Nigerian singer Mr Eazi shared his experience with cancel culture, recalling an incident in 2017 when he claimed that Ghana had influenced Nigerian music.
In a recent episode of the Afrobeats Intelligence Podcast with Joey Akan, Mr Eazi revealed that he faced backlash, threats of cancellation, and disappointment from some industry friends.
Despite the criticism, he stood by his statement, expressing regret only for the lack of private discussion on the matter with those who cancelled him.
This incident highlights the challenges artists face in navigating public perceptions and industry relationships.
In his words,
“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 anyone. I said what I said.
“And I said it many years ago. If that is the reason you hate me, then you hate me for something else. It’s deeper than that. And realising that just makes me feel free. That’s the lens through 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 said, 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 are steady, showing fake love.’ Because it’s a crowd mentality. It’s trendy to hate you, and now it’s like for clicks.
“There are people making art and nobody cares about their lives, whether they jump or sit. It’s like they are invisible. Love and hate are acknowledgements of your existence; I’m even blessed to be able to invoke something.”