BELLA SHMURDA: Runaway apprentice who defied parents to become ‘New Born Fela’

Truly, life has no manual and the path to greatness is not one way traffic. When a child is born, parents draw life plan and guide the child jealousy from childhood to adulthood with it.

Sometimes, it does not work that way and this is evident in lives of many who did not embark on the normal and generally agreed template of life to become great.

These people dared the normal routine. They climbed the ladder to greatness differently and strived to reach their life goals in their own styles.

While many jumped out of line and become lessons rather than blessings, few selected persons were lucky that fortune smiled on them in their chosen template. And the story of BELLA SHMURDA is not different.

Akinbiyi Abiola Ahmed popularly known as BELLA SHMURDA is a Nigerian singer and a clear evidence that life has many routes to greatness.

The 25-year-old singer who grew up in Okokomaiko, a suburb in Lagos struggled through the limitations of middle-class and the kind of lifestyle his immediate environment, Ojo-Lagos has to offer to gain global prominence.

When Bella Shmurda was asked in an interview with PULSE if he has a secret he has not shared with anybody, the popular singer narrated how he absconded tailoring school as an apprentice.

“I used to be a tailor. When I finished my secondary school my mum put me in a tailoring school but I ran away. I used to be a fashionista. I can cut (fabrics for sewing) as well” – Bella Shmurda in an interview with PULSE.

The graduate of History and International Relations from the prestigious Lagos State University was a low-key singer until he released his debut single, Vision 2020, in 2018.

According to reports, this was the single that attracted popular dancer, Pocolee and linked up Bella Shmurda with music star, Olamide.

The popular rapper and founder of YBNL records, Olamide appeared as a featured artist on the remix of Vision 2020 produced by Music producer, ID Cabasa which received global attention and was widely accepted by fans.

This acceptance was a major breakthrough for Bella Shmurda. The song, CASH APP which was a hit in 2020 after he featured Zlatan Ibile, another music star also contributed to his career growth.

Bella Shmurda released several singles and later embarked on a project, High Tension. The EP is a 7-track project composed of the following singles: Ginger Me, Omnipotent, Liquor, Sho Mo Mi, Amope, Upgrade and Vision 2020.

WITHIN NIGERIA also gathered that he contributed to the creation of Carpie Diem and A Better Time Albums by Olamide and Davido, respectively. He was featured on Triumphant (by Olamide) and Fade Away (by Davido).

Bella Shmurda in 2021 thrilled his fans to hit songs such as Rush, World, Party Next Door (PND), and So Cold. He began work on his sophomore project, High Tension 2.0 and released it on the 7th Of July, 2021.

His second EP is an 8-track project composed of the following singles: Out There, Champion, World, Soldier Go, Far Away, Lako, Rush and Party Next Door

He performed for the first time at The 02 Arena in Wizkid‘s show, held in November 2021.

Bella Shmurda released the single, My Friends in 2022. The video of the single, which was shot and directed by Visuals by Jubreel, was released on the 23rd Of February 2022.

Barely two months, the run-away apprentice and native of Okokomaiko, Ojo-Lagos shocked many fans and well wishers by releasing another hit song titled ‘New Born Fela’.

Bella Shmurda introduced a different pitch and dimension to his craft. He refreshed our memories and appealed to our senses by creating wonderful acts that are known as Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s trademarks.

Coincidentally, Fela Anikulapo Kuti died in August, 1997 and Bella Shmurda was born in January, 1997. It would have been easier to conclude that Fela Anikulapo Kuti came back to life in Bella Shmurda’s form without the 7-month gap.

Yet one can easily posit that the Bella Shmurda is possessed by spirit of Afrobeats legend, Fela Anikulapo. As Shmurda calls himself New Born Fela, Story teller and battery charger, would he be able to wear Fela’s shoes?

Fela Anikulapo was not just a singer, he was a militant and activist who used his music to criticise and correct wrongs in the society. He was assaulted, molested, battered and jailed. He was a great representation of the people. Bella Shmurda, the New Born Fela – the time is now.