Controversial Nigerian singer, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, has once again sparked reactions following his recent comments about fellow singer, Zlatan Ibile, whom he described as an upcoming artist.
During an interview session on Echo Room, the ‘Zaazu’ hitmaker made a bold claim, stating that Zlatan does not qualify as a mainstream artist because, according to him, many wealthy individuals are unfamiliar with his music. Portable further explained that Zlatan’s style of music and lack of recognition among high-profile individuals make him an upcoming artist.
According to Portable, he had a previous altercation with Zlatan, which led to one of his affluent friends, who happens to be a car dealer, calling him to reprimand him for engaging with the singer. The car dealer reportedly advised Portable against giving Zlatan any attention, as he believed the artist was attempting to gain clout off Portable’s name.
The controversial singer further revealed that his wealthy acquaintance insisted that Zlatan was not a widely recognized artist, emphasizing that he had never heard any of his songs before. Portable suggested that this was proof that Zlatan’s music had not made an impact among Nigeria’s elite.
In his words: “Zlatan is an up-and-coming artist. There was a man I got a car from. I decided to change my car for my birthday, from one of the people I get cars from. He said I shouldn’t have answered Zlatan. He said Zlatan wanted to chase clout with my name. Then he said he didn’t even know his songs and that he just started hearing his name.”
Portable went on to question the quality of music being produced by many Nigerian artists, suggesting that their songs lack proper structure and are not suitable for call-and-response interactions, which he believes are essential in music. He dismissed the style of music adopted by some of his colleagues as subpar and unworthy of recognition by the upper class.
He further said: “A lot of wealthy people don’t know some of these artists’ lyrics. What are they singing? Are those songs? You cannot do call and response. Is that music? Are you joking?”