{"id":1843814,"date":"2026-03-24T10:59:53","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T07:59:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1843814"},"modified":"2026-03-24T10:59:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T07:59:53","slug":"zaylevelten-is-leading-a-gen-z-nigerian-rap-revolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1843814","title":{"rendered":"Zaylevelten is leading a Gen Z Nigerian rap revolution"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1069\/0-0-1069-713\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442090.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/music\/article\/69946\/1\/zaylevelten-leading-a-gen-z-nigerian-rap-revolution-spring-2026-interview\" data-article-id=\"69946\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.89\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"IMG_1715\" class=\"img\" height=\"713\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1350\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442090.jpg\" width=\"1350\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Tantolohun Ayanda, styling <span class=\"nowrap\">Daniel Obaweya<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-03-24T10:59:53+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"24 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"24\">24,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - music\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/the-spring-2026-issue\">The Spring 2026 Issue<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/the-spring-2026-issue\">The Spring 2026 Issue<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>Zaylevelten is leading a Gen Z Nigerian <span class=\"nowrap\">rap revolution<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>For our Spring 2026 issue, we caught up with rising Nigerian star to hear how he\u2019s fusing underground rap with the rich lineage of African <span class=\"nowrap\">dance music<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-03-24T10:59:53+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"24 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"24\">24,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-03-24T10:59:53+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"24 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"24\">24,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/solomonpacemccarrick\">Solomon Pace-McCarrick<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span><em>This story is taken from the spring 2026 issue of Dazed, which is on sale internationally now. Order a copy of the magazine\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.boutiquemags.com\/dpa\/add\/tocart\/id\/14592\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>All over the world, Gen Zs are transforming rap music. Terminally online Brits have formed the viral <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69279\/1\/uk-ug-gen-z-brits-reinvented-rap-2025-fakemink-esdeekid-jim-legxacy\">UK Ug<\/a> scene. American rappers like Nettspend and 2slimey have developed a chaotic distortion reflective of information overload online. And Chinese artists like Billionhappy and Sebii have pioneered the Nu China rap scene \u2013 in many ways, the country\u2019s first true youth culture movement. Perhaps less documented, however, is how these generational shifts manifest in Nigeria, which houses one of the largest Gen Z populations of all.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Leading the charge is Ikorudu-born, Lagos-based producer-rapper <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/zaylevelten\/\">Zaylevelten<\/a>, whose musical upbringing was skewed between the pervasiveness of online American rap sonics, and the rich spectrum of African dance music that dominated his physical reality. These influences coalesce on recent mixtape <\/span><em><span>then 1t g0t crazy<\/span><\/em><span>, in which the bouncing basslines of South African gqom are infused with a distortion reminiscent of rage rap 808s and the shuffling rhythms of Nigerian superstar Naira Marley\u2019s street pop are redeployed as a vehicle for hyper-compressed Ug-style rap verses. <\/span><span>\u201cMy music is <\/span><span>the border where hip hop and core Nigerian music meet to procreate the \u2018burti\u2019 [vibe]<\/span><span>,\u201d Zaylevelten tells Dazed. \u201cI mix the influences I get from the Western world with my African roots.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This fusion might come naturally to someone of Zaylevelten\u2019s generation, but it marks a radical shift in Nigerian music. Over the last decade, the country has become synonymous with the pop-adjacent Afrobeats sounds of Wizkid and Burna Boy, but Zaylevelten\u2019s globetrotting collision of Playboi Carti-esque rage rap with the distinct lingo and driving clave rhythms of sub-Saharan Africa represents the country\u2019s sonic future. \u201cI used to save up a gigabyte of data to see what was going on in underground scenes worldwide,\u201d Zaylevelten recalls. \u201cI\u2019ve always wanted to do everything different, whether it\u2019s how I talk, sing, rap or dress.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"fQIMGRclL3I\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fQIMGRclL3I\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>This is particularly apparent in the heady mix of lingo in which Zaylevelten raps, deftly juggling Nigerian Pidgin (\u2018burti\u2019), UK (\u2018calm\u2019) and US (\u2018peak\u2019) slang with words entirely of his own creation (\u2018tenski\u2019) in his verses.\u00a0 \u201cThe lingo is just another way to tell <\/span><em><span>us <\/span><\/em><span>from <\/span><em><span>them<\/span><\/em><span>,\u201d he tells Dazed. Zaylevelten isn\u2019t just bridging worlds in his music; he\u2019s building his own.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Below, rising Nigerian star Zaylevelten further unpacks the origins of this new sound.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s Ikorodu like? Are there many successful artists from there?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Zaylevelten:<\/strong><span> It\u2019s calm, not a bad place to live, and nothing really happens over there. I know there are people like Zlatan, Seyi Vibez, Patorankin, and some other people who came out from there, so there are for sure successful people who came out from Ikorodu.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Where did your name come from?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Zaylevelten: <\/strong>\u2018<span>Zay\u2019 came from a rapper I used to listen to when I was younger. I just liked the name, so I took it. The ten is a reference to how we call things that we perceive as peak: 10s. I added the \u2018level\u2019 in there because I like longer names. My producer friend elemen3 was the first to ever call me tenski, and I liked it so I kept it.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"b346efd2-33e2-43bd-88f9-b41300bb8a22\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1350\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442089.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.89\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"IMG_1703\" class=\"img\" height=\"713\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442089.jpg\" width=\"1350\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">Zaylevelten wears recycled polyester jacket and cotton T-shirt C.P. Company, denim trousers Dsquared2, cotton cap Yasmina Atta, metal glasses Gentle Monster, silver handmade necklace Animate Objects Studio, belt his own, leather and faux-fur shoes <span class=\"nowrap\">Maison Margiela.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"credit\">Photography Tantolohun Ayanda, styling <span class=\"nowrap\">Daniel Obaweya<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>You\u2019ve got a lot of co-signs from the UK scene. Do you have a close relationship with the UK?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Zaylevelten: <\/strong><span>I think there\u2019s an international movement going on, and we all just love what we have going on in our own territories. My management has an imprint in the UK underground and from there everything has just organically been connected. I hope to further strengthen the connection between us when I eventually go there.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you produce your own beats?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Zaylevelten: <\/strong><span>Yeah, like 70 per cent of my last project was my own production. <\/span><span>Although people didn&#8217;t believe it before, we\u2019re doing shows with 1000 people in them, and they\u2019re sold out; it\u2019s definitely the right time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>There\u2019s obviously been a lot of successful Afrobeats artists from Nigeria, but less so from the rap lane. Do you think the scene is still waiting for the right moment?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Zaylevelten: <\/strong><span>The scene is definitely ready now, me and all my guys doing it are ready to take over. Although people didn\u2019t believe it before, we\u2019re doing shows with 1000 people in them and they\u2019re sold out, it\u2019s definitely the right time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>You mentioned there\u2019s a lot of underground rap talent at the moment. Do you think there\u2019s a bit of a movement taking place now?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Zaylevelten:<\/strong><span> No doubt, there\u2019s so much talent in our scene in Nigeria and not even one per cent has been publicly acknowledged yet. Read this again next year, and you\u2019ll see what I mean.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>To learn more about Nigeria\u2019s emerging underground rap scene, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69491\/1\/nigerian-gen-z-rappers-are-coming-for-the-mainstream\">check out this article<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Photographic assistant Theresa Ejembi, styling assistants Lola Amu, Charles Ndiomu and Maia Burt.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! 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class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Kim Gordon selects: What to listen to, watch and read<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69755\/1\/7-of-beabadoobee-s-best-collabs-all-i-did-was-dream-of-you-new-single-2026\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"beabadoobee, \u201ctalk\u201d youtube still\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/312-134-2178-1449\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/9\/1439180.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">7 of beabadoobee\u2019s greatest collabs<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36835\/0\/universal-music-s-brit-awards-afterparty-in-manchester\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Olivia Dean and Lola Young\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-2-3000-1995\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441441.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Photos from the Universal Music\u2019s BRIT Awards afterparty in Manchester<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span><em>This story is taken from the spring 2026 issue of Dazed, which is on sale internationally now. Order a copy of the magazine\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.boutiquemags.com\/dpa\/add\/tocart\/id\/14592\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>All over the world, Gen Zs are transforming rap music. Terminally online Brits have formed the viral <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69279\/1\/uk-ug-gen-z-brits-reinvented-rap-2025-fakemink-esdeekid-jim-legxacy\">UK Ug<\/a> scene. American rappers like Nettspend and 2slimey have developed a chaotic distortion reflective of information overload online. And Chinese artists like Billionhappy and Sebii have pioneered the Nu China rap scene \u2013 in many ways, the country\u2019s first true youth culture movement. Perhaps less documented, however, is how these generational shifts manifest in Nigeria, which houses one of the largest Gen Z populations of all.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Leading the charge is Ikorudu-born, Lagos-based producer-rapper <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/zaylevelten\/\">Zaylevelten<\/a>, whose musical upbringing was skewed between the pervasiveness of online American rap sonics, and the rich spectrum of African dance music that dominated his physical reality. These influences coalesce on recent mixtape <\/span><em><span>then 1t g0t crazy<\/span><\/em><span>, in which the bouncing basslines of South African gqom are infused with a distortion reminiscent of rage rap 808s and the shuffling rhythms of Nigerian superstar Naira Marley\u2019s street pop are redeployed as a vehicle for hyper-compressed Ug-style rap verses. <\/span><span>\u201cMy music is <\/span><span>the border where hip hop and core Nigerian music meet to procreate the \u2018burti\u2019 [vibe]<\/span><span>,\u201d Zaylevelten tells Dazed. \u201cI mix the influences I get from the Western world with my African roots.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This fusion might come naturally to someone of Zaylevelten\u2019s generation, but it marks a radical shift in Nigerian music. Over the last decade, the country has become synonymous with the pop-adjacent Afrobeats sounds of Wizkid and Burna Boy, but Zaylevelten\u2019s globetrotting collision of Playboi Carti-esque rage rap with the distinct lingo and driving clave rhythms of sub-Saharan Africa represents the country\u2019s sonic future. \u201cI used to save up a gigabyte of data to see what was going on in underground scenes worldwide,\u201d Zaylevelten recalls. \u201cI\u2019ve always wanted to do everything different, whether it\u2019s how I talk, sing, rap or dress.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"fQIMGRclL3I\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fQIMGRclL3I\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>This is particularly apparent in the heady mix of lingo in which Zaylevelten raps, deftly juggling Nigerian Pidgin (\u2018burti\u2019), UK (\u2018calm\u2019) and US (\u2018peak\u2019) slang with words entirely of his own creation (\u2018tenski\u2019) in his verses.\u00a0 \u201cThe lingo is just another way to tell <\/span><em><span>us <\/span><\/em><span>from <\/span><em><span>them<\/span><\/em><span>,\u201d he tells Dazed. Zaylevelten isn\u2019t just bridging worlds in his music; he\u2019s building his own.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Below, rising Nigerian star Zaylevelten further unpacks the origins of this new sound.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s Ikorodu like? Are there many successful artists from there?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Zaylevelten:<\/strong><span> It\u2019s calm, not a bad place to live, and nothing really happens over there. I know there are people like Zlatan, Seyi Vibez, Patorankin, and some other people who came out from there, so there are for sure successful people who came out from Ikorodu.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Where did your name come from?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Zaylevelten: <\/strong>\u2018<span>Zay\u2019 came from a rapper I used to listen to when I was younger. I just liked the name, so I took it. The ten is a reference to how we call things that we perceive as peak: 10s. I added the \u2018level\u2019 in there because I like longer names. My producer friend elemen3 was the first to ever call me tenski, and I liked it so I kept it.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"b346efd2-33e2-43bd-88f9-b41300bb8a22\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1350\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442089.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.89\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"IMG_1703\" class=\"img\" height=\"713\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442089.jpg\" width=\"1350\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">Zaylevelten wears recycled polyester jacket and cotton T-shirt C.P. Company, denim trousers Dsquared2, cotton cap Yasmina Atta, metal glasses Gentle Monster, silver handmade necklace Animate Objects Studio, belt his own, leather and faux-fur shoes <span class=\"nowrap\">Maison Margiela.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"credit\">Photography Tantolohun Ayanda, styling <span class=\"nowrap\">Daniel Obaweya<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>You\u2019ve got a lot of co-signs from the UK scene. Do you have a close relationship with the UK?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Zaylevelten: <\/strong><span>I think there\u2019s an international movement going on, and we all just love what we have going on in our own territories. My management has an imprint in the UK underground and from there everything has just organically been connected. I hope to further strengthen the connection between us when I eventually go there.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you produce your own beats?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Zaylevelten: <\/strong><span>Yeah, like 70 per cent of my last project was my own production. <\/span><span>Although people didn&#8217;t believe it before, we\u2019re doing shows with 1000 people in them, and they\u2019re sold out; it\u2019s definitely the right time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>There\u2019s obviously been a lot of successful Afrobeats artists from Nigeria, but less so from the rap lane. Do you think the scene is still waiting for the right moment?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Zaylevelten: <\/strong><span>The scene is definitely ready now, me and all my guys doing it are ready to take over. Although people didn\u2019t believe it before, we\u2019re doing shows with 1000 people in them and they\u2019re sold out, it\u2019s definitely the right time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>You mentioned there\u2019s a lot of underground rap talent at the moment. Do you think there\u2019s a bit of a movement taking place now?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Zaylevelten:<\/strong><span> No doubt, there\u2019s so much talent in our scene in Nigeria and not even one per cent has been publicly acknowledged yet. Read this again next year, and you\u2019ll see what I mean.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>To learn more about Nigeria\u2019s emerging underground rap scene, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69491\/1\/nigerian-gen-z-rappers-are-coming-for-the-mainstream\">check out this article<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Photographic assistant Theresa Ejembi, styling assistants Lola Amu, Charles Ndiomu and Maia Burt.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69946\/1\/zaylevelten-leading-a-gen-z-nigerian-rap-revolution-spring-2026-interview&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1069\/0-0-1069-713\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442090.jpg&#8221;] Photography Tantolohun Ayanda, styling Daniel Obaweya March\u00a0 24,\u00a0 2026 Music \/ The Spring 2026 Issue Music \/ The Spring 2026 Issue Zaylevelten is leading a Gen Z Nigerian rap revolution For our Spring 2026 issue, we caught up with rising Nigerian star to hear how he\u2019s fusing underground rap with the rich [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1843814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1843814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1843814"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1843814\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1843814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1843814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1843814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}