A fiery online exchange erupted this week between Ghanaian-American singer Moliy and Nigerian hitmaker Zinoleesky, stirring the Afrobeats community and igniting a cross-border debate on musical relevance and global reach.
The feud began after Zinoleesky took to X to mock Moliy, writing:
“2 hits wonder… and I don’t even know the 2nd song 😂 @moliymusic.”
Not stopping there, he added another jab:
“Remix goddess… better start OnlyFans make we subscribe @moliymusic.”
Moliy, best known for her global hit Sad Girls Luv Money with Amaarae, didn’t hold back. In a sharp response, she fired back at the Marlian Records artist, saying:
“Very grateful to not be known by you, artists that know me aren’t local champions.”
Her comment instantly went viral, drawing thousands of reactions and putting both artists at the center of trending discussions across X and TikTok.
The numbers quickly turned the conversation in Moliy’s favour. With just two major songs, she boasts 14.5 million Spotify monthly listeners, outperforming Zinoleesky’s 2.3 million from a much larger catalogue, a fact fans were quick to point out.
Many interpreted the clash as a subtle reminder of Afrobeats’ growing global divide between internationally recognized acts and regionally dominant stars.
It also coincided with Moliy’s announcement of her upcoming single, “Body Go” featuring Grammy winner Tyla, set for release on October 17; an announcement fans say couldn’t have had better timing.
Social media reactions came in fast and fierce. One fan, @_michaelsunrise, wrote, “That 2 songs big pass all Zino careers song make una dey talk true.” Another, @darkestchocolato, warned, “Zino, Moliy songs are on Billboard ooo. Abeg ooo pick your battles wisely.”
@larmie23 added, “I don’t know her but I know say her song go sweet… case closed 😂.” And @urchee1 concluded, “Zino come be the local champion with statistics.”
With the Afrobeats scene thriving on both global and street levels, the Moliy-Zino feud has reignited a familiar argument, who really runs Afrobeats: global exports or homegrown heroes?