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Nigerian Music Legend, Majek Fashek Is Dead

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Nigerian singer, songwriter and guitarist, Majekodunmi Fasheke popularly known as Majek Fashek is dead.

Report says the legendary died in a hospital in New York on Monday June 1, though the cause of his death was yet to be confirmed.

Besides his struggle with drug addiction, other health conditions had required his hospitalization on several occasions.

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He was rumored dead in September 2019 but his manager quelled the rumors, confirming that Majek had indeed been critically ill, hospitalized at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, England, and in dire need of financial assistance

The “Send Down the Rain” crooner, who was aged 57, was born in Benin City to an Edo mother and a Ijesha father, but identifies with his Benin roots.

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Fashek was married to Rita Fashek who inspired the song “Without You”; the couple had four children together, but have since divorced.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: Edo, Ondo Guber Polls To Be Test-run With bye-elections -INEC

In the early eighties Fashek, who at the time went by the stage name Rajesh Kanal, joined the group Jastix with McRoy Gregg, and Drummer Black ‘Rice. They were best known as the in-house band on the show Music Panorama on NTA Benin, and toured with fellow reggae group The Mandators.

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In 1988, shortly after Jastix disbanded Fashek, who now used the name Majek Fashek, signed with Tabansi Records and began a solo career by releasing the album Prisoner of Conscience and quickly became Nigeria’s top reggae artist after the song “Send Down The Rain” became the most popular song of the year, and in 1989 he won six PMAN awards for “Song of the Year”, “Album of the Year”, and “Reggae Artist of the Year” among others.

The ‘rain maker’ as he his fondly called has has worked with various artists worldwide including Tracy Chapman, Jimmy Cliff, Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg, and Beyoncé.

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Majek’s life and work are still prominently celebrated by Nigerian music fans and beyond. His legacy of excellence in music and worldwide impact through instrumentation will live imminently.

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Asake Tops Apple Music Nigeria’s 2025 List As Wizkid, Davido, Seyi Vibez Make Top Five

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Apple Music Nigeria has released its end-of-year chart for 2025, with Asake topping the list as the most-streamed artist of the year.

The Year-end data shows that Asake’s single “Why Love” is the most-streamed song of 2025, while major acts like Wizkid and Davido also held strong positions with their standout releases.

This is a simple breakdown of the top five most-streamed songs on Apple Music Nigeria in 2025, including their release details and the artists behind them.

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Asake — “Why Love”
Most-streamed song of 2025

Asake leads the chart with “Why Love,” the biggest Nigerian song of 2025. The track marked a major shift in his career as it was released under his new independent label, Giran Republic, signalling his official exit from his former label, YBNL.

The song also positioned him as one of the few Nigerian artists to achieve a number-one hit while launching an independent imprint.

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READ ALSO:‘There Was No Blueprint For Me’ – Wizkid Claims

2. Wizkid — “Kese (Dance)”
Second most streamed song of 2025

Wizkid claims the second spot with “Kese (Dance),” one of the standout tracks from his album Morayo.

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Morayo was released on 22 November 2024 and contains 16 songs. The album features a diverse lineup of artistes, including Asake, Brent Faiyaz, Tiakola, Jazmine Sullivan and Anaïs.

Though released in late 2024, “Kese (Dance)” surged again in 2025, staying in the top tier of Apple Music Nigeria’s charts for months.

READ ALSO:Edo Assembly Summons 2Baba’s Wife Before Ethics Committee

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3. Davido ft Odumodublvck & Chike — “Funds”
Third most streamed song of 2025

Davido’s “Funds” takes third place. The track, featuring Odumodublvck and Chike, was released ahead of Davido’s 2025 album 5ive.

The song’s streaming momentum was heightened by heavy social media traction and anticipation for Davido’s fifth studio album. By mid-2025, “Funds” had become one of the year’s most replayed Nigerian songs.

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4. Asake ft Wizkid — “MMS”
Fourth most streamed song of 2025

Asake appears again on the chart with “MMS” featuring Wizkid. The song is the second track on his 2024 album Lungu Boy.

READ ALSO:Why It Would Be Difficult For Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy To Collaborate – Music Executive

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Lungu Boy was released under the joint record label YBNL Nation/EMPIRE on 9 August 2024. Despite being over a year old, “MMS” gained renewed attention in 2025 due to its strong chemistry between Asake and Wizkid.

Its performance shows the staying power of both artistes and the enduring appeal of their collaboration.

5. Davido ft Omah Lay — “With You”
Fifth most streamed song of 2025

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Rounding off the top five is “With You,” a standout track from Davido’s album 5ive, released in April 2025.

The song, which features Omah Lay, is the final track on the album.

“With You” also benefited from the popularity of Davido’s album rollout, which kept him consistently on major streaming charts.

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2face, Natasha Fight Dirty On Instagram Live Amid Singer’s Alleged Arrest In UK

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Nigerian music legend Innocent Idibia, also known as 2face, and his new wife, Natasha Osawaru, appeared to quarrel on Daddy Freeze’s Instagram Live on Monday.

Freeze was conducting the session with 2face’s former management when the singer decided to join in.

2face could be heard asking her, “what is your problem?”

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At one point, Natasha tried to take the phone, as the couple shouted at each other before the session ended.

READ ALSO:2Face Idibia Reacts To Alleged Arrest In London [VIDEO]

This comes after a video surfaced on social media showing 2face appearing to be arrested in the UK.

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The footage, shared by blogger Tosin Silverdam on TikTok, showed officers speaking with the singer outside what appears to be a retail store before escorting him away with his hands cuffed behind his back.

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Facebook, Instagram Suspend Idris Abdulkareem’s Accounts After New Song, Open Letter To Donald Trump

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Nigerian rapper and activist Eedris Abdulkareem has announced that his Facebook and Instagram accounts were suspended shortly after the release of his new song, Open Letter to Donald Trump.

Abdulkareem, in a report by online news platform, SaharaReporters, on Sunday said that he has been unable to access either account since the release of the track.

“Facebook just suspended my Facebook and Instagram account because of my new song, Open Letter to Donald Trump,” he said. “I can’t access it.”

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Checks confirmed that both accounts are no longer accessible.

Abdulkareem, known for politically charged music and criticism of government policies, did not provide further details on the duration of the suspension imposed by Meta, Facebook’s parent company.

READ ALSO:Police Neutralize Two Wanted Bandit Leaders In Abuja, Foil Kidnap Attempt

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Released in November 2025 under his label, Lakreem Entertainment, Open Letter to Donald Trump is framed as a direct address to the former U.S. President but primarily targets Nigeria’s political class.

In the song, Abdulkareem accuses Nigerian leaders of enriching themselves while ordinary citizens endure hardship, describing them as “criminals of all shades and hues” who dominate society. The track references worsening insecurity, including kidnappings, killings, and terrorism, and seeks to draw international attention to Nigeria’s crises.

The song continues Abdulkareem’s tradition of protest music, following his 2004 hit Jaga Jaga and the more recent 2025 release Tell Your Papa, which was banned by the National Broadcasting Commission for allegedly containing “objectionable lyrics” in violation of responsible broadcasting rules. The ban prohibited Nigerian radio and television stations from airing the track.

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Abdulkareem has consistently used his music to challenge political leaders and highlight social injustice, cementing his reputation as one of Nigeria’s most outspoken protest musicians.

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Recall that in 2020, Abdulkareem accused Grammy-winning singer, Burna Boy, of appropriating the works of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti to advance his career.

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Abdulkareem made the remarks in a video interview, responding to a now-deleted tweet by Burna Boy in which he claimed that no one had paved the way for him as an artist.

Abdulkareem argued that Burna Boy’s success relied heavily on Fela’s musical legacy and called on the “Anybody” singer to apologise.

He said that while Fela’s songs carried meaningful messages that enriched the lives of listeners, Burna Boy had borrowed extensively from both Fela and Afrobeat without giving due recognition.

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“I think with due respect, Burna Boy needs to apologise. At least Fela made it happen for you, and you stole a lot from Fela’s songs to become who you are. You stole from Afrobeats to become who you are. Even though Fela’s songs are strictly about messages that add value to the lives of people, what is your song about?” Abdulkareem said.

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