Reminisce

EARLY LIFE

Remilekun Safaru was born on 26 January 1981 in Kaduna, northern Nigeria. His family roots are in Ajilete, Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State. He moved to Lagos with his family around age six or seven. His parents separated; he lived with his mother until her death when he was 13, after which he shuttled between his stepmother and grandmother. He grew up in a large family with about a dozen siblings; many attended Comprehensive High School in Aiyetoro, Ogun State. He developed an early love for music, inspired first by Michael Jackson and later by hip-hop artists such as Nas, 2Pac, Jay-Z, and Snoop Dogg. In school he performed and once received a standing ovation for miming 2Pac’s “Hit ’Em Up.” He studied Purchasing and Supply at Kwara State Polytechnic, deliberately choosing a shorter programme so he could return to music more quickly.

CAREER

Reminisce began recording around 2006 and worked with the Coded Tunes collective, but an early album went unreleased as he focused on completing his studies. He returned in 2008 with a feature on 9ice’s “Bachelor’s Life” from the album Gongo Aso. Early singles included “Ever Since” (featuring 9ice) and “If Only.” His breakthrough came with the street anthem “Kako Bi Chicken,” which fused rap, fuji, and electronic elements and marked his successful shift toward indigenous (Yoruba) rap. Studio albums: Book of Rap Stories (2012) Alaga Ibile (2013) – major commercial success that cemented his “Alaga Ibile” moniker Baba Hafusa (2015) – debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard World Albums chart (first African hip-hop artist to achieve this) El-Hadj (2016) – also charted on Billboard World Albums (No. 13) Later projects include the EP Vibes & Insha Allah (2020, featuring Fireboy DML and Tiwa Savage), Sui Generis (2023), and ATSG, Vol. 1 (2023). He is regarded as a pioneer of commercially successful indigenous rap alongside artists such as Olamide and Phyno. He has served as a brand ambassador for Samsung and Orijin. In acting, he made a notable debut as the underworld figure Makanaki in Kemi Adetiba’s King of Boys (2018) and returned in the sequel King of Boys: The Return of the King (2021). Critics and audiences praised his performance.

PERSONAL LIFE

Reminisce is married and is a father. His children include Hafusa Safaru and Fatimah Safaru. He has spoken about family life influencing his later music, particularly the 2020 EP Vibes & Insha Allah, on which his daughters were credited as executive producers. He maintains a relatively private personal profile while occasionally sharing family-oriented insights.

Reminisce is signed to and founded LRR Records (Les Roses Rouge); he was previously associated with Edge Records. Time magazine named him one of the “World Rappers You Should Meet” in 2014. He is known for strategic brand partnerships, longevity, and balancing street credibility with broader commercial and acting success. He continues to release music and remains an influential figure in Nigerian hip-hop and Afrobeats-adjacent scenes.