The group Styl-Plus (originally STYL) is a Nigerian
R&B and
pop musical group / quartet.
The founding members were Shifi Emoefe, Tunde Akinsanmi, Yemi Akinwonmi, and Lanre Faneyi, the name STYL being an abbreviation of the founders' first names.
In 1998 Lanre Faneyi died, and Zeal Onyecheme joined the group. This led to the group being renamed Styl-Plus, the "Plus" denoting the new addition to the group.
In 2002 Yemi Akinwonmi left the group unofficially and the musical band became a trio without adding a new member. Starting 2003, the group officially had its own record label, STYL-PLUS. On Thursday November 15, 2018, it was reported that Tunde Akinsanmi left the group in 2012 and adopted a new stage name "Tunde Tdot", leaving Shifi and Zeal who currently act as the flag bearers of the group.
History
STYL was formed in 1997 in
Akure
Akure is a city in south-western Nigeria. It is the capital and largest city of Ondo State. The city had a population of 403,000 as at the 2006 population census.
History
Pre 1914
Rock engravings dating back to the Mesolithic period, hav ...
,
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
and made up of four members. In 2001, the group sang mainly pop and love songs.
In 1999, after Lanre Faneyi's death, and the addition of Zeal Onyecheme, the name of the group was changed to Styl-Plus. In 2002 Yemi Akinwonmi left the group to pursue another career.
All The members of the group attended the
Federal University of Technology in Akure.
Styl-Plus has been dubbed Africa's "
Boys II Men
Boyz II Men (pronounced ''boys to men''), also known as B2M, is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are currently a trio composed of baritone Nathan ...
" due to their ability to deliver heartfelt emotional ballads. The successful group of talented artists with their vocal harmonies, catchy tunes, melodies, R&B style, combined with meaningful and storytelling lyrics are a union between English and their native tongue Yoruba, spoken in Nigeria.
Styl-plus's first two albums include tracks like "Olufunmi", "Imagine That" (Produced by Tunde Akinsanmi), "Run Away", "Call My Name", "Stay Alive" and "Four Years". Other releases include "Unbreakable", "Ready to Go", "On the Dance Floor" featuring
Jesse Jagz
Jesse Garba Abaga (born 10 August 1984), known professionally as Jesse Jagz, is a Nigerian rapper, record producer and songwriter. He signed a record deal with Chocolate City in 2010 and released his debut studio album ''Jag of All Tradez'' that ...
, "Ka Fo Lo (Let's Fly Away)", "Jekeserelo" featuring Chics Bad Boy Slim (produced by Tunde Akinsanmi) and "Baby Mo".
Releases
In late October 2003, under the old management (Joey & T-Jazz), they released two singles to radio stations.
In February 2006, they released their highly anticipated 11 track debut album "Expressions". The spectacular, star-studded album launch in Abuja and Lagos was rumored to have cost over N10 million (about $75,000) making it the most expensive album launch in Nigerian history.
In August 2012, the group released "Alive" featuring rapper, Sunky.
Their singles "Olufunmi" and "Runaway" were amongst the most requested love songs on all the major Nigerian
R&B radio stations between 2004 and 2005. "Imagine That" is the lead single from their official debut album, ''Expressions''. It has also been a massive chart topper, and has been used in numerous shows, including the pioneer edition of ''
Big Brother Nigeria
''Big Brother Naija'', formerly known as ''Big Brother Nigeria'', is a Nigerian reality competition television series, based on the Big Brother television franchise, in which, contestants live in an isolated house and compete for a large cash pr ...
''.
Other songs like "Four Years" and " Iya Basira" were campus hits at the time of their release. Most graduating students still play "Four Years" at their send off party at various universities all over Nigeria.
In December 2016, Shifi and Zeal was signed up by Eskimo Records
and shortly released a new single "Aso Ibora" (meaning blanket) a day before Valentine in 2017.
Awards
The group has received numerous Nigerian National awards as well as International awards by
Channel O
Channel O is a South African-based music channel which first started transmission in 1997. Its main concept is African music in Africa and the diaspora.
Channel O can be accessed via DStv, a satellite pay TV service for pan-African households. ...
, Amen Awards and
Kora Award
The KORA All Africa Music Awards are music awards given annually for musical achievement in sub-Saharan Africa. The awards were founded in 1994 by Benin born businessman, Ernest Adjovi, after a discussion in Namibia with the country's President H ...
nominees. In 2005, ''Call My Name'' won best R&B video award by
Channel O
Channel O is a South African-based music channel which first started transmission in 1997. Its main concept is African music in Africa and the diaspora.
Channel O can be accessed via DStv, a satellite pay TV service for pan-African households. ...
South African music station.
Discography
Albums
*''Expressions'' (2006)
*''Back and Better'' (2008)
*''Unbreakable''
Selected singles
*"Olufunmi"
*"Olufunmi" (Remix)
(featuring T Da Kapo)
*"Runaway"
*"Call My Name"
*"Imagine That"
*"Hadiza"
*"Iya Basira"
*"Ima"
*"Always On My Mind"
*"Stay Alive"
*"Drives Me Crazy"
*"Drives Me Crazy" (Remix)
(featuring 2 Shotz)
*"Four Years"
*"When You Smile"
*"Aso Ibora"
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Nigerian contemporary R&B musical groups
Nigerian boy bands
English-language singers from Nigeria
Yoruba-language singers
Federal University of Technology Akure alumni
1997 establishments in Nigeria