On Friday March 5, 2021, Coming 2 America, the long-awaited sequel to the 1988 Hollywood classic starring American comedian Eddie Murphy, was released and made available for streaming worldwide.
The movie, set in the fictional African kingdom of Zamunda and Queens in New York, sees Murphy return as Prince Akeem, with actors Arsenio Hall and James Earl Jones reprising their roles as Semmi and King Jaffe Joffer respectively.
Beyond the nostalgia occasioned by the movie’s predecessor, one major high point for Nigerians watching Coming 2 America would be the scene where Nigerian pop star Davido mounts a stage to perform his hit track “Assurance”. A short clip of that scene went viral on social media on the weekend of the film’s release and was acknowledged by Davido himself, but the 28-year-old is not the only Nigerian whose name gets to appear in the movie’s closing credits. Here is a list of some other amazing talents from the world’s most populous black nation, who contributed to this movie:
1. Ayorinde Kemit
Ayorinde Kemit is a child dancer and actress. She is the youngest member of the Kemit family, who features on a YouTube series called The Kemit Show. She is also an aspiring DJ, she is left-handed, and she used to take piano classes before the COVID-19 pandemic. The 11-year-old features as a freestyle dancer in Coming 2 America. She appears in a festive scene where Idi Izzi (Rotimi) is dancing to Burna Boy’s verse on the track “Coming to America”.
“I can’t watch it (parental guidance), but I saw my part. I’m so happy I wasn’t cut out of the movie”, she said, reacting to the movie premiere on her Instagram page.
2. Burna Boy
Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, known professionally as Burna Boy, is a multiple award-winning Nigerian pop artist. He rose to prominence when he released the single “Like To Party” in 2012, and he is currently signed to Atlantic Records. He has released five studio albums, and two of those – African Giant and Twice As Tall have been nominated for the Grammys. He appears with John Legend and Nile Rodgers on “Coming 2 America”, the title track of the movie’s Original Soundtrack. The song plays in a scene where Idi Izzi (Rotimi) is partying in the kingdom of Nextdoria.
3. Lola Adamson
Lola Adamson is a fast-rising Nigerian actress. She holds a master’s degree in International Business, which she obtained from the University of Greenwich, London. She is the CEO of Lowla360 Limited, a management and public relations firm.
Lola is the daughter of popular Nigerian artist, Kenny Adamson. She has been featured in movies and TV shows like Battleground, Mikey and A Soldier’s Story 2. She appears in Coming 2 America as an uncredited Zamundan citizen. She is seen, for a few seconds, staring in irritation as Lavelle Junson (Jermaine Fowler) and Mary Junson (Lesley) step into Prince Akeem’s palace.
“It was fun being noticed, even with my two seconds camera time”, she wrote on her Instagram page, on the day the movie was released.
4. Olaolu Winfunke
Olaolu Winfuke, born in Chicago and raised in Lagos, is a Nigerian-American actor and film producer. He is working on his first comedy series called Told By All.
Winfuke is a meditation enthusiast, and his personal website holds him out as a spiritual consultant as well as a wellness coach On his Instagram page, he describes himself as a “spiritual guide”. He appears as a royal manager in the movie.
5. Rotimi
Olurotimi Akinosho, known professionally as Rotimi, is a Nigerian-American actor and singer. He gained international recognition for his role as Andre “Dre” in the TV series Power. He has also appeared in the movies Divergent (2014) and Deuces (2016).
In 2019, Rotimi’s music gained worldwide notice with the single “Love Riddim”. His 2020 song “In My Bed” (featuring Nigerian-American rapper Wale) has also been well-received. In Coming 2 America, Rotimi plays the role of Idi Izzi, the son of General Izzi (played by Wesley Snipes), a warlord who rules Nextdoria, a neighbouring kingdom to Zamunda.
6. Tekno
Augustine Miles Kelechi, best known as Tekno, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and music producer. He was signed by Made Men Music Group in 2013, but it was the release of the hit single “Duro” in 2015 that made him a household name. In a 2019 interview with Vanity Fair, American singer Billie Eilish named Tekno as her favourite artist.
In 2019, Tekno was featured in the song “Don’t Jealous Me”, off Beyonce’s The Lion King: The Gift soundtrack. His song “Waka Waka” appears on the Coming 2 America soundtrack.
7. Tiwa Savage
Tiwa Savage is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and actress. She burst to fame when her single “Kele Kele Love” was released in 2011. Savage has released three studio albums, and she is currently signed to Roc Nation. Her hit single “Koroba” (off the album Celia) was featured in the Coming 2 America Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
Coming 2 America is currently showing in cinemas, and it is also available for streaming on the Amazon Prime Video streaming service.
