Tupac Shakur, who died on September 13, 1996, of gunshot wounds received in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, has an evergreen musical collection.
The 10 most streamed 90s songs have been released, according to Victor Okpala, Spotify’s Artiste and Label Partnerships Manager for West Africa.
The “Still D.R.E” song by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, according to Okpala, was the second-most streamed song from the 1990s in Nigeria in 2022.
He listed others as Tupac’s “Dear Mama”; Coolio, L.V.’s “Gangsta”; Tupac and Dr. Dre’s “Roger- California Love (Original Version)”; Celine Dion’s “Because You Loved Me (Theme from “Up Close and Personal).
He said others were: Tupac’s “Do For Love”; Tupac and Talent’s “Changes”; Lucky Dube’s “It’s Not Easy (Remastered)” and Boyz II Men’s “End of The Road”.
“A step further back into the 90s throws us straight into palm trees and the golden age of West Coast Hip-Hop, the top tracks are dominated by rap, as 2pac leads the pack with some of his best-known classics, including Hit Em Up and California Love.
“This nostalgic feeling for the era builds on a deep love for the genre and its sub-cultures that is even reflected in the styles of new wave artists like PrettyBoy DO.
“Tapping into another aspect of Nigerian 90s nostalgia is Lucky Dube’s “It’s Not Easy”, a song that has maintained strong fandom since it crossed over from South Africa as a message of struggle and hope, and is still poignant in current times,” he said.
Okpala noted that the most streamed track from the 2000s on Spotify in Nigeria in 2022 is Beyonce’s “Halo”.
He listed others as Eminem’s “Mockingbird”; Dido and Eminem’s “Stan”; 50 Cent’s “In Da Club”; Styl Plus’s “Olufunmi”; 9ice’s “Gongo Aso”; Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj’s “High School”; Jay Z and Rihanna’s “Umbrella”; D’banj’s “Fall In Love” and Mario’s “Let Me Love You”.
“Looking at the top songs from earlier decades, it is also clear that old sentiments stand strong as shown by Lucky Dube’s “Remember Me” being the most streamed song from the 80s in Nigeria this year.
“Likewise, the influence of nostalgia in broader pop culture is playing a role in bringing that music to new listeners,” he said.