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There are musicians, and there are multi-talented artists who are committed to exploring all parts of their creativity, whether it is as musicians or as filmmakers. From contributing to films as soundtrack producers to starring in blockbusters across the film industry, Nigerian musicians have shown they are creatives who can do it all.
With music stars like Burna Boy and Tiwa Savage branching out into filmmaking to further tell African stories – here are five Nigerian musicians who have debuted in the movie industry either as filmmakers or as actors.
Tiwa Savage
Before she made her producer debut on ‘Water and Garri,’ Tiwa Savage debuted on MTV Shuga season 3 and later starred on Funke Akindele’s series, ‘Jenifa Dairy.’
With her debut film, showing exclusively on Prime Video, Tiwa Savage showcases improved acting and vivid cinematography in her latest collaboration with music video director Meji Alabi, ‘Water & Garri.’
Burna Boy
Years after solely focusing on his career as a musician and succeeding at leading the way as one of Africa’s best-performing artistes, Burna Boy is diversifying into film production with ‘Three Cold Dishes.’
The thriller film, which will be executively produced through Spaceship Films and co-produced by Black Mic Mac, tells the story of three teenagers who were sold into the sex trade and reunited 13 years later to plot their revenge.
JJC Skillz
The world’s first introduction to JJC Skillz was as a musician and producer. From co-founding Big Brovas Records to co-producing hit tracks, including Weird MC’s Ijoya, the music star had done it all in music. In the late 2010s, he directed his first set of films, which included Funke Akindele’s, Jenifa’s Diary.
In 2020, alongside Funke Akindele, he directed one of Nollywood’s highest-grossing films, ‘Omo Ghetto: The Saga,’ which amassed over N600 million at the box office.
Falz
‘Which musician do you know is havin’ AMVCA?’ As of 2024, Falz currently has two AMVCAs. In 2016, he won the AMVCA award for ‘Best Actor in a Comedy Movie/Series’ for his role as Segun in Funke Akindele’s TV series Jenifa’s Diary. On September 1, 2018, he won ‘Best Supporting Actor’ for his role as Quam in Tope Oshin Ogun’s movie ‘New Money.’
Over the years, he has gained critical acclaim for these roles and has gone on to feature in films like 10 Days in Sun City, Brotherhood, Merry Men, Quam’s Money and Chief Daddy.
Reminisce
The first time we witnessed Reminisce as an actor was in Kemi Adetiba’s ‘King of Boys.’ The rap star who made a huge impression and received critics’ praise for his character as ‘Makanaki’ set the bar for villains in new age Nollywood films.
Illbliss
Like Reminisce, our first introduction to Illbliss as an actor was on Kemi Adetiba’s ‘King of Boys.’ The rapper played the role of Odogwu Malay, a role that has earned him praise from critics and fans.
In 2024, he ventured into production as a co-producer on the Showmax Original Freemen. The seven-part documentary explores the Igbo Apprenticeship System featuring prominent Igbo businessmen such as Dr Anene Okeke, Dr Cosmas Maduka aka Coscharis, Obi Cubana, Ndubuisi Ekekwe, Okey Japan, Bartholomew Duru Nwanguma and more.
Chike
Chike broke into the entertainment industry by appearing on music competition shows like Project Fame and The Voice. Since then, he has honed his craft as an artiste and found success, making him one of the few music competition contestants to garner mainstream success.
Alongside conquering the world of music, Chike has ventured into Nollywood with roles in the Africa Magic Showcase telenovela ‘Battleground’ and Jade Osiberu’s ‘Gangs of Lagos.’
Waje
Waje made her acting debut in 2014 with a feature on Stanlee Ohikhuare’s film ‘Tunnel,’ which tells the story of a young pastor’s struggle on his journey to ultimate fulfilment. Five years after her debut, she launched a media company, Hermanes Media, with her longtime friend Omawumi. In the same year, the media company produced the Nollywood blockbuster ‘She Is,’ which had Somkele Idhalama as the lead actress.
Although the company has not produced any other films since then, Waje has gone on to feature in other films, including Funke Akindele’s drama series, ‘She Must Be Obeyed.’
Peter Okoye
Amidst solo pursuit by the music duo P-Square, Peter Okoye pursued his passion for acting with a debut role in Genevieve Nnaji’s 2018 film, ‘Lionheart.’ In recent times, alongside releasing music, he has featured in Ini Edo’s 2023 thriller blockbuster, ‘Shanty Town.’
Banky W
Fan’s first introduction to Banky W as an actor was in The Wedding Party(2016), where he played the lead role alongside his now-wife Adesua Etomi. The couple thrilled fans with a two-part film that broke box office records. Subsequently, he has featured in films such as ‘Sugar Rush’ and ‘Up North.’
The post 10 Nigerian Musicians Who Have Ventured Into The Movie Industry appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.
