Despite (We Rise Up) is a January 2, 2026 single from Cobhams Asuquo featuring Qing Madi and Magnito, released under Now Muzik. It runs 4 minutes 18 seconds. The official music video directed by GAMZ dropped January 16, 2026. Three artists from very different corners of Nigerian music — Cobhams as a veteran blind pianist, producer and songwriter with over two decades of work, Qing Madi as a rising Afropop voice who has been building serious momentum since 2023, and Magnito as an established Nigerian rapper known for conscious lyricism — coming together on a track about resilience is not just a collaboration, it is a statement about what Nigerian music can do when it stops chasing trends.
The production is rich without being overloaded. Cobhams builds a soundscape that feels cinematic — warm instrumentation underpinning a song that addresses real things: systemic pressure, economic hardship, collective frustration, and the determination to rise anyway. The central hook "despite everything wey dey divide, many many things still dey unite us" is a line that resonates beyond its musical context. Qing Madi's vocal performance adds the emotional colour the lyric needs, and Magnito's verse closes the record with grounded honesty rather than empty motivational language.
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Kunmie – Solace (My Shawty)Despite (We Rise Up) is the kind of record that does not get enough attention in the mainstream Nigerian music conversation because it does not follow the formula. It deserves more than it gets. Rating: 8.5/10.
▶ Listen on Apple Music ▶ Watch Official Video ▶ Watch Lyric Video
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