First, it mocked him for sounding Indian. Next, it called him a copy-cat. And, now, for its latest scorn on its acclaimed pop prince, Rema, the Afrobeats community has branded the 23-year-old musician as occultic. But does this claim actually hold water?

On Wednesday night, Rema, born Divine Ikubor, lowered himself down from the roof of the 02 Arena, in London, steadied on a giant bat-shaped prop as he made his grand entrance for his debut headline performance in the historic venue.

Doubling the enigma, the Benin-bred singer also mounted a fake horse, while a band of horsemen circled him with mumbled chants beneath their breaths. In a viral video circulating on social media, a fan is seen shaking with fear as she heads out of the show, all the time expressing her worry for the singer’s perceived religious slack.

While these artistic directions have shown Rema’s appetite for unique and attractive designs, they have also become building blocks for what appears to be a conspiracy that Rema’s consistent fusions of mysticism-focused art pieces were confirmation that he’s joined the infamous Illuminati society.

While it is not uncommon to see successful musicians being profiled as occultists, since the centuries-old confraternity sprung as a cocktail of diverse professionals, checks by Weekend Beats show that the rumours are a public misconception of Rema’s creative direction. Further findings show that Rema’s consistent depiction of bats, Bini-fusion masks, and heated red glow, are the musician’s way of remembering his hometown.

In a post made on his Instagram story dated October 26, 2023, Rema, who also has a bat tattoo on his body, explained that “you would have so much clarity if you easily google where I am from, what they key colours of my heritage are, and what flies in the skies of Benin every evening.”