Entertainment
Eedris Abdulkareem: 50 Cent’s men flogged, chased P-Square, others from backstage in 2004
Eedris Abdulkareem, outspoken Hip-hop and R&B singer, seems not to be relenting in releasing bombshells about events that happened in the nation’s music industries, as he continues giving instances of his personal efforts in enhancing and bringing it to the glorious era it has turned out today.
The controversial musician, has come under intense criticisms from colleagues in the industry, trying to push back against his claims that he solely created the robust atmosphere the Nigerian musicians were enjoying today by standing up to protect it at the time others cowered.
In some of the latest outings, musicians like Burna Boy, and P-Square, had lampooned him over the claim, with the former, a Grammy Award winner, even threatening to deal with him physically over the matter.
But regardless, the Nigeria jaga jaga crooner, noted for using his music to crusade against the ills of the society and who in one instance, was involved in a serious face-off with 50 Cents, an American music icon, has continued to release details of some of the events he was directly involved.
In his latest outing, he told The Honest Bunch Podcast in its latest outing of an incident where a crew working for the US singer, virtually flogged and chased some Nigerian artists, including P-Square, out of the backstage during a concert organised by the Nigerian Breweries in 2004.
Narrating how the incident, which he said happened on the first day of the concert at Tafawa Balewa Square, in Lagos, he told the crew of how he singularly stood up to the harassment by confronting the 50 Cent’s bouncers, when the ordered him to exit the backstage.
Hear him: “For the plane saga, it was the second day. A day before that time, we were at TBS at the backstage and when 50 Cent and his crew came backstage, they chased and flogged every Nigerian out of the backstage including P-Square.
“I just dey boil for where I dey. I was waiting for them to come and chase me. So, they finally came. When they came they asked me to leave that 50 Cent was coming. I said, ‘So what? Please, get the f*ck out of my face.’ They went to report me to one of the organisers and he told them to leave me alone. Na there the wahala for start, so they escaped that night.”
For Fatai Odunsi, father to Ahmed Ololade, Nigeria’s music sensation, popularly known as Asake, the hard times are over as the broken fences that led him to cry out by accusing his son of abandoning him on his sick bed, has now been mended and father-son relationship restored.
In recent days, the social media in Nigeria had been awash with Nigerians keying in to the allegation by the father, said to be bedridden with stroke accusing his son of abandoning him after his health in 2022, leading to a sharp division between those who outraged that the musician despite his immense wealth could not take care of his father and those who believed that the father deserved what he got for allegedly abandoning him as a child.
A new video, seems to indicate that all is now well and hostilities over, as Odunsi revealed that the musician had eventually not only reached out to him but is now fully involved in taking care of his health issues, with other benefits coming including a new apartment.
In the new video, the obviously happy father, enthused: “His mother ought to ask him when last he saw me. That was what got me angry, but we have sorted all the problems. We are no longer fighting. He has promised to purchasing a new house for me and covering my medical expenses.
“Asake said he will do everything that I want. We have settled, no more problems. They are now looking for a new house that he will buy for me. He has settled everything. He also agreed to take full responsibility for his 11-year-old daughter, Zeenat. He has never denied his child, but he has now promised to take full responsibility for the child. He has already sent me the necessary money for my treatment and he will be visiting the hospital soon.”
In a rare show of emotions, Seun Kuti, son of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti, has cried out over the shoddy treatment he is receiving in the hands of media practitioners in Nigeria, who are not only ignoring his achievements, but giving accolades due him to others.
The usually outspoken multi-talented instrumentalist and musician, and Grammy-nominee particularly expressed sadness at the rate his glory and recognition were being handed out to Burna Boy, Nigeria’s sensational musician ang Grammy award winner, citing a case where the latter was wrongly credited as the first artist to perform at Coachella in 2020, when in fact, he had performed at the festival in 2012.
He also bemoaned a situation where his brother, Femi Kuti, had received multiple Grammy nominations long before the same Burna Boy for Best World Music Album, adding that his album “Black Times” was nominated for Best World Music Album but overlooked by African award organisers.
Seun, who regretted that despite his recent Grammy nomination for his contribution to Janelle Monae’s “Age of Pleasure,” he was ignored by the local media among the Nigerian artists nominated for the 66th Grammys, he bewailed a situation, where he was being treated as if he actually came from another country.
Hear him: “My brother [Femi Kuti] has been nominated at the Grammys multiple times. They’ve nominated me, I was also nominated in the last edition. It was only my name that they [Nigerian media] didn’t mention among the Nigerian artists who were nominated for the 66th Grammys. That’s what they do every time as if I’m from Togo. That’s how they said Burna boy was the first Nigerian artiste to play in Coachella in 2020 where I’ve played in 2012 as if I’m from Togo.”
Multiple award-winning singer, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems recounted how her uncle convinced her to do the most dangerous thing ever.
Speaking in a recent interview with Elle, Tems recalled a daredevil experience where she was forced to jump out of a plane while skydiving.
The Oscar-nominated diva said jumping out of the plane was the most dangerous thing she has ever done.
What’s the most dangerous thing you’ve ever done?
The most dangerous thing I’ve ever done is jump out of a plane. I don’t even know how high but I went skydiving once. And I think for a second I was like, ‘Am I dying? I don’t know who sent me to do this. I don’t know why I decided to do this but here I am falling.
My uncle convinced me and my cousins to jump. I was like, ‘Wow! So cool. Daredevil.’ And then we got into the plane and I was like I will just stay in the plane and they said I can’t. They pushed us out.
Culled from The Nation
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