Rapper OdumoduBlvck clinched the prestigious Next Rated award at the 17th Headies Awards, emerging victorious over fellow rising stars Shallipopi, Qing Madi, Ayo Maff, and Nasboi.
The win marks a significant milestone in the rapper’s career, which has been steadily rising since his breakthrough. Afrobeats megastar Davido, a former Next Rated winner himself in 2013, had the honour of presenting the award.
“This award is a gateway,” Davido said. “When I won it, I knew my life was about to change. Wande Coal, Wizkid, all the greats — they’ve been here. Welcome to the club.”
Davido’s words of encouragement came not just onstage but in a viral video that has circulated widely on social media. In the clip, he phoned OdumoduBlvck to personally congratulate him and reiterate the significance of the award.
“You’ve joined a long line of legends, and it means the world is watching now,” Davido said over the call. The Headies’ Next Rated category has long been viewed as a launchpad for musical greatness, with past winners like Rema, Omah Lay, and BNXN going on to command both local and global stages.
OdumoduBlvck’s victory is historic in its own right. He becomes the first rapper to win both the Rookie of the Year and Next Rated awards, a rare feat that underscores his influence in reshaping Nigerian hip hop.
“This is for every street boy who dreams big,” OdumoduBlvck said in his acceptance speech. “I told them we could take hip hop to the next level, and now we’re here.”
His journey from the underground to the forefront of African rap has been powered by gritty storytelling, genre-bending sounds, and an unwavering belief in his craft.
His meteoric rise began in 2022 with the hit single Picanto featuring Zlatan, a song that brought his rugged delivery and streetwise lyricism to the mainstream.
Since then, his catalogue has grown to include acclaimed singles like Declan Rice, which made international waves and soundtracked the English footballer’s high-profile move to Arsenal.
Collaborations with industry giants like Olamide, Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido — most notably on the hit song Five — have only solidified his place as a powerhouse in the game.
In 2025, OdumoduBlvck continues to build on his momentum with the release of his new project The Machine Is Coming, a warm-up to his forthcoming album The Industry Machine.
With his fearless embrace of hardcore rap in an Afrobeats-dominated space, he is not only setting trends but challenging the industry’s boundaries.
“I’m not here to fit in,” he said recently in an interview. “I’m here to change the game.” With the Next Rated trophy now in hand, the rap star is well on his way to doing just that.
