Four years after Ladé told Nigeria that adulthood is a scam, the bills have not changed and the song still has work to do. On Conversations With Kenni, Teemirror sat with Kehinde Ajose and treated that 2022 hit like proof that struggle travels.
Ajose asked him about working with Ladé, born Oyetundun Omolade Rachael, and what pushed Adulthood Na Scam into the streets. Teemirror did not dress it up as a big-label miracle.
“Every kind of music that speaks to people’s struggles, people’s feelings is easier to connect. I can tell you for a fact that there wasn’t a lot of massive budget on that project. It was just time, chance, time and chance. And then the song went viral.”
Ladé had already said as much in 2022. She teased the snippet on Children’s Day, May 27, then released Adulthood Anthem (Adulthood Na Scam) as a pidgin diary about rent, unpaid promises and the shock of standing on your own. The hook stuck because the life behind it stuck. “Nobody go send you free money.” That line still slaps in 2026.
Ajose asked if the blow-up shocked him. Teemirror shook that off.
“Nobody gets shocked that success comes because by virtue of growth, you’re always praying that one day something better comes. So when it comes, it meets you in the right position.”
What he is proud of is the afterlife.
“The song is an evergreen song. Every year since 2022 that the song has been dropped, it’s always relevant. Right now we’re going to Ghana because Ghana people are loving the song even more than Nigerians already. So for you to make timeless songs you should know that every year you’ll be relevant just like Jaywon This Year song.”
That comparison is earned. Jaywon’s This Year (Odun Yi) landed around the 2012 and 2013 New Year window and now returns every Detty December like a public prayer. After more than a decade, Jaywon has shrugged at people who call it a seasonal crutch. A record that wakes up every January is not a gimmick.
Ajose then put the industry insult on the table. Some people hear an annual song and call the artist a once-a-year act. Do you have to trend every week, or does a timeless record keep you alive? Teemirror was measured in his response.
“Actually, nobody is a champion forever. Nobody’s ever a champion forever. Even the Davido, the Wizkid that we all see on top. They don’t always trend on the chart every day.”
He used Asake as the fresh example. When Mr. Money kept topping charts, fans named him Apple Music landlord. Teemirror was not writing him off. He was talking heat.
“There’s a period Asake came and they started calling him Apple Music landlord. Right now, Asake is not. Would you call him a tenant? No, he’s still very relevant, but he’s not as hot as he was. He’s not trending. He’s not viral. I think virality is the word to use.”