How I was cancelled for saying Ghana influenced Nigerian music – Mr Eazi

Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade, alias Mr Eazi, a famous singer and serial entrepreneur, has recounted being a victim of cancel culture following his remark that Ghana inspired Nigerian music.

On 11 January 2017, Mr Eazi stated that Ghanaian music had a big influence on modern Nigerian music, which sparked outrage, with many fans, coworkers, and music lovers threatening to boycott him.

Reacting to the backlash he received in a recent episode of the Afrobeats Intelligence Podcast hosted by Joey Akan, Mr Eazi said he didn’t regret his statement despite the threats.

He, however, lamented that some people who he thought were his friends in the industry joined others in cancelling him instead of chastising him in private.

The ‘Leg Over’ crooner also berated those who are still “hating” him to date, saying his statement wasn’t “deep” and that they are “hating” him for something else.

Mr Eazi said, “When the whole issue with me being cancelled, even till tomorrow, I see people come on my [social media] profile and still throw hate. They said, ‘Oh, yeah, you said that.’ I’m like, ‘Fam, really? This energy take it to your local politician wey dey run you street.’ You feel me? I didn’t kill anybody. I said what I said.

And I said it many years ago. If that is the reason you hate, then you hate me for something else. It’s deeper than that. And realising that just makes me feel free. That’s the lens to which I look at everything. Because I was seeing guys I was saying ‘Hello’ to, coming out to say, ‘F*ck Mr Eazi.’ And I was like, ‘Bro, you could have called me and say Eazi, I just saw this interview, you shouldn’t have said that. This is what I advise you to do.’ But it just became a thing of let’s all band together. And that’s why in my song ‘We Dey’, I said, ‘Twitter fingers steady showing fake love.’ Because it’s crowd mentality. It’s trendy to hate you, and now it’s like for clicks.

There are people making art and nobody is caring about their life whether they jump or sit. It’s like they are invisible. Love and hate is acknowledgement of your existence, I’m even blessed to be able to invoke something.”