LAGOS — Nigerian Music crooner Yemi Alade has publicly accused two major Lagos-based radio stations, Cool FM Nigeria and CloudAfrica FM, of blacklisting her music after she missed a scheduled performance at one of their events last December.
In a post on X, the 35-year-old singer claimed that her absence from the December 2023 event led to a year-long ban on her songs at the stations. Alade said she had reached out to apologize for missing the event, but her efforts were allegedly ignored by the radio station managers.
“Mr. Serge and Mr. Joseph, this life is not hard like that. WE SEE YOU… I SEE YOU,” Alade wrote, directing her comments at the station managers. She added, “My God will fight for me… Una dey forms gatekeepers in 2024.”
The Afrobeat star expressed shock at what she described as a complete removal of her music from the station’s playlists. According to Alade, no song from her extensive catalogue—past or present—has been allowed to air on the stations since the incident.
“Since December 2023, I personally reached out in January. You are still refusing to play my music and giving my team a hard time,” Alade stated. “You’re not gatekeepers, and you are not God, Mr. Serge Noujaim and Mr. Joseph Adamu.”
In her social media posts, Alade accused the station managers of acting out of spite, alleging that they sought to intimidate her and exert control over her career. “The common decency to reach out and clear up any misunderstanding caused by sheer carelessness on your part for a whole year, and your next move is to place an embargo on my songs? Remove my whole catalogue,” she said.
As of now, Cool FM Nigeria and CloudAfrica FM have not issued any public response to Alade’s claims. The situation has sparked online discussions about the influence of radio platforms in the Nigerian music industry and their power over artists’ careers.
Yemi Alade, known for hits like “Johnny” and “Shekere,” remains a prominent figure in the Afrobeat genre, with a strong following both in Nigeria and internationally. She expressed confidence that the controversy would not hinder her music, emphasizing that her faith in her talent and her fan base remains unshaken.
“The world is a small village,” Alade concluded, suggesting that despite the alleged blacklist, her music will continue to reach her audience through other channels.
