Nigerian artiste, Terry G, has revealed that Afrobeats star, Wizkid demanded he take down a song they recorded together ‘Mary Jane’ from digital streaming platforms.
Speaking during an episode of the Afrobeats Podcast, Terry G expressed his deep admiration for Wizkid, pointing out his significant influence and impact on the Nigerian music scene.
“Wizkid is the Jay-Z of our generation. He’s the first [born child of the new generation of Nigerian musicians] and we’ll always give it to him,” Terry G said during the podcast episode.
The ‘Akpako Master’ reminisced about a notable collaboration with Wizkid in 2016, recalling how Wizkid visited his residence in Ishaga for a recording session.
However, Wizkid’s legal team reached out to him to make the request because he did not seek permission from Big Wiz before dropping the track.
Terry G said that he only acted based on how it used to be in the industry in the past.
According to the Ginger master, they did collaborations based on love in his era, so they didn’t use to seek clearance, and he thought the same still applied but Wizkid did not like that.
He said; “I didn’t clear the song I made with Wizkid [‘Mary Jane’] because, in my era, we don’t clear songs; we do collaborations based on love. The lawyers have reached out to me to take the song down.
“To be honest, we’ve got to be professional and do paperwork. Because if that doesn’t work, nothing will work. So trust me, I have pulled down the song. For the platforms that are yet to take it down, I will make sure it is taken down on those platforms, too, soon.”
Netizens React:
@iammrtaiwo_ remarked: “Podcast is really doing what artist could not do for themselves. Revive their career or make them heard or relevant again”.
@osere_xi stated: “Wizkid is the greatest of all time, he has every right too”.
@Tade2710 commented: “Shey Wizkid grant you permission to drop it ?”
@engr_wise wrote: “You won come drop song wee una record for genesis for revelation . Wiz na big bird and you won come trend with him baa ?”
Terry G also raised his concerns about the growing impact of cultism in the music industry.
He claims that cults have taken over the industry, making it difficult for artists like him who are not a part of these groups to succeed.
He thinks that in order to promote harmony and peace among artists, cultism must be eliminated.
He said:
“In my time [when I held sway], cultism used to be in the universities. But it has entered into the music industry now. If we can remove it from the music industry, we would be [one] family again.
“But if there’s frat [confraternity] in the music industry, people like us who are not cultists cannot operate anymore.”
By Ezinne Okorie.
