Fast-rising Nigerian singer Qing Madi has dragged her former manager and label executive Joy Tongo into a messy public showdown, accusing her of career sabotage and drawing shocking parallels to the treatment of veteran singer Cynthia Morgan.
The drama escalated rapidly after Qing Madi publicly called out her ex-label, with Joy Tongo firing back through Instagram stories with strong legal warnings.
In her response, Joy Tongo warned:
“Stealing and forgery are not things to take lightly. If you use social media to spread false claims because you have fans and following to damage my reputation, I will pursue all available legal remedies.”
She defended her track record, noting major streaming success under her watch:
“American Love and Ole are at 100 million on Spotify yet you claimed it looked as if you didn’t have a label.”
Joy Tongo also cited a court injunction enabling takedowns and challenged Qing Madi saying:
“What case have you won? Because last time I checked the case still hasn’t gotten to trial.”
Qing Madi hit back fiercely, denying she mentioned Joy by name initially while accusing her of a pattern:
“First of all I never mentioned your name, you bird!!! Second of all can’t you see a system? The first artist you signed Cynthia Morgan cried And now you’re doing it to a literal teenager.”
The 19-year-old artiste insisted on her independence:
“I wrote my songs By myself !!!! I own my composition. Masters rights is different from publishing. I can perform all my songs. You just wasted your money on your dumb lawyer.”
She further alleged a “demonic mission,” warning:
“The demonic mission you have as a woman has not ended and I fear it would not end with me. Is it until another young woman cries that Nigerians will understand the kind of woman you are???”
The conflict stems from Qing Madi’s departure from JTon Music, where Joy Tongo serves as a key figure. The young star claims attempts to block her new releases, including tracks from her recent “Barely Legal” music project disappearing from platforms like Spotify.
This public war has split fans and industry watchers, with many drawing comparisons to past artist-manager disputes in Nigeria’s music scene. Questions about contracts involving young talents, ownership of masters versus publishing rights, and loyalty in the industry have once again taken center stage.