Rapper MI Abaga has shared a memorable and humbling moment from the early days of his career — one that took place on the red carpet of the 2008 Headies Awards.
The 44-year-old recalled the incident during an interview with Vbyz TV Cartel, explaining that although he had already been nominated for an award that night, he was still relatively unknown to many at the event.
According to MI, he arrived at the venue with his manager, only to be chased off the red carpet to make room for Nollywood superstar Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, who attended with her security team.
“I have been grinding and no one cares about who I am, and in February 2008, I was announced as the winner for ‘Best Rap Single’, and literally my life changed that day,” he said.
Detailing the red-carpet incident, MI said the event handlers did not recognise him and dismissed him immediately.
“I remember I was walking into the crowd with my manager and as we were walking in, Omotola came in with her security. The people on the red carpet did not even know I was nominated, so they were just like, ‘common get out of here’,” he recalled.
He added that he and his manager tried to stand quietly in a corner, but they were repeatedly pushed aside because Omotola needed more space for photo sessions.
“So we went to stand at one other corner and because Omotola was moving from side to side to take her picture, they kept chasing us from place to place,” he said.
The Headies ceremony — then called the Hip Hop World Awards — was held on March 15, 2008, at Planet One in Lagos. That night became a turning point for MI, who won Best Rap Single for his breakout track ‘Crowd Mentality’, marking his first major industry recognition.
“Two hours later, I had an award in my hand, a gold plaque from Ayo Animashaun, and after that plaque, everybody was like ‘MI is in the game’,” he said.
Following the milestone, MI released his debut album Talk About It, which solidified his status as one of Nigeria’s most influential rappers. Meanwhile, Omotola — already a Nollywood icon at the time — continued her global rise and was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2013.
For MI, the memory remains a powerful symbol of growth and how drastically his life transformed after that defining night.
