‘Nigerian singer Spyro has credited his mother as the primary catalyst for his relentless drive and ultimate success. He shared this personal insight during a recent appearance on the popular “Just Chude” podcast, hosted by Chude Jideonwo.
Spyro offered a candid look into his life journey. He revealed the challenges and triumphs that have shaped him into the artist he is today. Growing up as the child of a pastor, he experienced a unique set of circumstances. One particularly defining moment was when his father discontinued paying his school fees due to academic underperformance. This financial setback undoubtedly had a profound impact on his young life.
Spyro said to Chude,
“I just bought a car for my mum and I’ve always wanted to do that. Doing it now just makes me excited that I’m at that point where I can put a smile on her face and make her happy. But beyond getting her a car, I’m doing some other things that make her excited and that’s what matters to me. One of the major reasons why I grind is so that I can put a smile on my mum’s face.”
Spyro talked about the difficult times he went through in school. He remembered how hard his mother worked to take care of him. When his father stopped paying for his school, his mother stepped in and paid for his education instead.
He narrated,
“When I was younger, I wasn’t doing well in school and my dad withdrew and said he wasn’t going to pay my school fees, my mum took the responsibility and sent me to secondary school.”
“I saw her really struggle to do these things and she was also taking care of my twin sister and my older brother. It wasn’t easy on her, it was a lot of work for her and she had to put in extra work and put her hands into other jobs that weren’t as fresh. I feel like I have to repay her and she has to eat the fruits of her labour,” he continued.
Spyro admitted that his father’s strictness and decision to stop supporting him financially strained their relationship over time.
“I think my dad was just trying to be a disciplinarian, that’s why he stopped paying my fees. I would not blame him, I dey try for him sef, but it affected my relationship with him; I felt like he hated me and sometimes I would ask my mum if he was my real father because he was too high-handed,” he concluded.
In a recent interview on Echo Room, Portable shed light on his relationship with Afrobeats superstar Davido. He claimed that things were going well between them until Zlatan, another prominent artist, interfered.
Earlier this year, Portable embarked on a tour of America. During this trip, he met up with Davido, who generously gifted him a pair of sneakers.
However, the situation took a turn for the worse. Portable later took to social media, launching into a tirade against Zlatan. He accused the fellow musician of spreading false information about him to Davido, potentially damaging their newfound connection.
Portable explained that he was in the United States, actively seeking collaborations with a foreign artist. It was during this time that he received an unexpected call from Davido, inviting him to hang out. The Street Pop star revealed that while spending time with Davido, Zlatan allegedly warned the Grammy nominee to be cautious about associating with Portable.
The fallout from this incident led to days of social media outbursts from Portable. He repeatedly accused Zlatan of sabotaging his relationship with Davido, expressing frustration and anger over the situation.
Eventually, Portable took a step back and apologized to Zlatan. This move was part of his broader efforts to mend broken relationships within the industry.
Zlatan isn’t the only celebrity Portable has clashed with in 2024. Earlier in the year, he found himself embroiled in a highly publicized dispute with socialite Bobrisky. The feud attracted significant attention on social media and in the press.
More recently, Portable resolved his differences with musician Goya Menor. Their disagreement stemmed from the 2022 Headies Best Street Pop Award, highlighting the competitive nature of the Nigerian music scene.
Despite these controversies, Portable continues to focus on his music career. He recently released a new single titled “Oriade,” which he performed during his interview session on Echo Room.
Nigerian singer Korede Bello recently explained why he left Mavin Records. Don Jazzy is the renowned producer who founded this record label. Signed to Mavin in 2014, Korede exited the label in 2021.
The artist told Hip TV that he felt like a “product” designed and marketed only for profit. He talked about the constant pressure to chase hit songs. Also, staying relevant in the industry made him lose focus on what truly mattered to him.
What’s more, this feeling prompted him to take a break from music. During the break, he had to reflect and reconnect with his deeper purpose in life. Korede emphasized the importance of this hiatus in helping him realign his career with his values.
Korede Bello said,
“I was at a season in my life where I needed to metamorphose from a caterpillar to a butterfly. To explore my inner worth, to do introspection, to understand myself, understand meaning more, and reconnect to my why. Because I was at a stage where I started to feel like a product, I started to feel like something that was just being sold, something that is just there to make money.”
“You lose sight of what matters when you chase after the next song, after the next hit, and after the next whatever it is that can get you into conversations. So a lot of artistes are addicted to that circle, and that is why they will do anything to just stay relevant. And I know that music is not my destination, music is not my endpoint, it’s a means of communicating who I am and why I am. So I needed to reconnect to why I am and why music is an important tool for communicating what I’m about.”
Chidimma Adetshina, the current Miss Universe Nigeria, has publicly explained why she chose to delete her Twitter account. She faced intense criticism and negative comments following a controversy about her nationality and her win as Miss Universe Nigeria.
During an interview on Arise 360, the Nigerian-South African beauty queen shared that the decision to leave Twitter was motivated by the excessive and often harmful feedback she received.
“I’m not on Twitter,” Adetshina confessed.
She emphasized that deleting the app provided her solace because its toxicity negatively impacted her mental health.
“I had to delete it because I felt like it was too much for me. I’m a comment reader so I read each and every comment; that’s the thing. So for me, I could spend 80% of my day reading comments. I’d read the comments and all and it became toxic for me. I use Instagram but I did limit my comment section one time,” Adetshina explained.
Why Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Vanessa Onwe Adetshina deleted her Twitter account. pic.twitter.com/Xc5BQIaQ5z
The beauty queen thanked her fans for their support. She also warned of potential risks. Supporting her could pose dangers to her fans.
“Sometimes there are people in the comment section saying, ‘I really like you but I don’t want to put my feelings out there,’ and it’s valid because when people support me, they get dragged. I don’t want people to go through something like that for supporting me,” she said.
Chidimma’s mother faced allegations of fraud and identity theft from the South African Home Office. These accusations led to a prima facie case against her. As a result, Chidimma withdrew from the Miss South Africa pageant.
South Africans had already strongly criticized Chidimma’s participation when organizers first announced her as a contestant. The controversy surrounding her candidacy intensified with these new allegations.
After Chidimma’s withdrawal, the Silverbird Group, which organizes the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant, saw an opportunity. They extended an invitation to Chidimma to participate in their contest. Chidimma accepted this offer.
Chidimma Adetshina then competed in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant and emerged victorious. However, her win sparked further controversy. Some critics argued that the organizers had awarded her the title out of pity, rather than merit. This perception led to another wave of backlash against Chidimma.
