Nigeria’s entertainment industry in the year 2022 saw big breaks, interesting newcomers, notable feats, ingenious creations and, of course, controversial moments.
From scuffles to squabbles, unexpected breakups to bizarre revelations, we take a look at the top ten controversial moments in the Nigerian entertainment industry in 2022.
Burna Boy vs Shatta Wale Scuffle
The year began with a messy scuffle between Shatta Wale and Burna Boy after the latter said he was open to fighting the former and making his life a “living hell”. Burna’s tirade was a response to Shatta Wale’s rant about Nigerian artistes being promoted in Ghana.
“It’s a fist battle like the type real men do. We can do it anywhere, behind closed doors or in a stadium for the world to see”, Burna said on his Instagram story.
Even though African music stars must ride on Nigeria’s Success to promote their work, Burna and Shatta Wale’s diatribe introduced an interesting, sometimes contentious year.
Naira Marley vs Mohbad Fall Out.
There seems to be no end to Naira Marley and Mohbad’s battle, as it continued in 2022. Mohbad had alleged that Marley ordered his boys to beat him up when he confronted Marley that he wanted to employ another manager to handle his business. The fallout reached its climax when Mohbad terminated his contract with his label boss.
Ruger and Bnxn Battle
Breakout stars Ruger and Buju took a hit at each other at different points throughout the year.
“I love Buju he’s good but he’s not better than me”, Ruger had tweeted on his official page.
The beef was reignited again after Bnxn threw shades at Ruger following the release of his album. “Project #1 and I didn’t have to whine my waist”, Bnxn tweeted.
Although they played into the hands of pop culture fans who enjoyed the back and forth, Bnxn and Ruger are stars in their rights and it’s high time they started setting positive examples.
Burna Boy Vs Wizkid and Davido
On September 7, 2022, Burna Boy dragged the names of fellow stars Wizkid and Davido through snides.
“Idgaf I’m not Wizkid. Lol”, read one of the tweets.
“If he (Wizkid) wasn’t my guy then I would definitely have banged him in the face on sight just so his Twitter jokers realise I’m not Davido”, Burna Boy said in another tweet.
On Tuesday, August 23, 2022, Burna had a run-in with Wizkid’s fandom, FC, accusing Starboy’s fans of being delusional.
“…I said this same thing a while ago but Wizkid Delusional Twitter FC said I was lying. Maybe if your true history was taught in your schools Wizkid would have a smarter Twitter FC instead of idiots like this.” Burna had said in a now-deleted tweet.
Burna’s brazen lunges ensured that Netng unpacked a period of his past he’d rather want untold.
Ruger Grabbed On Stage
Yes, Ruger was in the thick of the performance of his song ‘Dior’ when an overbearing female fan reached out and grabbed him in his privates, leading to the singer yanking her hands off and dashing off the stage. A controversial moment that kickstarted conversations around the seemingly untold sexual abuse of men and the prevalence of double standards.
Oxlade’s Sex Tape
Oxlade must have been stupified when he learnt that his sex tape was doing rounds on the internet. Not anymore, perhaps, as he became the most google searched artiste in Nigeria in 2022. Controversial as it was, it’s safe to say the sex tape made him one of the most popular artiste of the year.
Portable’s Shenanigans
There are too numerous events to capture Portable’s shenanigans in 2022. The Street-pop artiste even shot himself in the leg by saying he belonged to the “1 Million Boys”, a notorious cult group. From calling out his benefactors, and pulling unhinged stunts on music stages to causing a nuisance on social media with incongruous acts, Portable might just be the personality of the year – for better or worse.
Tiwa Savage’s Sex Tape
Tiwa Savage’s sex tape, hard as it is to revisit, was a controversial moment in 2022. However, when others fall to blackmail and fidget in the face of such, Tiwa Savage turned her lemons into lemonade and sipped it on the global stage. She even recalled how the incident couldn’t mar her glittering career in the song ‘Loaded’ and called on critiques to cast the first stone.
Wizkid’s Rap is Dead Statement
Wizkid’s rap is dead statement woke up the giant in Nigerian rappers, as rappers like MI Abaga, Oladips and many more gave their verses and voices in response.
“I don’t listen to rap – that s** is boring to me. It’s dead now, it’s tired. These guys do the same s**, rap on the same beats, same flows”, Wizkid said.
On the contrary, however, Nigerian hip-hop saw redemption in 2022 as both established acts and budding rappers released albums and improved collaborations. It was not a bad year for rap, even though the little matter of the genre being arcane will always be up for debate.
Kizz Daniel’s Arrest in Tanzania
Kizz Daniel was controversially arrested in Tanzania for failing to turn up at a show he was billed to perform. In fact, Netng had to look into the incident to ascertain whether his arrest was legal or otherwise. In any case, Vado eventually apologized and treated fans to a free show. Hopefully, Vado’s habit of turning up late or failing to turn up at events comes to an end, together with the year.
Which controversial moment would you add to this list?