This article isn’t meant as an inside scoop on what Rema is working on or aims to drop next. Rather, we’ll be piecing together a series of clues to predict what new era the Afrobeats artist might be bringing listeners into and what could be expected sonically. The world of music is immersive, and a successful artist engages their listeners not only through the music alone but also through various preferred creative channels, such as fashion. And this is to communicate to listeners how they may best prepare themselves for the new era and music. Think about the essence of branding. Think of the essence of a rollout.
The Evolution of Rema
Rema has evolved from his introduction to us by Jonzing World and Mavin Global as that unique kid with a distinct, fashion style synonymous with the alté music scene to the ‘Rave Lordé’ of a community known as Ravers. In recent times, he has slowly transitioned from the Ravage Uprising phase, largely themed in red, and is embracing a darker, edgier new world. Lately, he is donning darker fabrics, primarily black, and brandishing cigarettes like the threat and renegade that he is.
Each project brought its own vogue, which not only stimulated his brand but also helped impress the phase, his music, and his message on listeners.
Here’s how Rema’s wardrobe mirrors his music, the musician’s creative direction, and how it’s changed over time.
Rema’s car freestyle days (2019-2020)
When Rema was gradually launched into the music scene, he was unique, as was his fashion choice—streetwear and bold. He often wore loose tees, baggy jeans, jorts, one or two neckpieces, dangling earrings, and finger accessories. He would sometimes pop out in a face mask, a sweatshirt, or an unhooded hoodie.
In music videos, he donned a simple, short-sleeved tee shirt tucked in jeans or cargo pants, a cross bag, chest rigs, his braided dreadlocks hung free, and a demeanor that ultimately propelled him into the mainstream. By 2020, when he released the Rema compilation, he had established the teddy bear imagery as a trademark to his brand. It came in a variety of sizes and appeared in photo shoots, music videos, and even concerts. Rema claims that “Teddy,” as he often refers to his nonhuman friend, has a sentimental connection to him. He shared the narrative about Teddy on the Afrobeats podcast by Adesope Olajide (shopsydoo).
Endsars protest, Peace of mind, post-debut pipeline (2022-2023)
In the heat of the Endsars movement in October 2020, Rema posted a selfie of himself with shaved hair to show solidarity against the police brutality. Fans were outraged, while a minority understood why he did it. He explained on ‘Capital Xtra’, an American radio show, that “his mind space wasn’t matching his look”. Rema released “Peace of Mind” in December of the same year, a 3-minute track where he bared his emotions, shared how deeply distressed he was, and expressed how the country was driving him nuts. This song also paid homage to those killed by the Endsars movement. In general, Rema’s artistic state, music releases, and fashion choices are avenues that mirror the message he’s trying to pass at the time, inviting fans to peek not only through the lens of his music but through as many outlets as possible.
Rema’s bat symbol has been around for as long as Teddy, but it was only used as an emoji to sign off on captions and messages addressed to the Raver community. According to the artist, he chose the imagery because it serves as a constant reminder of where he’s from—Benin City.
The imagery of the bat started getting incorporated into artworks for projects alongside Teddy. In artwork for tracks such as Peace of Mind, Rema’s symbolic bats are seen flying in the sky, which is reminiscent of Benin City skies. Likewise, Bounce’s artwork shows a supposed young Rema with bat wings fighting off a dragon.
As the Afrorave artist rose to new heights, collaborated with mega stars, and expanded his bag, his distinct style remained, but it had been altered and laced with luxury. He has fallen in love with bandannas, overalls, beanies, tank tops, varsity jackets, sweater vests, neck ties, sweaters, puffers, hoodies, and two pieces—all of which are high-end. Oh, and iced jewelry by Johnydang and A_Jewelers. Going by his lifestyle post-Endsars and even up until the release of his debut, one may assume his mental health improved significantly and his head was back in the game. Well, maybe bits of melancholy for creativity sake.
He grew out his hair and groomed it in handsome ways. Rema’s tattoo is famed for being the most symmetrical amongst his peers, meticulously drawn across his torso and forearms. Its orderliness is what most people find attractive and aesthetically pleasing.
Now, remember the statement about his bag getting bigger? To commemorate his status as a global superstar, the unprecedented success of the Rave & Roses album, and the Ultra Album Phase, Rema unveiled a custom chain, dubbed “The Ornament of Ravery,” in a short dramatic video clip with a text overlay that read, “THIS IS NOT A CHAIN, IT’S AN ARTEFACT.” The esteemed A Jewellers worked on the artefact for over 840 painstaking hours to bring it to life.
The chain drew elements from the debut album art and has become a significant symbol for him and his fans.
RAVAGE UPRISING (2023-2024)
Rema has inferred countless times that his outward appearance is typically a consequence of what he feels inside—both emotionally and mentally. As he bids farewell to his iconic debut album era, he prepares fans for the next. Rema shared a video on social media on October 22nd last year that doubled as a declaration of a new era and a new project—Ravage Ep. The one-minute video embraces dreary, dull red, and a silhouette of Rema with a punk hairstyle dances to the unreleased music in the background. A sequence of atomic explosions unfolds in the backdrop, but the artist silhouette raves on in the midst of smoke, embers, and sparks from an unknown fire source. He followed up with more unreleased music, sticking to the same formula as ‘DND’. The videos are packed with punk-rock-inspired themes: bizarre, rebellious, energetic, and edgy. Rema is adorned with a black cloak and combat boots. With Teddy’s brief demise, the bat imagery takes on a more prominent role, and everything gets darker; we see bat wings sticking out of the musician’s back and spreading all the way.
Growing up, an artist’s great success was often tied to selling their soul to the devil through a cult known as the “Illuminati.” Rema’s avant-garde symbol choices, combined with his global fame, have earned him these claims. Many consider such art expressions excessively unorthodox, particularly in Nigeria, where the artist is from. Elements such as the Ravage Ep artwork, the bats, odd social media posts, and his 02 Arena performance fuel the allegations leveled against him.
Gothic Rave Lordé (2024)
Originally, the word “Goth” dates as far back as 300 AD. It described nomadic Germanic tribes known as the Visigoths and Ostrogoths. These tribes played a significant role in the decline of the Roman Empire. However, over time, the term “Goth” took on a negative connotation, becoming associated with barbarism and destruction. By the nineteenth century, the definition of goth had become clear, referring to a subculture characterized by dark, gloomy, and garish elements.
Here are reasons as to why we think Rema might be in a goth-inspired moment, ushering us into a world where blackness is synonymous with light.
1. Rema’s new bat logo
Okay. It’s sick! And if we’re being honest, it isn’t archetypal creative expressions of the Afrobeats genre, but Afrorave? Absolutely!
On June 18th, Rema posted a logo of a bat on his Instagram story—not the typical image of a bat, but its skeletal remains that appeared to be carved from metal rather than bones. The logo as it appears is a gothic illustration of a bat, perhaps skeletal, but with sharp outlines like it’s made of metal. Its thin ribs and long spine stretch out dramatically, like wings. The bat’s skull has empty sockets for eyes, and it appears to be screaming silently. We think it’s relatively creepy and dark. And what other genre is known for expressing art in this form?
2. He is refashioning. A whole lot of black
Lately, we’ve seen Rema build on the existing Ravage wardrobe, acquiring and popping out in more darker outfits. In a video circulating of the global star at Louis Vuitton’s Menswear Spring/Summer 2025 show as part of Paris Fashion week, Rema was asked for a styling tip, and he said, “Black is safe.” He now has a teardrop piercing and a new habit of smoking cigarettes. Many have critiqued him, however, labeling him a fake geeker (an internet slang for a person who is disingenuous and lacks the genuine zeal of true enthusiasts of a particular interest). But who cares, really, as long as the aesthetic strengthens this whole new phase? Smoke away, Remy boy!
3. Afrobeats Bruce Wayne
Rema has dubbed himself a lot of names, like the Prince of Afrobeats, HIM, Rave Lordé, and Afrobeats Bruce Wayne, amongst others. Bruce Wayne is… Hold on, let’s not kid? We’ll presume you know who Bruce Wayne is. Bruce Wayne is Batman, from the DC Comics’s Batman comic series. Rema’s allegory makes a lot of sense, given that he’s Batman. Get it?
Two days before the release of his first single, since he’d given us a glimpse into this era, the artist shared a video. A figure believed to be Rema is seen cloaked, standing on a rooftop in a dimly lit city—perhaps rave city—with his own bat signal as sinister music crescendos in the background. In the comics, the giant rooftop spotlight serves as a summoning signal by the police, specifically Commissioner Gordon, as a symbol of hope to the citizens of Gotham when seen in the night sky, and as an intimidation tactic on criminals, but in Rema’s case, his peers and community of ravers.
4. BENIN BOYS
Rema’s first official single, “Benin Boys,” confirms that the artist is indeed infusing goth—a subculture of punk rock—into his music. From the fashion choice of Rema and the featured artist, Shallipopi, to the artwork of the song, and the bleak music video littered with flying bats and battered with neon lights.
