-
Afrobeats star Davido has responded to rapper Erigga after the rapper shared a post praising musicians who built their careers without financial support from wealthy families.
-
Erigga did not mention Davido or any other artist by name, but the Afrobeats star took issue with the message and responded by defending artists from wealthy backgrounds who also worked to build successful careers.
-
Davido described Erigga’s message as “useless motivation” and called the rapper an “imbecile” before continuing the conversation in another post.
-
Erigga has since responded to Davido, while the exchange has sparked mixed reactions online, with users debating wealth, privilege and the role of hard work in the music industry.
September 03, (THEWILL) — Afrobeats star Davido has responded sharply to rapper Erigga after the rapper shared a post praising musicians who built their careers without family wealth.
The issue began after Erigga shared a message on X praising musicians who did not come from wealthy families and had to work for their earnings.
“Shoutout to all the musicians who don’t come from family money and had to grind for every single dollar they earn,” Erigga wrote.
Although Erigga did not mention Davido or any other musician by name, the post drew a strong response from the Afrobeats star.
Davido defended musicians who come from wealthy families but still work to build successful careers. His response quickly turned personal.
“No be we say make your pops no guard o. Shoutout to the ones that came from family money and still grind to the top. Comot here with that your useless motivation … imbecile,” Davido wrote.
The singer later followed up with another post that read, “Deep down who like poverty?”
Erigga later responded to Davido, questioning why his original post had triggered such a strong reaction.
“NA SHOUTOUT TO THE ONES WHEN GET IT OUT THE MUD WITHOUT FAMILY MONEY DEY MAKE DAVID CRASH OUT? From where to where??” Erigga wrote.
He followed it with another post, writing, “Big man pikin dey cry say poor men children de hail dem self ??? Motivate your self naw. Ambassador of RICH KIDS.”
The exchange has since sparked a wider discussion on X about wealth, privilege and the challenges of building a career in the Nigerian music industry.
Davido, whose father, Adedeji Adeleke, is a prominent Nigerian businessman, has built a successful music career while coming from a wealthy family.
He has also spoken over the years about the work involved in establishing himself as an artist.
Erigga, meanwhile, has often referenced his upbringing and the challenges of building a career without the financial advantages available to some other artists.
The conversation has divided social media users.
While some believe financial backing can give artists an important advantage, others argue that coming from a wealthy family does not remove the hard work required to succeed in music.
Fans react
Several users questioned Davido’s decision to respond to Erigga’s original post, pointing out that the rapper did not mention him by name.
@lightkomedy said: “Davido that was a harmless tweet, Erigga no even mention anybody’s name.”
@Shaibu_AO said: “Erigga was in no way trying to shade this guy here or any other person. We all acknowledge the fact that in Nigeria, it’s much more difficult for a ‘nobody’ to become ‘somebody’. And that’s what Erigga was appreciating, with relation to the music industry context. Then boom, Davido picked offense.”
@IgwebuikeJ17 said: “Erigga shouted out without calling names, there are a lot of artists that made it from the street which is not easy coming from the street and reaching the top. Also, Davido is not the only artist from a rich home, Cuppy and many more came from rich homes too.”
@v2roskey1 said: “The truth is, rich kids really don’t know that it takes a miracle to make it out of the hood no matter how talented you are. What Davido did is very wrong. Calling Erigga an imbecile unprovoked is very childish of him. Erigga did a shoutout to people who struggled to make it from the hood. He didn’t even mention Davido’s name at all.”
@AOkegbemiro said: “Broski. This envy against the ones with family money, isn’t it? Thank God for the ones who made it out of the mud. These rich kids put in their best too. Kudos to everyone.”
Evi-Ben Ezaga is an entertainment and society writer with a passion for stories that explore culture, people, and the stories shaping society today.
