oSHAMO is a Nigerian-born, UK-based artist pioneering a new wave of Fuji-inspired music. Born Idris Lawal Oluwadamilare in Agege, Lagos, in 2003, he grew up listening to Fuji legends like King Wasiu Ayinde and Baba Ara, an influence that would later become central to his own sound. His stage name traces back to a nickname his secondary school friends gave him after he repeatedly sang the outro of an Olamide song.
At 16, oSHAMO moved to the UK, where he built a strong online following during lockdown, initially performing UK-influenced rap that he later admitted felt unpolished and disconnected from who he really was. His breakthrough came with Why You Lying (2023), a viral anthem that led to his signing, and a shift toward music rooted more directly in his Nigerian identity.
That shift crystallized with his first Fuji record, Superfuji (Gobe), which went viral and set the direction for his debut EP, First of My Kind (2024), and its follow-up, IDRIS (2025). Both projects blend Fuji, Afrobeats, hip-hop, and Amapiano, drawing on his upbringing between Agege and Sango as much as his years navigating the UK music scene.
With singles like Life of the Party and SuperFuji surpassing a million streams, and performances ranging from Abbey Road to the Royal Albert Hall, oSHAMO was named to Shazam's Fast Forward 2026 class and Afrocritik's Emerging Artistes to Watch list. He continues to position Fuji, the genre he says birthed modern Afrobeats, on a global stage.
