Nigerian singer and social media personality, Mr Real, has publicly criticised veteran musician D’Banj, accusing him of being stingy and ungrateful despite years of professional collaboration.
Speaking during an appearance on The Honest Bunch podcast, Mr Real claimed that after working closely with D’Banj for more than two years, his total earnings amounted to just $500.
“D’Banj is a stingy man. If I die and D’Banj no settle me… after working for him for more than two years, the only thing I gained was five hundred dollars. For what? I don’t know. Maybe na for moi-moi, maybe not for agidi, maybe na for adi para,” he said.
Mr Real rejected the idea that respect for senior figures in the industry should silence younger artists, insisting that speaking the truth should not be seen as disrespect.
“Forget all this OG nonsense. Because an OG does that mean I shouldn’t say my fate? I shouldn’t say the truth? Because it’s an OG that I’m disrespecting?” he stated.
Recounting his experience, Mr Real said he often performed at shows without demanding payment and made significant sacrifices in loyalty and time.
“They call me for shows, I go without asking for money. I would go perform without asking for money. I would go days without asking for money. He would take me around, carry me up and down, show people as if I were his artist,” he explained.
According to him, the arrangement negatively affected his public image, particularly among people in his community.
“Because of this man, people on my streets felt I was stingy because they felt I was seeing the money. But I didn’t have the money; I was just there giving my all,” he added.
Mr Real’s comments have since sparked conversations online, with fans and industry watchers debating fair compensation, recognition, and the treatment of emerging artists by established figures in the Nigerian music industry.
