The Afrobeats industry without a doubt, is reaching unprecedented heights and has garnered massive embrace globally. Yet, within its region, it is being influenced by a myriad of personalities and forces jointly pooling efforts in propelling the culture. From the film, fashion, and dance, to the nightlife industry, there has always been an unwavering influence on the Afrobeats industry. However, there are individuals who have distinctively contributed their quota to this movement. One notable mention is this dancer who from the Ojo area in Lagos, rose to the top in the industry to craft a name and a noteworthy brand for himself. The delectable Poco Lee.
Iweh Pascal Odinaka, popularly known as Poco Lee, is a professional dancer, and hype man with laudable acclaim in the industry. Having shot to the limelight in 2018 with the viral video of his energetic dance moves to Zlatan Ibile’s popular dance routine, Zanku, Poco Lee has soared from being a street dancer to performing on international stages and collaborating with the biggest names in the Afrobeats Industry including Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Zlatan, Niniola, among many others.
Beyond being the creator of Poco dance and a pioneer of the leg work dance movement, Poco Lee has established himself as a force in the music scene, being a link between the established and emerging artistes. The nightlife influencer and hype man is notable for his alliance with prominent figures in the entertainment industry, including artistes, DJs, producers, content creators, and fashion stylists.
With a massive following on social media, especially on Snapchat, Poco is either dancing on stage with your favourite artiste, lighting up a performance as a hype person, or seen in a nightclub on Snapchat having the time of his life. Like MTN’s tagline, Poco Lee is everywhere you go. Whichever way you think of it, he is helping to influence the culture.
Over the years, Poco is lauded for connecting the likes of Bella Shmurda and Portable to superstar rapper and YBNL pioneer, Olamide. Thus, helping the two artistes climb to fame. Poco Lee was also reportedly the bridge between Ghanaian artiste, Black Sherif and Afro-Fusion superstar, Burna Boy—a link-up that birthed one of the best collaborations in 2021.
However, there is more to the ever-energetic and giddy vibes entertainer. While he is popular for his livelihood, the social media personality has contributed to some of the biggest Afrobeats moments. A notable mention is the ‘Otilo’(Izz Gone) song, a collaboration between Hotkid and himself. The song, which was created from street lingo, arguably was made popular by Poco Lee, and with his influence made the statement, viral slang. Otilo, meaning It’s Gone, was a club banger and one of the top street pop songs that emerged in 2022, creating a phenomenal moment in Afrobeats and giving Hotkid a raise in his career.
Another moment in history to which Poco Lee contributed is the Smada Eh! song.
Poco, who’s known for making Snapchat videos and popular sounds, created a viral moment when he was seen praising underground artiste, Smada mimicking the popular Amapiano song, ‘Hamba Wena’. That moment eventually became an interpolation of the Amapiano song, in turn becoming a club anthem in 2023, reaching towards South Africa, and causing a ruckus on social media.
Yet it seems Odinaka ‘Poco Lee’ isn’t done with his influence. Most recently, the popular 2024 Amapiano song, Tshwala Bam by TitoM and Yuppe added a remix featuring Burna Boy. The song which had already garnered a massive audience was dropped last week with Burna Boy jumping on it, solidifying the release. While the song owns its infectious chorus and beats, Burna’s verse was borrowed from Poco Lee’s famous video, where the hype man was seen exalting his nightlife lifestyle using the Twshala Bam melody.
Monday, ita lawa, Tuesday, ita lawa, Wednesday ita lawa, as heard in Burna Boy’s verse were popularly characterized by Poco Lee first. What stemmed from social media sound turned into an Afrobeats moment.
While he has numerous songs under his belt, it is without hearsay to acknowledge that Poco Lee is an influence and a force to reckon with in the Afrobeats industry.
Writer: Damilola Shittu
The DIY Collective 