## Lord of Ajasa becomes US citizen as fans, music stars celebrate Yoruba rap pioneer

Veteran Nigerian rapper Lord of Ajasa is officially a United States citizen, and the milestone has brought congratulatory messages from fans and some familiar names in Nigerian music.

The rapper, whose real name is Olusegun Osaniyi, shared photos and videos celebrating his new status on his public Instagram page. In one of the clips, he proudly displayed his US citizenship certificate while holding an American flag.

“My people, I’m now a US citizen,” the rapper announced in one of the videos.

Another moment showed Lord of Ajasa celebrating alongside his wife, Funmi, as the couple marked the major life update together.

The announcement quickly travelled beyond his page, attracting attention from entertainment platforms and longtime followers familiar with his contribution to Nigerian hip-hop.

Fans and music stars celebrate Lord of Ajasa

The Lord of Ajasa US citizen announcement drew warm reactions from fans, but some of the most noticeable messages came from people connected to his journey in Nigerian music.

Veteran producer and Coded Tunes founder ID Cabasa congratulated the rapper, writing, “Congratulations Lord Oshi.”

Singer 9ice also joined the celebration, congratulating the veteran rapper in the comments.

Other fans and entertainment personalities added their messages as photos from the citizenship celebration circulated online.

For longtime Nigerian hip-hop listeners, the reaction was about more than a celebrity acquiring another nationality. It also became an opportunity to celebrate an artiste whose music helped shape the sound of indigenous rap in Nigeria.

Who is Lord of Ajasa?

Lord of Ajasa emerged as an important voice in Nigerian hip-hop in the late 1990s and early 2000s, becoming particularly known for rapping predominantly in Yoruba.

Long before indigenous-language rap became a major commercial force in Nigerian music, Ajasa was among the artistes demonstrating that rappers did not have to perform mainly in English to connect with mainstream audiences.

Songs including “Ma Yi Lo,” “Le Fenu So,” “Otiya” and “Esa Lo Bade” helped establish his reputation, while his career connected him with artistes including 9ice, Olamide and the late Dagrin.

His influence is still mentioned in conversations about the generation of rappers that helped create space for later Yoruba-speaking stars.

Why the citizenship update means a lot

The latest Nigerian rapper news carries additional significance because Lord of Ajasa has lived and worked in the United States for years.

Becoming a citizen therefore represents another chapter in a journey his followers have watched from a distance. It also explains why the fans reaction has carried a sense of nostalgia, with the announcement bringing renewed attention to his career and legacy.

For younger music fans, names such as Olamide and the late Dagrin may be more immediately associated with Yoruba rap. But for listeners who followed Nigerian hip-hop before the streaming era, Lord of Ajasa represents an important part of the genre's foundation.

His citizenship celebration has consequently turned into something of a throwback moment online, reminding fans how far both the rapper and the Nigerian indigenous hip-hop movement have travelled.

For Lord of Ajasa, however, the message was much simpler: after years in the United States, he now has a new milestone to celebrate.