The Nigerian music industry appears to be saying farewell to Naira Marley bit by bit. In a brave decision that has sparked an industry revolution, two major music stations, Soundcity and MTV Base, have removed Naira Marley’s songs from their playlists.
This judgement follows the artist’s suspected involvement in Mohbad’s terrible death.
Those who have been following Naira Marley and Mohbad’s relationship may not be surprised by the news. Mohbad, who had previously worked with Naira Marley’s Marlian Records label, left the label in 2022. Tensions between the two artists have since risen, resulting in public spats.
One of the most memorable incidents occurred in October of 2022 when Mohbad shared a live video, capturing a distressing moment where he was seen crying and fleeing from a building in Chevron, Lekki. Since his passing, eyes have obviously turned to none other than naira Marley.
Soundcity and MTV Base’s decision to pull Naira Marley’s songs from their playlists is a solidarity move in response to the ongoing controversies. While they haven’t explicitly stated the reasons behind this decision, it’s clear that the cloud of controversy surrounding the artist played a role in their choice.
Recall that yesterday, Kemi Filani had reported that Splash FM, another major player in the music scene, has also joined the ranks in discontinuing the play of Naira Marley’s songs. They’ve taken a stand, urging other stations to follow suit. This collective action sends a powerful message that the music industry is not willing to overlook controversies or alleged connections to tragic events.
For the past week, Naira Marley has also experienced a noticeable drop in his social media followers. His followers count, which stood at 7.5 million at the time of the news of Mohbad’s passing, has since decreased to 6.9 million.
