Rema released his Sade-sampling single “Baby (Is It a Crime)” on Friday (Feb. 7).
He first teased the single back in November with a 1-minute, 21-second clip of him smoking while nonchalantly vibing to the track. “Baby/ Baby sunmoni/ You know say you match my steeze/ You know I’m a G/ Shawty I’mma always keep it real/ I no dey for too much whining/ Dey for too much whining,” the Nigerian hitmaker sings.
Sade’s 1985 smooth jazz classic “Is It a Crime” is the first track on the band’s sophomore album Promise. It reached No. 32 on Adult Contemporary and No. 55 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Rema was spotted carrying the Promise vinyl out of Amoeba Records in Hollywood, California earlier this week.
Rema (real name Divine Ikubor) released his sophomore album, Heis, in July via Mavin Global, Jonzing World and Interscope Records. The 11-track set featured previously released singles “Benin Boys” featuring Shallipopi, “HEHEHE” and another collaboration with Odumodublvck (“War Machine”). It reached No. 7 on Billboard‘s World Albums chart and earned him his first Grammy nomination for best global music album.
“It’s a great honor. Seeing the Grammys show me this love, show me this respect, it shows that I’m doing something that is impacting way beyond my space, way beyond how I imagine it in a global scale. Being able to represent Afrobeats here, it’s amazing,” he told Billboard on the 2025 Grammys red carpet.
Listen to “Baby (Is It a Crime)” below.