Nigerian-Canadian singer and songwriter, Shopé begins the journey to his EP release with its lead single, Pepper Dem, that’s built on a strategic fusion of his western influences prominent in the song’s soundscape and his Nigerian roots, reflected in the lingo he uses to express his feelings. Featuring fellow Nigerian up and comer, Angeloh, Pepper Dem is the first single from RIKIKI, Shopé’s forthcoming extended play slated for an early October release.
In 2019, Shopé emerged the winner of the CBC Searchlight, a nationwide music competition by the Canadian Broadcasting Commission. He has twice performed at the renowned South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas and this vast experience forms the foundation of his unique approach to music bordering on the maximum utilization of the quirks of his vocals and advanced presentation of his emotions.
Speaking about Pepper Dem, Shopé said,
“I’m at a place where I’m very confident in who I am, no matter how others might feel about it and it has taken me quite a long time to get here,” Shopé says. “I decided to apply that confidence to a love story because I know real, unconditional love is extremely hard to find. But when you know, you know!”
With millions of streams across platforms and a number of co-signs, Shopé is in the process of establishing himself as one of the leading lights of Afrofusion, combining Nigerian and western influences to good effect on his music.