Omah Lay born as Stanley Omah Didia is Nigerian Singer, Songcreatoriter and producer born in Port Harcourt Nigeria.

Born as Stanley Omah Didia, to a family with deep and serious music roots at Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Omah Lay’s grandfather was a percussionist for the legendary Highlife singer Celestine Ukwu until his death in 1976. His Dad also took over drumming though didn’t reach the level of his father but he was a local hero.

Omah Lay’s music is deeply Afro Fusion which is the melody of Wizkid met by the depth of Burna Boy. Omah will always have this to say about his music making process, “I easily weave through Afro genres but the vibe would always hit me first as Highlife, I guess it’s hugely due to the my massive highlife exposure growing up in a music family like mine.” Omah Lay writes and produces most of his records so it would be accurate to say he owns his sound.

His first single dropped on February 14 2020 and has garnered almost 600,000 streams on all platforms, currently featured on Cool Fm Tastemakers’ chart and Soundcity Top 20 amongst others. Omah Lay has been tipped by Native Mag on their March episode of ‘Fresh Meat’ as an artiste to look out for in 2020.

Earlier billed to drop his debut EP ‘Get Layd’ on the 18th of April, the pandemic has caused him to push it back to May 23.

The two songs released in the run-up to ‘Get Layd’ managed to show off two sides to Omah Lay; the smitten lover boy on “You”, and the bad boy on “Bad Influence”.

On “Damn”, to set the tone for the rest of the project, he combines both and presents us with a self-aware loverboy whose girl loves him regardless of his flaws.

Produced by Bizzouch, the mid-tempo beat led by piano keys and heavy bass sets the perfect bedding for Omah’s melodic vocals to take the stage.

His rhyme pattern gives the song some character, where he ends every other sentence saying words in the same tone, riding the wave of each beat drop perfectly.

On the pre-chorus, he sings “Cause You Be My Nigga, You Be My Goon/You Be My Water, You Be My Gold/You Be My River, You Be My Road”, to end a verse where he says he’s ready to settle down with the girl who he’s sure of her affection.

In his usual fashion, he fuses R&B and Afropop perfectly, with reflective verses which culminate into a catchy and chantable chorus; “She Loves Me When I’m Lost, Even When I No Need Love. She Loves Me Like Damn”. Throughout the song, he declares, “I Know Myself”, with a conviction which reveals that he’s aware of the faults he sings about but doesn’t let them get in the way – especially not his love life.

While he’s yearning for love on “You”, and coming to terms with his flaws on “Bad Influence”, he’s self-assured on “Damn”, and not even parents’ disapproval or fear of God doesn’t get in the way of that.

He tells us “I Dey Smoke Cigar, I Dey Blow Skunk/I Know I Get Boys, We Dey Do Runs” before he declares that he “Dey Fear God”.

It’s common knowledge that coming to terms with who you are at the core creates a calm stillness even in the face of adversity, and Omah Lay shows that he’s aware of this on “Damn”.

For an artist in such early stages in his career, it’s important for him to maintain this self-assuredness, in order to get far ahead in the harsh inhospitable conditions of the Nigerian music industry as we know it.

Cloaked in afropop’s catchiness and quotable lyrics, “Damn” is one of those songs that could boost your confidence if you need it to.

In the same breath, without needing the heaviness watered down, we imagine that if we could go outside it would also pop off in the clubs.

The ability to get listeners in their feelings whilst wanting to turn up seems to be an important marker of today’s music, and Omah Lay gets it right.