Asake’s “Active” showcases enduring appeal of “Ma Jo Fine Girl”

Asake recently released his third studio album, Lungu Boy. The lead single in the album, ‘Active,’ featured US rapper Travis Scott and sampled Ahaji Rasheed Ayinde’s ‘Merenge’ from 1991, where he sang the famous line, ‘Ma Jo Fine Boy.’

The song entered the top three on iTunes US and surpassed over 6 million streams on Spotify and over 3 million streams on Audiomack as of the time this article was written. Asake also sampled Asa’s ‘Eye Adaba’ on ‘Start’ in the album’s intro.

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Music sampling, a technique of reusing a portion of an existing sound recording in a new composition, has become a common practice in the music industry. It allows artists to pay homage to their influences, reimagine classic tunes, and create new sounds by blending the old with the new.

‘Active’ prominently features a sample of Ahaji Rasheed Ayinde’s ‘Ma Jo Fine Girl’, an example of this technique’s successful application. The song’s popularity, evident in its impressive streaming numbers and chart performance, shows the power of sampling in capturing audiences’ attention.

Beyond ‘Active,’ several other notable Nigerian songs have sampled the iconic ‘Ma Jo Fine Girl’ line. These include:

‘Raise the Roof’ by Jazzman Olofin ft. Adewale Ayuba

In 2004, Jazzman Olofin, a veteran Nigerian music singer, released the hit song ‘Raise the Roof’ featuring Fuji legend Adewale Ayuba. The track incorporated the famous line ‘Ma Jo Fine Girl’ as an adlib, a contribution by Ayuba that added a touch of nostalgia and familiarity for fans of classic Nigerian music.

This fusion of contemporary sounds with a Fuji icon’s vocals proved a winning formula. ‘Raise the Roof’ was a club banger in Lagos and across other states, solidifying its status as one of the signature songs of the early 2000s.

Xteristic’ by Dammy Krane

Dammy Krane officially kicked off his career in 2012 after signing a recording deal with Hypertek Digital, under whose imprint he released the song ‘Xteristic’ in 2013. The 2012 The Headies ‘Rookie of the Year’ winner infused the use of Fuji sound in most of his songs, which earned him street cred from contemporary pop fans and Fuji music fans as well.

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‘Majo’ by Pheelz

In June 2024, the artist and music producer Pheelz released his third studio, Extended Play, which featured the track ‘Majo.’ This song sampled the ‘Ma Jo Fine Girl’ line, repeating it throughout the chorus. This repetition emphasized the enduring popularity of the original phrase and reflected its evolving meaning in contemporary music.

In this context, ‘Ma Jo Fine Girl’ was an invitation to dance and enjoy oneself, demonstrating its continued relevance and ability to evoke a desired feeling or mood among listeners.