The craziest thing to happen not just in Afrobeats but in music is happening before our very eyes — Shallipopi didn’t just blow; he dragged his two brothers, Zerrydl and Famous Pluto, right up with him, all within a wild space of two years!
If he had asked, any record label or music executive worth their contract would have told him flat out that this was career suicide. Yet we all watched, some laughing, many doubting, as he pulled off what looked like madness. But who are you to advise the self-crowned King of Pluto? As Rema famously said, “Dem no dey advise breadwinner.”
What made this “mad plan” even crazier? It worked — and worked brilliantly! Shallipopi turned his superstardom into a force multiplier that created not one but two new breadwinners in the Uzama family. Now, the bread is not just on the table — it’s overflowing the pantry. Genius!
Back in 2023, Shallipopi shook the streets with ‘Elon Musk’ — a street anthem-turned-global jam that would not have felt out of place at a Tesla launch. For those who thought he was just catching cruise with a one-hit wonder, he answered with ‘Ex-Convict’, ‘Oba Pluto’, ‘Cast’ with Odumodublvck, and then an entire debut album, Presido La Pluto.
That same year, he unveiled his younger brother Zerrydl as one of his first signings under Plutomania Records. Together, they dropped ‘Puff & Pass (Remix)’ and Zerrydl’s solo run began. Two EPs and 1.7 million monthly Spotify listeners later, Zerrydl is now a name on his own.
Then, as if to prove he was not done rewriting the rule book, Shallipopi announced yet another brother — Famous Pluto — in 2025. People gasped, “Again?” But once more, the plan landed. Famous Pluto’s debut single ‘Na Scrah’ turned heads and his debut EP Uzama The 3rd, dropped this month, features all three brothers together on the standout track ‘Ewo’. With 1.4 million monthly listeners in under six months, Famous Pluto is well on his way to being the third star out of Pluto.
Some say his brothers might even rap better than Shallipopi himself. Whether true or not, what matters is the vision: Shallipopi bet on them — and by doing so, protected his own legacy. In an industry where fame flickers out overnight, the Uzama clan just might stay hot for the next decade. If Shallipopi’s own run ever slows, he has two thriving brothers to keep the Pluto brand alive — or even pivot into managing them.
And the man at the centre of it all? He’s flourishing. After Presido La Pluto in 2023, Shallipopi dropped Shakespopi in 2024, then in 2025 he delivered ‘Laho’ — arguably his biggest Afrobeats record yet. ‘Laho’ is spinning on NBA courts and blasting through celebrity Instagram stories worldwide. Even though some think the Burna Boy remix ‘Laho II’ cooled its initial buzz, you can bet Shallipopi will bounce back stronger with his next album. Six million monthly Spotify listeners don’t lie — the boy is eating.
So here’s to Shallipopi — the madman who risked his own career to lift his blood brothers. It could have ended in disaster. Instead, it rewrote the rule book for what an Afrobeats dynasty looks like. If there’s one lesson here, it’s simple: when Shallipopi writes — even Shakespeare dey shake.
This write up first appeared on the X handle of Dr Kelvin Alaneme, @kelvin_Alaneme
