In recent years, popular Nigerian Actor Kanayo O Kanayo has been one of the most referenced figures in Nigerian pop culture. The legendary actor’s career spans decades, with more than one hundred appearances made on the silver screen. Kanayo O Kanayo acquired fame in the early 2000s through his excellent delivery in his acting roles, most especially, in roles where he played a fast money-schemed ritual killer- a role in which the actor played frequently and remarkably.
Due to the actor’s typecasted role as a ritual killer who makes a plethora of human sacrifices to acquire wealth in Nollywood movies, he often gets referenced by Afrobeats artists, digital media, tabloids, and meme creators who creatively align their content with the actor’s infamous onscreen persona (most times, these contents revolve around quick money making schemes and “sacrifices”).
For this listicle, we will be focusing on ten times where the Actor has been referenced in an Afrobeats song. Enjoy as you read.
Phyno, Olamide – Ghost Mode
‘Ghost Mode’ was a very popular song in 2014 that was performed by indigenous Nigerian rappers Phyno and Olamide. The song raved the airplay during its reign and was a lip sync favourite amongst fans. A particular line coined by Olamide in ‘Ghost Mode’ references the popular Nollywood actor. On the song, Olamide belts: “Kanayo Kanayo lemi mo kana gan Gbena woju mi wa mo pe Sango no be dragon”. In this rhyme scheme, the rapper simply cited the Nollywood actor’s ruthlessness and compared it to his, indicating that he is just as malevolent as the character Kanayo O Kanayo fondly plays on screen.
Adekunle Gold – Ogaranya
Adekunle Gold’s ‘Ogaranya’ is probably the most recent reference. In the beautifully written song, Adekunle Gold isn’t specifically detailed about his mention, but the name dropped by the Afrobeats singer is nevertheless a notable reference as the title of the song means a rich man in the Igbo Language- a character Kanayo Kanayo is best at portraying.
Zlatan Ibile – Ko Easy Worldwide
“Ti Bata gan yo (Je’omo) do something do something Mo de fe make marble bi Kanayo Kanayo” is a line from Talented street artist Zlatan Ibile and it comes off his single titled ‘Ko Easy Worldwide’. In the song, the rapper likens his ambitions to making wealth with the actors while implementing marble as a metaphor for money.
Snazzy grin, Bryt Tino – Olofofo
‘Olofofo’ is a song by up-and-coming Afrobeats musical act Snazzy Grin which features another budding musical act, Bryt Tino. In the song, Snazzy Grin opts for a different approach. He kicks against ritual practices and instead encourages honesty and hard work with lyrics like “No fit rob like Zubby Michael, I dey use my head yes I dey use my mic oh. No go dey do ritual like Kanayo Kanayo.”
Dj Papichulo – Obi Cubana
‘Obi Cubana’ is a song by disk jockey and performing act DJ Papichulo and it is yet another song that highlights Kanayo O Kanayo’s symbolic significance with affluence and wealth with lines such as “Cuz the money is well invested see men dey for east They be on tins. Chief Priest always on Gee, Kanayo Kanayo got the keys”.
