Rapper Jude Abaga, widely known as MI Abaga, has described the alleged use of internet fraud to finance the Nigerian music industry as a serious indictment on the nation.
Speaking in a video shared by the So Nigeria Podcast on Tuesday, the hip-hop artist reflected on the challenges musicians face in securing funding.
“There are a lot of controversies when people talk about Yahoo Yahoo because for a lot of artists, that is the funding they have. When people try to talk about it, for me, I do not want to be misquoted or say the wrong thing. What I am trying to say is that it is an indictment on our country that we have such talented musicians and the major funding for the industry comes from the West and from this other industry,” he said. He added that the situation reflects a deeper problem in a nation blessed with wealthy individuals and highly gifted young people.
He added, “It should not be so in a country where we have so many rich people and so many talented young people. Why do we have this situation? Who is to blame? Is it the young people just trying to survive? It is very hard to say this.”
The rapper pointed out that depending on funds from questionable sources to invest in artists highlights significant weaknesses in the country’s creative economy.
“So what I am trying to say is that the fact that this money goes to artists and that is one of the major ways artists get investment is telling. There is no other place it comes from. It has to be other young people who just so happen to have money,” MI said.
He also recalled being misquoted on the issue nearly eight years ago, explaining that his earlier remarks were wrongly interpreted as endorsing the practice.
“At the time, as a CEO, I had artistes I really cared about. The pressure on me was so real that sometimes I would just sit down thinking, ‘Mehn, I just met the right guy.’ I wanted my artistes to do well. I did not enjoy sitting there and hearing someone talk crap about Ckay. I wanted him to succeed,” he said.
MI emphasised that although he does not condone crime, his experiences have given him empathy for those trying to navigate a challenging industry without access to legitimate funding.
“Not to say that sin is not sin, or bad is not bad. Evil is evil,” he added.
