The veteran singer 9ice (Abolore Adegbola Akande) has completely shifted the conversation from Afrobeats to African Traditional Religion (ATR). During the listening party for his latest album, “Beginning of Wisdom” (BOW), on Wednesday night, April 8, 2026, he made a revelation that has left both fans and the religious community in Nigeria stunned.
1. The 18-Year Secret
9ice officially came out as a Babalawo (a Yoruba traditional Ifa priest), confessing that he has been practicing the faith for over 18 years.
- Why the Secrecy? He admitted to hiding his spiritual identity for nearly two decades out of fear of being “stigmatized or avoided” by the public.
- The Origin Story: He previously shared that his journey into Ifa began after a harrowing “spiritual attack” around 2009 where he vomited blood for six months—a condition he says defied conventional medicine but was cured after he was referred to an Ifa priest.
2. The Controversy: “Since we started calling Jesus and Allah…”
At the Yaba listening party, 9ice offered a scathing critique of Nigeria’s reliance on mainstream religion while the country remains underdeveloped.
“Since we started calling on Jesus and Allah, this country has not gotten better… If you go to London, nobody goes to church; they go to work. Here, we go to church on Sunday, Bible study on Wednesday, and night vigil on Friday. When do we go to work?”
He argued that Nigerians are “faking” their religious identity and urged a return to ancestral roots, questioning why people distance themselves from traditional names like Ogunwande or Ogunyemi in favor of Western ones.
3. “Beginning of Wisdom” (BOW) Album
The new album is a direct reflection of this spiritual evolution. Released on April 9, 2026, the 13-track project features songs with titles like “Ifá”, “Ẹ̀là”, and “Olódùmarè”.
- Musical Shift: 9ice stated that he is “not that person anymore” and has moved past the phase where he feels the need to release songs every day. He described his current self as someone who has finally found their true calling.
