Top 10 Afrobeats songs that sampled the classics in 2024

The Afrobeats scene isn’t just making waves; it is redefining classic songs from the past. In 2024, a wave of chart-topping hits sampled classic tunes, breathing new life into beloved melodies.

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.

From the Tems’ ‘Love Me Jeje’ to Asake’s ‘Active’, these artists aren’t just referencing the past but redefining it. These are the top 10 Afrobeats songs that dared to serve as a time machine to the past:

Read also: Afrobeats taps Apala, Fuji to create fresh sound

‘Love Me Jeje’ Tems – ‘Love Me Jeje’ Seyi Sodimu

‘Love Me Jeje’ was a big hit in 1997, the year of its release, and was performed by Seyi Sodimu and featured vocals from singer and actress Shaffy Bello. The lyrics “Love me jeje, love me tender” was one of the most trending lyrics of the late 90s and into the 2000s.

Tems proved she could tap the rich aesthetics of the past as she sampled the lyrics and tune. The song was released on 26 April 2024 via RCA Records and produced by GuiltyBeatz and Spax. It is the second single from her debut studio album, ‘Born in the Wild,’ which was released in 2024.

She previewed the track at her debut Coachella set, and Sodimu was thrilled about the honour. “This made my day,” he wrote on Instagram after the performance. “The beautiful thing about music is that it transcends generations and connects us through time.”

‘Jazzy Song’ Ayra Starr – ‘You Bad’ Wande Coal

Ayra Starr’s ‘Jazzy Song’ from the title looks to be a tribute to her record label boss Don Jazzy. But paying closer attention to the chorus, one will immediately be taken to the year 2009 when Wande Coal released his debut album ‘Mushin 2 Mo’Hits’, an album produced by Don Jazzy during his first spell as a record label head at Mo’Hits Records. The song sampled the second song from the album ‘You Bad,’ which was an instant hit in the 2000s.

Ayra Starr has been one of the standout artists in 2024. Her album was the seventh most streamed album of 2024 on Spotify, and the song raked up over 5 million streams on the platforms.

‘Active’ Asake – ‘Merenge’ Ahaji Rasheed Ayinde

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 42 million streams on Spotify as of the time this article was written. ‘Lungu Boy’ was the second most streamed Nigerian album on Spotify in 2024. Asake also sampled Asa’s ‘Eye Adaba’ on ‘Start’ in the album’s intro.

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‘Olufunmi Reimagined’ Id Cabasa, Fireboy DML, ODUMODUBLVCK, FEAT. BOJ and Joeboy – ‘Olufunmi’ Stylplus

‘Olufunmi’ by Styl-Plus dominated radio waves in the 2000s. Styl-Plus are music group known for hit songs like ‘Imagine That,’ ‘Runaway,’ ‘Four Years,’ and ‘Iya Basira.’ ID Cabasa joined forces with Fireboy DML, OdumoduBlvck, Boj, and Joeboy to breathe new life into the classic with a reimagined version. The song has amassed over 6 million streams on Spotify.

‘Favourite Girl’ Darkoo ft Rema – ‘Love is Wicked’ BRICK & LACE

After the release of his hit album HEIS, Rema featured in Darkoo’s summer hit song ‘Favourite Girl.’ The song samples the rhythm of the popular 2000s pop song ‘Love is Wicked’ by Brick & Lace. The song has amassed over 25 million Spotify streams and is one of the most streamed songs of 2024, with the original version having over 35 million streams.

‘Rodo’ Adekunle Gold – ‘OPON APALA TI SUN’ Musiliu Haruna Ishola

Musiliu Haruna Ishola released the Soyoyo album in 2000. This album refreshed Apala music in a younger and more contemporary climate and produced hits like ‘Ise Oluwa Ko Seni Toye’ and ‘Opon Apala Ti Sun.’ Adekunle Gold released ‘Rodo’, a sample of ‘Opon Apala Ti Sun’ and a mix of Amapiano and Afrobeats, making a dance-friendly tune with a lot of energy. The song amassed over 8 million Spotify streams.

‘ISEOLUWA’ Fireboy DML – ‘ISE OLUWA KO SENI TOYE’ Musiliu Haruna Ishola

Fireboy DML is another artist who sampled the Apala legend Musiliu Ishola and another song from his 2000 album, Soyoyo.

Fireboy DML released his fourth studio album, “Adedamola,” on August 29, 2024. The album, released under YBNL Nation and Empire, includes collaborations with notable artists such as Seun Kuti, Jon Batiste, Lagbaja, Lojay, and DJ Spinall. One of the top songs, “Iseoluwa,” resonated with audiences, especially Yoruba listeners. The song samples Ishola’s “Ise Oluwa Ko Seni Toye,” another classic from his 2000 album.

‘Majo’ Pheelz – ‘Merenge’ Ahaji Rasheed Ayinde and ‘RAISE DA ROOF’ Jazzman Olofin ft Adewale Ayuba

Pheelz released the second phase of the Pheelz Good trilogy series, which experiments with Afrobeats, R&B, soul, and hip-hop.

‘Majo’ explores various subjects, including love and relationships, as well as personal struggles and triumphs. It samples ‘Merenge’ Ahaji Rasheed Ayinde and Jazzman Olofin’s ‘Raise Da Roof.’

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‘Wickedest’ Tems – ‘1er Gaou’ Magic System

Tems’ ‘Born in the Wild’ album has another song that samples a classic gem. This time, she sampled one of the most popular songs of the early 2000s, ‘1er Gaou’ by Magic System. ‘1er Gaou’ was released in 2002 and is one of few Ivorian songs that made waves around West Africa, especially in Nigeria. The song has amassed over 21 million streams on Spotify so far.

Asake ‘C’mon Look’ – K1 De Ultimate’s ‘Won Tun-Nna’

Asake continues to draw inspiration from Fuji music, sampling K1 De Ultimate’s ‘Won Tun-Nna’ (released in 2013) in his latest single, ‘C’mon Look.’