Father U-Turn: a bridge towards afro-hip hop

As the Nigerian artistes’ community mourns Olufemi Mayomi, popularly called Father U-Turn, who died, aged 36, in Lagos yesterday, the rise of the nation’s afro-hip pop in the late 1990s to early 2000s comes to mind.

Father U-Turn

Though a reggae or ragga-dancehall artiste, Father U-Turn would be remembered for his hit song Yetunde at the time there was a gradual explosion of young and dynamic Nigerian artistes such as Daddy Showkey, Daddy Fresh and Sound Soultan, which later energised the emergence of Tony Tetuila, Plantashun Boiz, Azadus, Eedris Abdulkarin and others in the generation of artistes inspired by Kennis Music’s aggressive promotion styles.

For Father U-Turn, a recipients of many awards including the rested Award for Musical Excellence in Nigeria (AMEN), his early albums were released under Ultima Records.

 Father U-Turn who died after a brief illness was born in Kaba-Bunu, Kogi- State.

Other hit songs of the artiste included African Culture’ and ‘Shakara’. May his soul rest in peace. Amen.