Roots of LoJay

Nigerian singer and songwriter Ayra Starr has recorded material for two studio albums and one extended play, and has been featured on songs by other artists. After uploading covers and original compositions to Instagram, she was discovered by Mavin Records founder Don Jazzy, who signed her to the label in 2019 following a direct message exchange. She spent over a year in artist development before releasing her self-titled debut EP Ayra Starr on 22 January 2021. The five-track record merges elements of R&B and neo-soul with Afropop percussive rhythms, addressing themes of romance, heartbreak, and empowerment from a teenage perspective. Starr co-wrote four of the five songs with her brother Oluwadamilare Aderibigbe, while working primarily with producers Louddaaa, Dayogrey, and Don Jazzy. The EP spawned the single "Away", which spent two consecutive weeks at number four on Nigeria's TurnTable Top 50 chart and peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Top Triller Global chart.

Hillary Dennis Udanoh, known professionally as Odeal, is a British singer-songwriter of Nigerian origin. He rose to prominence with the release of the song "Soh-Soh" which peaked at 3 on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart, peaked at 12 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs, and peaked at 42 on the Nigeria Official Top 100 Songs. On 2 September 2025, Billboard named Odeal as its African Rookie of the Year.