From Kitgum Streets to HiPipo: Badman Jelly G’s “Yelo-O” puts Northern Uganda on the map

For years he was known in the dusty studios of Gulu and Kitgum as Mr. 689 Badman, grinding out Lwo dancehall that only the North could hear.

Today, the boy is now Badman Jelly G, and the whole country is listening.

Real name Opiyo Geoffrey, the Acholi-born fast-rising star has flipped the script with his breakout monster hit “Yelo-O”.

Released in March 2026, the Afro-dancehall anthem laced with heavy Acholi lyrics has become more than a song. It is an anthem for Northern Uganda.

“Yelo-O” first conquered Gulu, Kitgum, and Lira charts, before its TikTok dance challenge pushed it to Kampala. The official video on YouTube has clocked over 6,000 views and counting, with TikTokers still vibing.

The grind has paid off.

In his biggest moment yet, Badman Jelly G earned his first national nomination at the HiPipo Music Awards 2026 for Best Regional Song of the Year for “Yelo-O”.

He is nominated alongside fellow northern giants Eezzy, Pato Loverboy and Okeng BornTown. This is proof that Acholi music is no longer “regional” but national.

But it’s what he did after the nomination that won him more love.

Instead of bragging, the Silent Burner, as fans call him, went viral calling for unity. He pleaded that artists from the North, East and West stop fighting each other and push together to crack the Kampala-dominated industry.

“We need each other,” he said in a recent NBS TV interview.

The artist, who has also featured on 102 Mega FM Gulu, is now seen as the new face of the Acholi music movement. He is walking the path carved by legends like Bosmic Otim, Eezzy and Bestie Gyal.

With “Yelo-O” still blasting in bars from Gulu Main Street to Makindye, one thing is clear: Badman Jelly G is not just singing in Lwo, he is making Uganda listen in Lwo.