NIGERIA — Nigerian rapper Erigga has responded after Afrobeats superstar Davido criticised a social media post that sparked a debate over family wealth, privilege and the effort required to succeed in the music industry.
The exchange began after Erigga shared a message on social media praising musicians who, according to him, had built their careers without coming from wealthy families.
The rapper wrote: “Shoutout to all the musicians who don’t come from family money and had to grind for every single dollar they earn.”
Although Erigga did not mention any artiste by name, Davido appeared to take issue with the message and responded by defending musicians who grew up with financial advantages but still worked hard to establish themselves.
Davido wrote: “No be we say make your pops no guard o. Shoutout to the ones that came from family money and still grind to the top.”
The exchange subsequently became more heated, with Davido dismissing Erigga’s message as “useless motivation” and referring to the rapper as an “imbecile.”
Erigga later returned to the conversation but shifted attention away from the original argument about family wealth. Instead, he criticised the use of medical conditions or disabilities as insults.
“Big love to everyone on the spectrum, Down syndrome, autism, etc… it can never be cool to insult people with a disease,” Erigga stated.
Davido subsequently suggested that he could eventually leave music and focus on his other financial interests, while also questioning whether anyone genuinely desires poverty.
The public exchange has generated reactions online, with the conversation moving beyond the two artistes to a broader discussion about privilege, personal effort and the different paths Nigerian musicians take to achieve success.
For now, the disagreement remains a social media exchange between the two Nigerian music stars, with fans and followers continuing to react to their respective positions.