Racket readers should need no introduction to Obi Original. I profiled him at length this summer, and you do read everything I write, right? (Don’t answer that.)
Along with his band the Black Atlantics, the Minnesotan born Obiora Obikwelu has preserved his Nigerian heritage and sought to bring the music of highlife to a broader Minnesotan audience. As Obi says, “The highlife man needs his time to shine.”
Nigerian music has taken over the world via Afrobeats, a swanky style of hip-hop and R&B-infused club music inflected with West African touches. Afrobeats has taken root in Minneapolis nightlife, with at least two downtown clubs (Gidi and Bazemnt) dedicated to the style.
Obi is a part of this scene, emceeing at dance nights and composing Afrobeats tracks. He’s toured in the band supporting Roseville Afrobeats artist Libianca, who had a hit with “People,” when she opened for Alicia Keys.
In addition, Obi is a member of Ozone Creations, a musical collective whose other members should pop up in this poll in future years. This year they released Free Therapy, which showcases each member’s talents, and the styles range from Afrobeats to straight hip-hop.
But the music Obi draws from with the Black Atlantics comes from a bit further back in Nigerian history; his singing and guitar work are indebted to Nigerian greats like Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe. Never as popular in the U.S. as Fela Kuti’s funky Afrobeat or even King Sunny Ade’s mesmerizing juju, highlife is still an infectious music that’ll get your hips and feet moving, as anyone who has attended an Obi Original show can tell you.
And if you’re determined to be reticent and Minnesotan, Obi has created a ritual that calls the crowd forward to the stage. “In my culture, when you come to somebody's house, you cannot greet them from far away, you have to greet them at the door,” Obi explains at each show. “So come and meet me at my door.”
Explore the entire Picked to Click class of 2025 below.
