Rema – Rema Compilation: The Project That Captured His Early Rise

Before Rema became a global Afrobeats superstar, there was a period when the young Nigerian artist was releasing music at an incredible pace and steadily building his identity.

In 2019, Rema introduced himself with his self-titled Rema EP, followed by Freestyle EP and Bad Commando. Each project showed another side of his developing sound and helped establish him as one of the most exciting young artists in Nigerian music.

In 2020, Rema brought that early chapter together with Rema Compilation.

Released on July 9, 2020, through Mavin Records and Jonzing World, Rema Compilation is a 10-track project running for approximately 32 minutes. It combines some of the most important songs from Rema’s early EPs with newer material that pointed toward the next stage of his career.

Rather than being a traditional studio album, the compilation works as a snapshot of Rema’s development during the first years of his career.

Rema – Rema Compilation Tracklist

The project contains 10 songs:

1. Iron Man
2. Beamer (Bad Boys) feat. Rvssian
3. Corny
4. Dumebi
5. Why
6. Lady
7. Alien
8. Woman
9. American Love
10. Ginger Me

The tracklist brings together music from different points in Rema’s early run, while also introducing songs that were part of his 2020 era.

That makes Rema Compilation particularly interesting when listened to in chronological context.

It doesn’t simply revisit the past.

It also begins pointing toward the future.

A Collection of Rema’s Early Identity

The opening song, “Iron Man,” immediately takes listeners back to the beginning.

Originally released on Rema EP, “Iron Man” became one of the songs that helped establish Rema as an artist with a distinctive sound.

Its atmospheric production and melodic delivery showed that Rema wasn’t interested in following a straightforward Afrobeats formula.

The song became even more significant after being included on former U.S. President Barack Obama’s 2019 summer playlist, giving the young Nigerian artist additional international attention.

Looking back, its placement at the beginning of Rema Compilation makes sense.

It represents where the story started.

“Beamer (Bad Boys)” Brings a New Energy

The second track is “Beamer (Bad Boys),” featuring Jamaican producer and artist Rvssian.

Unlike several of the songs carried over from Rema’s earlier EPs, “Beamer” represented a newer stage in his development.

The song was released as a single in February 2020 and was produced by Rvssian.

Its inclusion on the compilation helped demonstrate that Rema’s ambitions were becoming increasingly international.

The collaboration with Rvssian also showed that Rema was beginning to connect his Nigerian sound with producers and artists outside the country.

“Corny”

Next comes “Corny,” another song originally featured on Rema’s debut EP.

The record highlights Rema’s romantic side and his ability to create softer Afropop records without losing his personality.

Placed alongside songs like “Iron Man” and “Dumebi,” “Corny” helps demonstrate the variety that was already present in Rema’s earliest music.

It also shows how comfortable he was switching between different moods.

“Dumebi” — The Breakout

Then comes the song that changed everything.

“Dumebi” became one of the defining records of Rema’s early career.

The energetic Afropop track helped introduce him to a much wider audience and became one of the biggest songs from his 2019 breakout period.

Its catchy melody and youthful energy made it an immediate fan favorite.

Even years later, “Dumebi” remains one of the songs most closely associated with Rema’s emergence.

Its inclusion on Rema Compilation therefore feels essential.

If “Iron Man” represents the beginning of Rema’s story, “Dumebi” represents the moment when people started paying serious attention.

“Why”

The fifth track, “Why,” takes listeners back to the debut EP once again.

The song shows Rema’s ability to move between singing and rap-influenced delivery while exploring heartbreak and relationship problems.

It is another reminder that Rema’s early catalog wasn’t built around one sound.

Even before he became known globally for his Afrofusion and Afrorave approach, he was already experimenting with different styles.

“Lady”

“Lady” follows with a more romantic Afropop sound.

Originally released on Bad Commando, the song demonstrates another side of Rema’s songwriting and vocal delivery.

The record is lighter and more affectionate, showing the versatility that became one of the strongest characteristics of his early work.

By placing “Lady” next to songs like “Why” and “Dumebi,” the compilation gives listeners a broad view of the young artist’s abilities.

A New Era Begins With “Alien”

The seventh song, “Alien,” is where the compilation starts feeling more like a bridge to Rema’s future.

Released in June 2020, “Alien” arrived after Rema had already established himself as one of Nigeria’s most promising young stars.

The song continued his experimentation with unusual production and melodic structures.

The title itself also fits the otherworldly aesthetic that had begun appearing throughout Rema’s music and visual identity.

By this point, Rema wasn’t simply trying to prove that he could make hit songs.

He was building a world around his music.

“Woman”

The eighth track is “Woman,” another important record from Rema’s 2020 period.

Released as a single in July 2020, “Woman” brought a more accessible Afropop sound to the project while maintaining Rema’s distinctive melodic approach.

The song became another recognizable release from this period and showed that Rema could move between experimental records and more straightforward Afropop songs.

Its placement toward the end of the compilation also makes the project feel less like a simple collection of old songs.

The newer records gradually take over.

“American Love”

The ninth song, “American Love,” comes from Rema’s Freestyle EP era.

The record showcases the international influences that had been appearing throughout his early music.

Rema’s ambition was never limited to making music for one audience.

Even in his earliest releases, he was interested in connecting Nigerian sounds with global influences.

That vision would become increasingly important as his career developed.

“Ginger Me” Closes the Project

The final track is “Ginger Me.”

Released in June 2020, the song was produced by The Elements and became one of the key songs associated with Rema’s 2020 period.

Ending the compilation with “Ginger Me” is significant because it leaves listeners with a glimpse of where Rema was heading next.

The record has a smoother and more mature feel compared with some of his earliest material.

It sounds like an artist who had grown considerably since the release of Rema EP just over a year earlier.

More Than Just a Compilation

At first glance, Rema Compilation could easily be dismissed as simply a collection of previously released songs.

But its importance goes beyond that.

The project effectively documents Rema’s evolution between 2019 and 2020.

It brings together songs from his debut Rema EP, Freestyle EP and Bad Commando, while also incorporating newer releases from his 2020 period.

That makes the project useful for understanding how quickly his sound was changing.

Listeners can hear the young artist from 2019 alongside the more confident and internationally minded Rema emerging in 2020.

Rema Was Already Thinking Globally

By 2020, Rema’s ambitions were becoming increasingly clear.

Apple Music’s Up Next feature highlighted his rapid rise and his genre-bending approach, while Rema spoke about his desire to take African music to the world.

That vision is important when listening to Rema Compilation today.

The project doesn’t sound like an artist who was satisfied with simply becoming another successful Nigerian singer.

Rema was already developing a sound that could travel.

The combination of Afrobeats, trap, pop, electronic textures and international influences would eventually become one of the defining characteristics of his career.

The Beginning of a Bigger Album Era

Rema Compilation also marked the end of an early chapter.

After releasing multiple EPs and establishing himself with songs like “Dumebi,” “Iron Man,” “Beamer (Bad Boys)” and “Woman,” Rema was preparing for a much larger project.

That project would eventually become his debut studio album, Rave & Roses.

However, fans would have to wait until 2022 for the album.

In the meantime, Rema continued releasing singles, collaborating with international artists and expanding his sound.

The compilation therefore sits in an interesting place within his discography.

It closes the first chapter while pointing directly toward the next one.

Why Rema Compilation Still Matters

The importance of Rema Compilation isn’t necessarily about whether it should be considered Rema’s best project.

Instead, its value comes from what it documents.

It captures the period when Rema went from a promising teenager with a viral song to an artist with serious international potential.

The 10-song project includes records from several stages of his early career and allows listeners to hear that progression in one sitting.

From “Iron Man” to “Ginger Me,” the story is essentially one of rapid artistic growth.

Final Thoughts

Rema – Rema Compilation is an important bridge in the story of Rema’s career.

Released on July 9, 2020, the 10-track project brought together songs from his early EPs while adding newer records that showed where his music was heading next.

With “Iron Man,” “Beamer (Bad Boys),” “Dumebi,” “Lady,” “Alien,” “Woman,” and “Ginger Me” among its highlights, the compilation offers a concise look at the foundations of Rema’s artistry.

It captures a young artist experimenting with sound, building a unique identity and gradually expanding his audience beyond Nigeria.

And while Rema Compilation wasn’t his debut album, it served an important purpose: it closed the first chapter of Rema’s career and prepared listeners for something much bigger.

That bigger chapter would arrive with Rave & Roses.

Next in the Rema project series: Rema – Rave & Roses.