Why Sampling Traditional Nigerian Music Is The Smartest Move In 2025

2025 is off to a bang, and Nigerian megastar Davido is at the forefront of it as usual. His recently released fifth album, 5ive has enjoyed widespread commercial success with records like 10 Kilo and Titanium ft. Chris Brown, Be There Still, Holy Water and Offa Me are quickly becoming fan favourites. 

However, one record stands heads and shoulders above the rest. Davido’s much-anticipated collaboration with Omah Lay, With You, has been an instant and overwhelming success. At the time of this writing, the record has spent a fourth consecutive week at No. 1 on the Official Nigeria Top 100, tallying 4.14 million on-demand streams (#1 on streaming) and 99.6 million in radio reach (#1 on radio), according to TurnTable Charts. It was also the most-streamed record on Nigerian YouTube in the week of May 9–May 15. Chartdata also reports that the record has sold over 10,000 RIAA units in the United States. Not to forget, the song broke the record for most first-week streams for any song in Spotify Nigeria’s history (4.98 million).

The overwhelming success of the record is compelling evidence that sampling traditional Nigerian sounds is more than a creative choice; it’s a business strategy. 

READ MORE: How Davido’s ‘5ive’ Album Reflects His Legacy As Afrobeats’ Most Selfless Hitmaker

Nigerian music finds itself in the middle of what some have described as a cultural recession in 2025, and after a flurry of major international hits and Grammy wins, some critics argue that Nigerian pop has started to plateau creatively. Fans are craving freshness, and ironically, it’s the past that’s delivering it. Artists who can effectively incorporate folklore, highlife, Fuji, and other traditional genres into contemporary productions have been provided with a working formula to ensure critical acclaim and commercial success. 

With You, produced by super producer Tempoe, samples the classic hit record Because of English by Nigerian music legend Bright Chimezie. The record combines the melodic fusion of Highlife and Funk, popularised in the 1970s and 80s in Nigeria, to deliver a record that is now a fan favourite.

The song weaves traditional Nigerian folk elements with contemporary and futuristic Afrobeats production, creating a sonic experience that is nostalgic and fresh. The song’s rhythmic foundation draws clear inspiration from traditional percussion patterns, while the melodies pay homage to highlife’s characteristic guitar sensibilities. With You doesn’t simply borrow these elements as aesthetics; the folk inspirations are fundamental to the song’s identity.

The trend is bigger than one song

The single is the latest growing trend of Nigerian stars drawing inspiration from old Nigerian music. Tems sampled Seyi Sodimu’s 1997 classic song Love Me Jeje for the Grammy-winning song of the same title. Asake also sampled Jazzman Olofin and Adewale Ayuba’s Raise the Roof for his Sarz-produced single Active feat. Travis Scott. 

Rema’s Baby(Is It a Crime) is the most-streamed Nigerian song of 2025 on Spotify. It is also the second most-streamed song by a Nigerian artist in 2025 on YouTube, with 14 million streams. The single sample is the record Is It A Crime from the iconic Promise album by Nigerian-British singer-songwriter Sade.

The market response to these records validates the financial and creative wisdom of sampling traditional sounds. With You in particular has achieved impressive streaming numbers, with its success mirroring the pattern we’ve seen with other recently released, traditionally influenced Nigerian songs. Seyi Vibez’s Different Pattern comes to mind.

Why it’s a win for artists

The Nigerian music industry is incredibly competitive and overly saturated. Standing out from the pack is super important, and sampling offers a workaround for leveraging familiarity with the audience and building instant connection in a scene that thrives on streaming numbers and audience validation. 

When an artist samples a classic, they’re tapping into a cesspool of culture, melodies and rhythm. This is a marketing hack in some way. A sample triggers nostalgia in older listeners while intriguing newer listeners who may be hearing the melody for the first time.

Davido and Omah Lay’s With You thrives on this formula. By sampling Because of English by Bright Chimezie, the record triggers nostalgia amongst listeners who grew up with highlife while giving new fans a new experience through the Afropop lens. This means the listener base of the record cuts across two demographics, maximising streams, airplays, and cultural impact in one fell swoop.

This proves that nostalgia continues to be an undefeated marketing currency in pop culture and why samples will continue to excel in today’s ecosystem.

Why this matters for the future of Afrobeats

Beyond commercial success, these records serve a cultural purpose. As Afrobeats continues to tailor itself to international expectations, sampling traditional Nigerian music introduces younger listeners—in Nigeria and the diaspora—to the rich musical heritage that exists. Each sample becomes a gateway that invites listeners to explore the original work and the cultural contexts that produced them.

These musical bridges help maintain connections to cultural roots that might otherwise fade across generations due to a lack of proper documentation in Nigerian music. When artists of Davido and Omah Lay’s calibre incorporate these samples into chart-topping hits, they’re preserving cultural touchstones and ensuring their sustained relevance in an increasingly globalised music scene.

READ MORE: Here Are 3 Proven Strategies Afrobeats Music Executives Should Try In 2025

This bridging effect extends beyond just listening preferences but across generations. When younger listeners develop an appreciation for Nigerian folk music through songs like With You, they are more likely to explore Nigeria’s rich musical heritage independently. This creates a cycle where commercial success drives cultural preservation, which in turn inspires innovation.

With You demonstrates the vast potential of sampling Nigerian folk and traditional music. However, it has only scratched the surface of the country’s extensive musical traditions. Genres like Juju, Apala, Sakara, and numerous regional sounds and styles remain untapped resources for Nigerian pop stars and producers to sample. Specific traditional instruments offer distinctive sonic textures that could provide fresh inspiration for forward-thinking producers.

In 2025, sampling traditional Nigerian music is not just a wise move; it’s a working formula, and Davido and Omah Lay’s With You is a testament to how this approach can yield both commercial success and cultural significance. By creating music that speaks to multiple generations simultaneously, these artists aren’t just producing hits; they’re facilitating cultural conversations.

For artists navigating Nigeria’s competitive and saturated music industry, exploring traditional sounds through sampling is forward-looking and respectful of our rich musical heritage. The formula creates distinctive sonic identities in a landscape often criticised for familiarity and monotony. The result is music that feels refreshingly familiar and new. A devastating combination that audiences across generations will embrace with open arms.

The future of Afrobeats is in its past. By mining Nigeria’s rich musical heritage, today’s artists aren’t just creating hits for 2025; they’re setting the stage for a more culturally connected musical future. In a time when Afrobeats seems to be at a creative crossroads, the answer may be in the rhythms our parents once danced to.