10 Times a Guest Feature Turned an Upcoming Artist Into a Superstar

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In the fast-moving ecosystem of popular music, talent can earn you a seat in the waiting room, but the right guest verse kicks the door off its hinges. The high-profile feature is one of music’s most potent catalysts: an intentional cultural baton-pass where an established act lends their voice, hard-earned credibility, fan base and institutional momentum to an underdog on the cusp.

Whether it’s Olamide running his finishing school for diamonds in the rough, Zlatan plugging his hyperactive battery into a fresh voice, or pop royalty assembling to turn an already buzzing single into an inescapable hit, these collaborations represent decisive moments of ignition. These are ten career-defining launches that transformed underground promises into household brands.

1. “My Body” — Zlatan feat. Olamide (2017)

Zlatan had been working the underground for years, but “My Body”, with Olamide on it, was when the wider country noticed him. This was before he patented the Zanku dance and made exuberant ad-libs the industry’s favorite currency. Olamide’s verse on the song transitioned it overnight from a gritty neighborhood hopeful into a certified Lagos anthem, laying the bedrock for Zlatan’s late-2010s street-hop dominance.

2. “ZaZoo Zehh” feat. Olamide & Poco Lee (2021)

“ZaZoo Zehh” was a single before the big names showed up. It caught the ears of Poco Lee, who introduced Portable to Olamide. The link ended up with a version with both of them. Olamide cuts through the song with an indelible braggadocious verse, and delivers the undisputed hit and soundtrack of Detty December 2021.

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3. “Dealer” — Ayo Maff feat. Fireboy DML (2024)

Emerging from the trenches of Bariga with a raspy pen and an innate gift for chronicling youth survival, Ayo Maff had already built localised buzz, but “Dealer” gave his street gospel mainstream wings. Fireboy DML’s name gave the song a bigger room to be heard in. Even his verse is great: an emotive and rich narrative that set the track apart from Ayo Maff’s regular street-hop fare.

4. “Omo Ope” — Asake feat. Olamide (2022)

Asake had some buzz already, with “Mr. Money” (2020) and nods from internet personalities like Broda Shaggi and Tunde Ednut. The “Mr. Money” buzz died down and Asake was quiet until 2022 when he had a sudden explosion with “Omo Ope.” Magicsticks’ kinetic, violin-laced amapiano production stuck with Olamide’s cool-headed and self-assured verse.

Their chemistry was so instantaneous and the groove so undeniable that it resulted in Asake signing to YBNL, kicking off one of the most dominant, record-shattering chart runs any African artist has ever achieved.

5. “Spiritual” — BNXN (FKA Buju) feat. Zlatan (2019)

This is the rare feature the internet demanded. A friend filmed himself mimicking Zlatan’s ad-libs over Buju’s unreleased song, the clip spread, and the crowd pushed until Zlatan, the then-hottest hitmaker in the country, got on it. Zlatan obliged and gave his trademark Zanku bounce over Buju’s laid-back cadence. The 2019 song earned him a ‘Headies Rookie of the Year’ nomination, and he became the first artist signed to Burna Boy’s Spaceship Records.

6. “Vision 2020 (Remix)” — Bella Shmurda feat. Olamide (2019)

The song is a hustler’s complaint about broken government promises, bad economy and heavy family expectations. Olamide followed the theme and dropped a rap verse about economic anxiety and survival. In fact, it’s Baddo’s most passionate, razor-sharp remix verses to date.

7. “Woju Remix” — Kizz Daniel feat. Tiwa Savage & Davido (2015)

While the original “Woju” had already made Kiss Daniel (as he was then known) a household name. Assembling Davido and Tiwa Savage at the heights of their respective reigns was a staggering flex for an emerging act on an independent label. It was a cosign and a remix that solidified Daniel’s transition from a potential one-hit wonder to an enduring Afropop heavyweight.

8. “Money” — Zinoleesky feat. Zlatan (2019)

Throughout 2019, Zinoleesky built his name with social media freestyles with his friend Lil Frosh and his clips generated millions of views, but breaking past the confines of Instagram remained an uphill battle. Zlatan, then at the absolute zenith of his reign as a guest artist, jumped on “Money” to support a then-budding street-hop artist. He gave a feature that took Zinoleesky’s earnest songwriting out of phone speakers and planted it firmly onto mainstream airwaves and club sound systems.

9. “Escaladizzy II” — Mavo feat. Ayra Starr, Zlatan & Shallipopi (2025)

After the release of the original with WAVE$TAR came in June 2025, it notifiedlisteners that a new kid on the block has something to offer. The remix, “Escaladizzy II”, followed in August with Shallipopi, Zlatan and Ayra Starr, and properly pushed him into the limelight. Pulling together three distinct Afropop powerhouses couldn’t be ignored. The song went from a niché and TikTok jam to an unmissable crossover moment.

10. “Alone” feat. Bhadboi OML (2024)

Before FOLA took over streaming charts, he was slowly building an underground catalogue, but pairing up with Bhadboi OML gave the spark required for mainstream attention. The song thrives on moody, melodic mid-tempo Afro-fusion, centering longing, romance and vulnerability. Bhadboi OML, already revered for his emotive street-soul storytelling and distinct cadence, provided notable street validation. The feature pushed the song into a relentless viral sensation across TikTok and digital platforms, and it introduced FOLA as one of 2024’s freshest breakout voices