| Reminisce | |
| Birth Name: | Remilekun Abdulkalid Safaru |
| Birth Date: | 1981 1, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Kaduna, Nigeria |
| Occupation: | Singer, rapper, songwriter, actor |
| Years Active: | 2008–present |
| Label: | LRR Records |
Remilekun Khalid Safaru (born 26 January 1981), known by his stage names Reminisce and Alaga Ibile, is a Nigerian singer, rapper, songwriter, and actor originating from Ogun State. He performs in English and in his native language, Yoruba.[1] [2]
Reminisce is from Ajilete, Yewa South LGA in Ogun State, the western part of Nigeria. He was born on January 26, 1981, in Kaduna state, Northern Nigeria. In school, he listened to various genres of local and foreign music and performed in school activities. He studied purchasing and supply at Kwara State Polytechnic.[3]
He recorded his first song in a studio in 2006 and recorded a rap album at Coded Tunes, but the album was never released and he decided to focus on his studies and complete schooling. In 2008, Reminisce returned to the music scene, performing a rap verse on a track titled "Bachelor's Life" off 9ice's second album titled “Gongo Aso”. His first single, "Ever Since", featured 9ice, and was a story about his life till that moment. His second, "If Only", was a love song produced by Dtunez.[4]
In 2014, Time magazine named Reminisce one of the seven "World Rappers You Should Meet.”[5] He was also named by Nigerian music site NotJustOk, as one of the top three hip-hop artists of 2014.[6]
His song titled "Local Rappers" in 2015, which he featured Olamide and Phyno had some controversial comments from fans as they felt the song was targeted at rappers who rap with English language such as MI and Mode9.[7] In 2015, Reminisce was named a brand ambassador for the Orijin alcoholic beverage brand.[8]
Reminisce is signed to Les Roses Rouge (LRR) Records, and he is the only Nigerian rapper to have two albums debut on the billboard charts; Baba Hafusa at number 12, and El-Hadj at number 13.
Reminisce's first album, Book of Rap Stories, was released on 31 March 2012. He started recording the album in 2010 after linking up with the studio producer Sarz at Edge Records Studios. The studio allowed him to make the album bilingual. The album was produced by Sarz, Legendury Beatz, Joshbeatz, Jospo and PastorChild. The album did well commercially in the southern part of Nigeria.[9]
His second album, Alaga Ibile, was officially released on 15 November 2013. It marked a significant milestone in his music career. Alaga Ibile translates to "Chairman of the City" in Yoruba, reflecting Reminisce's status as a prominent figure in the Nigerian music industry.
The album sold million of copies before the end of 2014.[10] In 2014, Time Magazine named Reminisce as one of seven "world rappers you should meet".[11]
See main article: Baba Hafusa. Reminisce's third album, Baba Hafusa, was released in April 30, 2015. Reminisce became the first hip hop artist in Africa to have an album debut on the US Billboard World Albums chart at no. 12.[12]
Described as a "genre busting album", it was a strong contender for album of the year with music critics and fans alike applauding the fusion of sounds to form a unique blend of hip hop, fuji and Afrobeats.[13]
"El-Hadj" is the fourth studio album by the Nigerian rapper Reminisce, and it was released on August 29, 2016. Reminisce became the first hip hop artist in Africa to have two albums debut on Billboard Charts World Music category at no. 13.
"El-Hadj" contains a variety of tracks that explore different themes and styles of rap. Some of the notable tracks on the album include "Asalamalekun," "Konsignment," "Ibadi," "If E No Be God" featuring Mr. Eazi, and "Feego" featuring Seriki, Ice Prince, and Ola Dips.
Reminisce released the EP Vibes & Insha Allah in July 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.[14] The EP garnered over 4.5 million streams on Audiomack in 4 months.
The music project consists of six tracks and features the artists Fireboy DML, Mo Safaru and Fatimah Safaru. Production was completed by Tmxo, Krizbeatz, Sarz and others.
Reminisce played a role in the Nigerian movie King of Boys, which was released in 2018. "King of Boys" is a Nigerian political crime thriller film directed by Kemi Adetiba and features a star-studded cast. In 2021, he made a reappearance in the sequel, King of Boys; Return of the King.