Recent News (2025)
Here are some notable developments about Rema in 2025:
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New Single – Rema released “Kelebu” on 1 August 2025, a high-energy Afrobeats track.
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Car Collection: In September 2025, sources reported that Rema flaunted an all-black luxury car collection, including a McLaren GTS.
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Grammy Recognition: His album HEIS continues to get attention following its Grammy nomination (67th Annual Grammy Awards).
Summary / Legacy
Rema has quickly evolved from a teenage prodigy in Benin City to one of the most globally influential figures in Afrobeats. His ability to fuse Afropop, trap, Bollywood influences, and celestial vocals has carved out a unique sonic identity often referred to as Afrorave, a sub-genre he popularised.
With chart-topping hits, billion-stream records, and high-impact global performances, he has helped push Nigerian music deeper into mainstream Western markets. As he expands into bigger tours, more international collaborations, and long-term brand partnerships, Rema’s legacy is shaping up to be that of a visionary who didn’t just join the Afrobeats wave but helped push it into a new era.
