Imagine hearing an old song you grew up with, only to hear a younger artist suddenly flip that familiar sound into something completely different.
That is exactly what is happening now by a new generation of artists, who are creating a fresh bridge between Afrobeats’ past and its rapidly changing future.
Sampling is not new to music. Artists have been borrowing melodies, vocals, drums and other elements from older records for decades.
But in Nigeria’s current music scene, something interesting is happening: younger artists are no longer looking only towards records from the 1980s, 1990s or early 2000s.
They are reaching into the 2010s and when you look at the records being revisited, Wizkid’s catalogue keeps appearing.
A new generation of artists in Nigeria are digging into the past, and Wizkid songs are suddenly becoming some of the hottest musical ingredients around.
From Taves to Zaylevelten and Young Jonn, younger artists are taking sounds from Wizkid’s earlier records and giving them a fresh identity.
Why Wizkid Songs Are Finding New Life
Think about it: a song released over a decade ago can suddenly feel new again because another artist found a way to flip it.
That is exactly what is happening with Wizkid songs.
In 2026, Taves sampled “Don’t Dull” on “Uche Jumbo,” connecting a 2011 Wizkid hit with a younger Afrobeats audience. Young Jonn also interpolated “Pakurumo” on “Hold Somebody,” while rising underground artist Zaylevelten sampled and interpolated “Tease Me/Bad Guys” on his 2026 record “Tease Me.”
And it is not only Nigerian artists.
Doja Cat’s 2015 “Sleep on It” used a sample from “Ojuelegba,” while DaBaby later recorded an “Essence Freestyle” over the production of Wizkid and Tems’ global hit. Cash Cobain and Lil Yachty also sampled “Essence” on “NO MORE BODIES.”
That same influence continues with Zen Universe sampling “Come Closer” by Wizkid and Drake, Mavo flipped “The Matter” by Wizkid and Maleek Berry, while Wavestar and STRAFFITTI revisited Wizkid and R2Bees’ 2013 classic “Slow Down.” Scottyolorin has also teased a new snippet titled “MANYA,” showing just how far Wizkid’s catalogue continues to travel.
What Artists Sampling Wizkid Says About Afrobeats
For you as a listener, there is something exciting about hearing a familiar sound in a completely different song.
Artists sampling Wizkid are not simply bringing back old records. They are showing that those records still have something useful to say, musically and culturally.
The younger generation gets inspiration, while older listeners get a reason to revisit songs they already loved.
That creates a bridge between eras.
Wizkid songs have moved from being memories of the early Afrobeats era to becoming raw material for a new one.
And if more younger artists continue looking backwards while creating forwards, music sampling could become one of the defining creative trends of this generation.
From Wizkid to K1 De Ultimate, Nigeria’s Old Sounds Are Finding New Life
The past is not being replaced. It is being reworked, refreshed and introduced to a new audience.
But Wizkid is not the only older Nigerian act finding new life through the younger generation. Kunmie’s 2026 debut album 22 reaches much further back, with “Laye Mi” sampling K1 De Ultimate’s 1985 classic “Show Colour,” while the album’s title track interpolates the Fuji legend’s “Awade.”
Rybeena’s 2025 song “Dewale,” for instance, incorporates vocal elements associated with Fuji star Saheed Osupa, using his distinctive chants and ad-libs as an interpolation rather than a straightforward sample.
The Osupa influence does not stop there. UK-based Nigerian musician OSHAMO sparked the “Shina Rampe” rave in January 2026 with a sample from Osupa’s 2013 record “Mr. Music (Ore Niwon) Pt. 3.”
Trap-leaning Nigerian artist Kayode has also looked back to the Fuji star, sampling Osupa’s 2005 song “Aimoye” for his own track “Aimoye.”
The trend stretches beyond Fuji into other corners of Nigeria’s musical history, with younger acts such as Ayra Starr and Odunsi drawing from the Lijadu Sisters and Ruff Rugged & Raw respectively.
From Wizkid to K1 De Ultimate and Saheed Osupa, the younger generation is showing that Nigeria’s musical past is not locked in history. Old records, vocals, melodies and ideas can be reworked, reshaped and given an entirely new identity for today’s listeners.
